The Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant (BMT) Program was established at KHCC over 17 years ago.
KHCC’s pediatric BMT program is the only comprehensive, state-of-the-art, dedicated pediatric blood and marrow transplant program in Jordan, and is one of the largest and most successful programs in the in the Eastern Mediterranean region, performing sophisticated blood and marrow transplant procedures with high rates of success and cure rates which are comparable with rates at international centers.
Our distinguished pediatric BMT program is dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate, and individualized care to every patient and family we serve.
We offer a wide range of cutting-edge life-saving services and treatment options specifically tailored to the unique needs of children with hematologic, rare genetic disorders, and immune system disorders and oncologic conditions and to ensure that each child receives the best possible care.
We use state-of-the-art techniques and technologies and integrate the latest advances in medical technology, including innovative methods for harvesting and transplanting bone marrow, minimizing the risk of complications and improving patient outcomes. In addition to research, and top-notch patient care to ensure the best possible outcomes for children undergoing BMT.
Our team of highly skilled medical professionals is committed to providing the highest quality of care to each child, working collaboratively with families to help them navigate the complexities of the bone marrow transplantation process.
The pediatric HCT transplant team at the KHCC has extensive experience in performing all types of stem cell transplantation and implementing state of the art treatment protocols, supportive care, and novel and advanced therapies
program has also done pioneering work using unrelated cord blood and haplo-identical donors and reduced intensity conditioning to cure many patients with malignant and non-malignant conditions.
The program currently performs around 100 sophisticated blood and marrow transplants annually, as the number of transplants has gradually doubled. Since its establishment, the program has performed more than 1,300 pediatric bone marrow and stem cell transplants from all stem cell sources, including:
- Autologous transplants
- Allogeneic blood and bone marrow transplants (related and unrelated)
- Mismatched transplants
- Haploidentical transplants
- Cord blood transplants (related and unrelated)
New technologies such as advanced cell separation and graft manipulation bone marrow transplants from mismatched and unrelated donors and reduced conditioning transplants tailored to each patient have been introduced.
The pediatric team is an active member of many international collaborative organizations and working groups such as the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplant Society, East and Transplantation - EBMT, and the Middle East Society for Blood, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation (EMBMT), and World BMT network. In addition to participating in different global research initiatives.
The pediatric bone marrow transplant program consists of:
- A 24- bed inpatient HCT unit equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Filters (HEPA). The unit is the largest in the country and is specifically designed to provide the best possible environment of care for immunocompromised patients.
- A pre- and post-HCT outpatient clinic and infusion center, located in a world class ambulatory center.
- A pediatric ER department operating 24/7 that is staffed by pediatric transplantation hospitalists and nurses familiar with managing transplant patients.
- A highly equipped stem cell collection and pheresis facility.
- A stem cell therapy facility and lab.
- An Extra Corporeal Photopheresis (ECP) facility.
- A dedicated oncological PICU.
- 8 linear accelerators.
- Weekly pediatric HCT MDC meetings, pediatric inpatient service meetings, and pediatric HCT coordination meetings.
- Monthly educational activities.
- A robust survivorship program and late effects clinic.
- A one-year comprehensive pediatric HCT training program.
Pediatric diseases that are treated with blood and marrow transplantation include:
- Malignant disorders: leukemias, lymphoma, solid tumors, and brain tumors.
- Non-malignant conditions: including hemoglobinopathies such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease, bone marrow failure syndromes, aplastic anemias, immune deficiency disorders, metabolic disorders, and others.
Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program Faculty:
- Rawad Rihani, MD, MSc., Director, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program
- Hasan Hashem, MD, Consultant, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program
- Mayada Abu Shanap, MD, Consultant, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program
- Eman Khattab, MD, Consultant, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program
The care and treatment of pediatric bone marrow transplant patients is carried out by an integrated, multidisciplinary pediatric team consisting of four expert pediatric bone marrow transplant consultants with extensive experience in pediatric bone marrow transplantation, cell therapy, and applied genomics, pediatric radiation oncology, and pediatric surgery. These experts are supported by eight pediatric transplant specialists, four pre- transplant nurse coordinators, and 3 post-transplant coordinators, nutritionists, Pharm Ds, pharmacists, social workers, child life specialists, play therapists, dietitians, and clinical pediatric HCT nurses, in addition to all pediatric subspecialties required to support the transplant process. KHCC’s team works together to provide personalized care to each patient which accounts for their unique medical history, diagnosis, and treatment needs.
Education and Training Activities
The BMT program offers a one-year training program in bone marrow transplantation for qualified physicians who have completed three years in pediatric hematology and oncology. The fellowship is part of the recognized POEM-St. Jude CRH training sites which offer training to fellows from across the region.