Yale Cancer Center Earns International Reaccreditation for Expertise in CAR T-cell Therapy and Stem Cell Transplantation

Newswise — Yale Cancer Center (YCC) and Smilow Cancer Hospital (SCH) have again received an internationally recognized accreditation for cellular therapy and stem cell transplantation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), giving patients life-saving cancer treatment options in Connecticut. SCH is the only cancer hospital in the state offering these lifesaving therapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. A new cellular therapy, tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, will be available soon for melanoma.

“FACT accreditation has evolved into a necessary qualification to be accepted and competitive in the field of cellular therapy,” said Stuart Seropian, MD, clinical director and lead physician of the stem cell transplant program at YCC and SCH. “This accreditation shows that we strive to achieve the highest quality care for cellular therapy treatment programs.”

YCC and SCH uphold the most rigorous standards in every aspect of transplantation and cellular therapy – from clinical care to donor management, cell collection, processing, storage, transportation, administration, and cell release. There are currently 310 FACT-accredited institutions worldwide.

What are cellular therapies?

SCH is one of a select group of hospitals and cancer centers that offer CAR T-cell therapy (a type of immune effector cell therapy) to patients with solid tumors, relapsed/refractory melanoma, and even disease areas beyond oncology.

CAR T-cell therapy is a relatively new and highly personalized type of immunotherapy drug that uses a patient’s synthetically modified T cells — a type of white blood cell — to kill cancer cells. Dr. Seropian said CAR T is “an exciting new form of immunotherapy that is proving effective in patients with certain recurrent or resistant blood cancers.”

YCC and SCH will soon offer (TIL) therapy cellular therapy for melanoma that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Doctors grow a large number of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte cells in the lab from a sample of a patient’s own tumor and return the cells to the body to seek out and combat tumors.

What is stem cell transplantation?

A stem cell transplant, which is also known as a bone marrow transplant, is a medical procedure in which healthy stem cells from a donor replace damaged or diseased bone marrow. The healthy stem cells can then develop into new, healthy bone marrow and blood cells. The procedure can be used to treat various cancers of the blood, bone marrow, or lymph system such as leukemia or lymphoma.

YCC physicians at SCH offer transplantation, using compatible donor stem cells, which is known as an allogeneic transplant or using a patient’s own stem cells, which is known as an autogulous transplant.

A leader in cellular therapy and stem cell transplant

The stem cell transplant program at YCC and Smilow first received FACT accreditation in 2003, and reaccreditation occurs every three years.

YCC and SCH are members of the National Marrow Donor Program. This program tracks data on patients who have received a transplant at accredited United States Transplant Centers. Data from the program shows that after one year, patients who receive a stem cell transplant at Smilow Cancer Hospital have a 9 percent higher expected one year survival rate than the national rate of 63%.

Smilow also ranks as a top hospital in U.S. News & World Report as one of the "America's Best Hospitals" for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma — three conditions for which CAR T-cell therapy and stem cell transplants may be necessary.

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About Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hosptial

Yale Cancer Center combines a tradition of innovative cancer treatment and quality care for our patients. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer center since 1974, Yale Cancer Center is one of only 56 such centers in the nation and the only one in Connecticut. Yale Cancer Center members include national and internationally renowned scientists and physicians at Yale School of Medicine and Smilow Cancer Hospital. This partnership enables the Center to provide the best approaches for prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment for cancer.

Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven Health is one of the nation’s pre-eminent cancer hospitals, Connecticut’s largest provider of cancer care, and the only comprehensive cancer facility in the Northeast – bringing together both inpatient and outpatient care in one hospital. In addition to the flagship Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Smilow offers state-of-the-art cancer services at 15 other locations throughout the region. Partnering with Yale Cancer Center, Smilow Cancer Hospital offers the very latest care, delivered by some of the nation’s most prominent and highly respected physicians and nurses. A leader in groundbreaking academic medicine, Smilow provides access to more than 300 clinical trials – bringing innovation and new hope to patients each year, including access to Phase I trials.