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Multidisciplinary Units

Our different clinical services constitute the basis around which the healthcare activity at MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid is organized.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of MD Anderson Madrid is the multidisciplinary character of the medical team. The more than 150 specialists making up our center are part ofMultidisciplinary Units specializing in each type of tumor, in which their work is coordinated to develop personalized treatments for each patient.
This means that any single case has the benefit of the joint vision of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and radiologists who work closely together and contribute their knowledge and experience to make the treatment a success.
Furthermore, there is a solid, continuous relationship between the professionals at MD Anderson Madrid and those at MD Anderson in Houston, sharing protocols for the more complex cases in clinical sessions. This multidisciplinary approach to cancer allows a team of specialists to work together to ensure the best possible treatment for each patient.

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Bone Marrow Transplant Unit

Bone marrow transplant is a procedure that makes it possible to administer high doses of chemotherapy and, on some occasions, radiation therapy, and diseased bone marrow to be replaced with healthy marrow.
The procedure is the basis of the treatment of di fferent hematologic diseases or solid cancers.

Bone marrow transplant is a procedure that makes it possible to administer high doses of chemotherapy and, on some occasions, radiation therapy, and diseased bone marrow to be replaced with healthy marrow.
The procedure is the basis of the treatment of di fferent hematologic diseases or solid cancers.


Autologous stem cell transplant (using the patients own cells):
This is a technique that allows high doses of chemotherapy to be administered to treat di fferent
hematologic or solid cancers where the stem cell donor is the patient him/herself.
 
Allogeneic stem cell transplant (donor stem cells):
This technique means that unhealthy hematopoietic cells (young blood forming cells) are replaced with healthy cells by means of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. e stem cell donor is not the patient, but a donor, who may or may not be a relative.


This consists of a needle being inserted through the sternum (breastbone) or pelvis to the bone marrow. Th e puncture procedure may be painful, so it is done under local anesthetic and general sedation. Bone marrow is then extracted by syringe and sent to the pathological anatomy lab for genetic and ow cytometry analysis.
 
Analysis of the patient’s bone marrow is crucial in some blood diseases, like acute leukemia and is an important part of the testing procedures prior to and aft er the transplant.


  • Study of the transplant patient.
  • Study of the donor (in allogeneic transplants) and of donor-recipient compatibility.
  • Leukapheresis (or apheresis): consists of harvesting, or collecting, as many stem cells as possible at just the right time. Harvesting the cells may be done from peripheral blood or directly from the bone marrow. Another source of stem cells is the umbilical cord. In the case stem cells are the patient’s own cells, these are harvested and frozen before the transplant. In the case of donor cells, harvesting is scheduled in line with the transplant.
  • Chemotherapy conditioning: the patient is prepared to receive the stem cell transplant. The duration of this step varies depending on the disease being treated, and is when high doses of chemotherapy are administered with immunosuppressive treatments in the case of allogeneic transplants to prevent rejection of donated stem cells.
  • Stem cell infusion or Day 0 of the transplant: this is usually carried out 24-48 hours aft er fi nishing chemotherapy. Stem cell infusion is done intravenously through a central catheter, or port.
  • Aft er stem cell infusion: this is the waiting phase to see whether the gra ed stem cells integrate themselves into the body (engra ftment) and produce new, healthy blood cells. In this phase the patient will need blood transfusions and will o ften develop a fever as a result of his/her defense system being weaker, which is very marked at this stage. Th ere are a number of possible complications, so the patient will require close monitoring by specialized hospital staff .

MD Anderson Madrid has four negative pressure rooms equipped with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter systems specically for bone marrow transplants and cases of acute leukemia, complications requiring the patient to be kept in isolation.
 
The Hematology Service is made up of hematologists in charge of the clinical area and of hematologists specializing in leukapheresis and cryopreservation.
 
MD Anderson Madrid is authorized to carry out autologous bone marrow transplants and allogeneic bone marrowtransplants involving family-related donors.