ALBERTON – However, by its very nature this high intensity therapy is associated with significant risk, and should only be undertaken at specialised centres.
This is according to Dr Jackie Thomson, who heads up the Alberts Cellular Therapy (ACT) unit at Netcare Pretoria East Hospital. Dr Thomson says that there are a number of major risks involved in the bone marrow stem cell transplantation process and treatment of blood disorders, most notably a high risk of infection.
“If the risks involved in stem cell transplantation are significant, it may well be asked whether such a procedure should be undertaken at all. The answer to this is a firm yes, because without this treatment many of the diseases that bone marrow stem cell transplantation is used to treat would be nothing short of fatal,” she adds.
“In addition, when patients are treated for these diseases by experts in specialised facilities, using highly advanced technology and evidence-based treatment protocols, the success rates are very high. The five-year survival rate in children is 75 per cent, and in the majority of cases these young patients go into complete remission and are effectively cured.”
Dr Thomson says there is no doubt that there is a clear need for bone marrow stem cell transplantation programmes such as those offered by ACT at Netcare Pretoria East Hospital. “However, it should be emphasised that transplantation programmes have a responsibility to ensure that they fully integrate the different aspects of their operations so that they function to the highest standards and procedures are performed in the safest manner possible,” she observes.
The Alberts Cellular Therapy unit is the haematological branch of Alberts, Bouwer, Jordaan (ABJ) Oncologists, based at Netcare Pretoria East Hospital and specialises in bone marrow transplantation. The facility recently achieved accreditation by JACIE, the Joint Accreditation Committee of the European Bone Marrow Registry and the International Standards for Stem Cell Therapy, for meeting its rigorous standards, and is the first centre of its kind on the continent to achieve this sought-after accolade. According to Dr Thomson, the clinical facility, collection facility and processing laboratories were all evaluated separately and accredited both individually and as part of the total integrated programme offered by ACT.
Head of Oncology at Netcare Noeleen Phillipson described the JACIE accreditation as a “significant milestone for cancer and blood medicine in South Africa”, and congratulated the doctors and staff who had been involved in the development of the facility. “The accreditation, which comes less than four years after the Alberts Cellular Therapy unit first opened its doors, means that patients are assured that they will receive therapy that is cutting edge and comparable to that offered by any of the major centres in Europe,” she adds.
Dr Thomson says that after building the unit with its 30 isolation beds at Netcare Pretoria East Hospital, establishing a clinical team to manage the patients, the marrow collection (apheresis) unit and the cryopreservation and processing laboratory, it became clear that a quality management system was needed to ensure the smooth functioning of the entire bone marrow stem cell transplantation process. The JACIE accreditation was the obvious choice.
Dr Thomson suggests that one of the major advantages of the JACIE system, which falls under the auspices of the European Blood and Marrow Transplant group, is that it uses strict protocols to ensure the systematic control and coordination of the entire transplant process. According to Dr Thomson, participation in the programme has been shown to improve survival by a significant 10 per cent.
She points out that the accreditation and indeed ACT would not have been possible without the dedication and passion of a number of individuals and organisations including Netcare, ABJ Oncology, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) and associated medical professionals.
“Our cooperation with Netcare is facilitating growth and development. We see ACT as an important medical resource for the country with potential for private public partnership, research and specialist medical training,” concludes Dr Thomson.
