The Medical City Offers Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant

The Institute of Personalized Molecular Medicine (IPMM) of premier health institution The Medical City (TMC) offers bone marrow and stem cell transplantation which have evolved into the standard of care for many people with hematologic cancers and other blood disorders.

For patients who have certain malignancies of the blood and bone marrow such as leukemias and lymphomas, or autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus and erythematosus, or other blood-related disorders including aplastic anemia and thalassemia major, bone marrow transplant has been part of the standard treatment regimen, backed by large and long-term studies on efficacy.

Although the buzz term of “stem cells” has only recently come to the limelight, the science and technology behind its utility to treat certain diseases has been present in some form or another since the late 1930s.

Back in those early days, physicians and scientists already saw the potential of these cells for illnesses involving the bone marrow, even garnering the Nobel Prize . The process, known as a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or HSCT, has remained mostly the same since then, but with some very important technological and clinical improvements. It is also more commonly called a bone marrow transplant.

In the past, patients who needed a stem cell transplant received a “bone marrow transplant” because the stem cells were collected from the bone marrow. Today, stem cells may also be collected from the blood, instead of the bone marrow. For this reason, they are now called stem cell transplants.

The bone marrow is a part of your bones that makes blood cells. Marrow is the soft, spongy tissue inside the bones. It contains cells called “hematopoietic” stem cells which can turn into several other types of cells. They can turn into more bone marrow cells or they can turn into any type of blood cell.

Certain cancers and other diseases keep hematopoietic stem cells from developing normally. If they are not normal, neither are the blood cells that they make. A stem cell transplant gives you new stem cells and these new stem cells can make new, healthy blood cells.

There are two types of stem cell transplant - autologous and allogeneic. For an autologous stem cell transplant, the patient’s own stem cells are removed from his or her bone marrow or peripheral blood before the transplant. The cells are stored until they are needed for the transplant. Then for example, a patient with myeloma gets treated with high-dose chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells. When this is complete, the stored stem cells are infused back into the patient’s blood. This type of transplant is a standard treatment for patients with multiple myeloma.

In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, the patient gets blood-forming stem cells from another person – the donor. The best treatment results occur when the donor’s cells are closely matched to the patient’s cell type and the donor is closely related to the patient, such as a brother or sister. Allogeneic transplant is usually done for acute leukemias and other hematologic malignancies

Both autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplant can be performed at the IPMM of The Medical City.

" At The Medical City IPMM, each patient’s treatment can be personalized and tailored uniquely, ensuring safety and efficacy because of the presence of cutting-edge technology coupled with the expertise of internationally-trained specialists in  the fields of Hematology and Oncology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases," says  Dr. Alma R. Calavera, hematologist and transplant specialist.

The IPMM has a team of specialists dedicated to bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. The team is composed of hematologists, transplant specialists, nurses with special training and experience in bone marrow and stem cell transplant, critical care, hematology and oncology, nutritionists, pharmacists, and other allied healthcare staff.

The institute also has a dedicated nursing unit on the 12th floor with six positive pressure for patients with compromised immune systems. These specially designed rooms ensure proper air flow to protect both patient and healthcare worker.

"Bone marrow and stem cell transplant are being done here in the Philippines, at The Medical City, thus, there's no more need to go abroad for this procedure," she adds.

The IPMM is a unit of The Medical City focused on the ethical delivery of personalized molecular medicine treatments. The backbone of the IPMM is Regenerative Medicine, a revolutionary field involving the engineering of cells and other biomaterials with the goals of restoring organ function lost or impaired due to disease or injury, and improving the quality of life.

IPMM is one of the very few accredited Human Stem Cell and Cell-based Therapy Programs in the country, with accreditation granted by the Department of Health  in November 2014.

For appointments and inquiries, please call TMC-IPMM at (632) 988 1000 / (632) 988 7000 loc 6307 / 6551, or visit www.themedicalcity.com. 

The Medical City Offers Non-Invasive Test to Assess Liver Disease

The liver is one of the largest and most vital organs and it performs many important jobs, including protein production, changing food into energy and removing toxic or poisonous substances from the blood. One cannot live without a functioning liver.

There are a number of diseases that can injure the liver and stop it from working correctly. One of these is hepatitis or the inflammation of the liver. With hepatitis, the liver stops working well.  It can lead to scarring (cirrhosis) or cancer. Viruses cause most cases of hepatitis. Viral hepatitis is the most common cause of liver disease in the world.

A person with a liver problem may not be symptomatic in the early stages of the disease. Sometimes the disease may be identified during routine tests for other reasons. However, once liver problems reach a certain point, symptoms will start showing up. The most common symptoms of liver disease include weakness and fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting and yellow discoloration of the skin or jaundice.

According to the doctors at The Medical City (TMC) Center for Liver Disease Management and Transplantation (CLDMT), if you wait for these warning signs or symptoms before caring for your liver, it might be too late. An effective way of keeping track of your health is through regular health screening. 

There are also liver function tests which are blood tests that help determine the health of your liver by measuring the levels of proteins, liver enzymes, or bilirubin in your blood.

Your doctor may order a liver function test if you’re more likely to have liver damage or disease, like if you are a heavy drinker, or if you come from a family with a history of liver disease, if you are overweight and have diabetes or high blood pressure or if you are taking medicine that can harm your liver.

FibroScan Probe at The Medical City

In 2010, CLDMT introduced the first FibroScan probe in the Philippines. The FibroScan probe is a non-invasive, painless, and speedy alternative to biopsies used for assessing fibrosis, or the formation of scar tissue due to injury or long-term inflammation. The early detection of fibrosis is the key to preventing chronic liver disease, which is associated with conditions such as Hepatitis B, alcoholic liver disease, and fatty liver disease. 

Pressed gently against the upper right side of the patient’s abdomen, the probe makes use of transient elastography, creating a special pulse whose velocity is measured via ultrasound. The velocity determines how stiff the patient’s liver is—the stiffer the liver, the greater the degree of fibrosis. Based on the test’s results, the patient may then be recommended to CLDMT specialists for further analysis and treatment. 

The CLDMT recently acquired an enhanced FibroScan 502 Touch which offers a more improved patient data management system with more complete and personalized exam reports. It is compatible with the complete range of FibroScan probes and offers simultaneous connection of two probes giving flexibility for the patient assessment.  An indicator recommends the probe best suited to the patient's morphology.

The FibroScan examination is painless, quick, and easy. You will only feel a slight vibration on the skin where the tip of the probe is applied.

 The examination usually takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The patient can go back to his usual activities immediately after the procedure.

If you suffer from a liver disease, ask your doctor about the FibroScan at The Medical City.

The CLDMT is a world-class facility managed by a team of internationally trained and renowned liver surgeons, transplant surgeons, hepatologists, radiologists, oncologists, pediatricians, and intensivists. The Liver Center offers diagnostic, therapeutic, medical, surgical, and radiologic services for acute and chronic liver conditions. For inquiries, call the CLDMT at 9881000 local 6506.