A Letter to Parents

From Dr. Jean Sanders, M.D.
Director, Pediatric Clinical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

If your child needs a hematopoietic cell transplant (which includes bone marrow and stem cell transplants), there are some things you should know about the Pediatric Clinical Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Service at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance that make us unique.

Our transplant results are outstanding. For example, for infants receiving transplants for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, our patients have a 75 percent disease-free survival rate. Survival rates are also high for older children, but depend on the phase of the patient’s disease at the time of transplant.

We treat high-risk patients. Our skilled doctors offer transplants to young patients whose disease has relapsed or who have other medical problems that would not permit a standard transplant or who may have been refused treatment elsewhere.

We offer the latest therapies. These include mini-transplants and I 131 monoclonal antibody therapy, which may be effective for patients who otherwise would not be eligible for a transplant.

Our Hutch School keeps your child connected to the world. Many families choose to come to SCCA because of the Hutch School, which enrolls school-age siblings of our patients as well as young patients themselves.

We have a unique long-term follow-up program. For 30 years, I have been following children after their transplants, offering support and care to patients and families, and learning about the issues they face, including chronic graft vs. host disease and growth and development problems. The information I’ve gathered by following these children—many of whom are now successful adults—is helping us improve the treatments we offer today.

Bone marrow transplantation was pioneered here, at one of our parent organizations, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. I trained under Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, who won the 1990 Nobel Prize for Medicine for his breakthrough work on transplantation.

You want the best for your child. And so do we. At SCCA, your child will receive the best possible medical care in a warm, friendly environment designed to support your child and your entire family. 

 

Click here for more information on Dr. Jean Sanders, M.D.

 

January 2005