With the opening of William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital this past December, UT Southwestern’s Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) program relocated and expanded from its former 18-bed unit at St. Paul University Hospital to a state-of-the-art, 32-bed unit in the new hospital. (A 4,040-square-foot adult outpatient clinic remains in Simmons Cancer Center, on UTSW’s North Campus.)
The UT Southwestern BMT program is one of the nation’s leading programs for hematologic malignancies. With more than 1,400 transplants to date, it is No. 1 in North Texas for one-year survival rates for allografts and is a National Center of Excellence for all the major national insurance carriers.
“We manage patients at all stages of their care, from initial diagnosis through an individualized treatment plan,” says the program’s Director, Robert Collins, M.D. “Our physicians are true experts in the field, and all have particular disease focuses to ensure we are providing the most effective and up-to-date care possible.”
As part of UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center – the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas – the BMT program is able to offer patients a range of services. In addition to treatment of hematologic malignancies, stem cell transplantation, and investigational therapy, the program has an acute leukemia service, a survivorship clinic, and in-depth genetic and functional screening of patients, allowing for individualized molecular-targeted therapy.
The program also offers a comprehensive second opinion service, as well as support services to assist with the emotional, social, nutritional, and spiritual challenges that accompany cancer.
Patients have access to another significant benefit as well – the opportunity to participate in clinical trials.
“Our program is very active in clinical research, with more than 60 clinical trials open at any one time,” Dr. Collins says. “This allows us to make sure our patients have access to the very latest advances in the field.”
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Collins or any member of the BMT program team, call 214-645-8300.
