Stem Cell Transplantation at Billings Clinic Cancer Center

The Billings Clinic Cancer Center is the only facility in the region with stem cell transplantation. Stem cell transplant is the standard of care for certain types of cancers. This means it has been proven to provide the patient with the best outcome for treating their cancer.

Stem cell transplant allows your physician to integrate the use of high dose chemotherapy with the strategies that preserve bone marrow function. Transplant expertise includes the use of mobilized peripheral blood stem cells and bone marrow growth factors to promote recovery from high dose chemotherapy.

Historically, cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy have been required to enter the hospital for lengthy periods. Today, continuing advances in cancer research and treatment make it possible for patients to receive much of their treatment on a strictly-monitored outpatient basis.

Working closely with your physician, the staff of this program will provide the prescribed therapy in the outpatient Infusion Center. You will only be hospitalized when absolutely necessary.

There are basically two types of Stem Cell Transplantation, Autologous and Allogenic. Stem cells are circulating cells, primarily in the blood stream that are the precursor to all other blood cells.

Stem cell transplantation is a procedure in which the stem cells are exchanged. There is a donor and a recipient (patient) in the procedure. When the donor is the patient themselves the transplant is known as an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant and when the donor is not the patient the transplant is called an Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant. The Billings Clinic performs Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation.

The stem cell transplant team is an integrated team of physicians, navigators, dietitians, financial counselors, genetic counselors and social workers that work collaboratively for the patient within the stem cell program. Several registered nurses are specially trained for Autologous Stem Cell Harvesting, or collection of stem cells, for the program.

The cancers that are treated at Billings Clinic with Autologous Stem Cell transplantation include:

The Therapeutic Apheresis Program was added to the Cancer Centers Stem Cell Transplant Program in January of 2010. Therapeutic apheresis is the process of separating specific blood components from a patient to achieve levels that will allow improvement for a number of disorders such as:

Additional stem cell procedures that are performed at Billings Clinic are:

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Stem Cell Transplantation at Billings Clinic Cancer Center