Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute Marks Milestone in Life-Saving Bone Marrow Transplant Program
January 22, 2025
Baton Rouge, LA – Hana Safah, MD, performed an autologous bone marrow transplant on Wednesday, January 22, marking a significant milestone for Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute’s newest Heme-Malignancy Cell Therapy Program.
Autologous transplants are used to treat common blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. This type of transplant involves the patient receiving their own stem cells after chemotherapy.
“Through transplants like this, we're able to provide patients with cancers a new hope in their diagnosis,” said Chuck Spicer, president of Our Lady of the Lake Health. “This is a testament to the Cancer Institute’s ongoing mission to provide the most advanced and innovative cancer treatments to the region.”
Dr. Safah, director of heme-malignancy and cell therapy, and Nakhle Saba, MD, director of lymphoid malignancy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy, lead the Cancer Institute’s Hematologic Malignancy Cell Therapy program. They have over 50 years of combined experience in cell therapy.
“We have been blessed to welcome Dr. Safah and Dr. Saba to lead our bone marrow transplant program in the fall of 2024,” said Susan Foret, vice president of cancer services at Our Lady of the Lake. “Their breadth of knowledge and experience coupled with the Cancer Institute’s investment in these lifesaving procedures is helping change cancer care in the Baton Rouge area.”
In addition to autologous bone marrow transplant, the program projects its first allogeneic bone marrow transplant — which involves a donor — to take place in the fall 2025. This marks an exciting return of the availability of bone marrow transplants to Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, allowing patients to seek life-saving treatment close to home.
“The future is bright for our bone marrow transplant program,” Dr. Safah said. “Dr. Saba and I along with the nurses, laboratory, support services, epic team and administration look forward to advancing blood cancer care in the region through new procedures and research.”
Learn more about the Cancer Institute’s bone marrow transplant program here.
About Our Lady of the Lake Health
Our Lady of the Lake Health is a not-for-profit Catholic healthcare ministry based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with more than 7,500 employees committed to serving the Capital Region and building a healthy community through excellence in patient care and education. With an 800-bed Regional Medical Center, a dedicated Children’s Hospital, a 78-bed hospital in Gonzales, Louisiana, two freestanding emergency rooms in outlying parishes, and a 600+ provider Physician Group, Our Lady of the Lake Health provides comprehensive healthcare services for common to complex conditions. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a primary teaching site for graduate medical education programs in partnership with LSU, and is recognized in the areas of heart and vascular, trauma and emergency care, stroke, cancer care, minimally invasive procedures, and more. Our Lady of the Lake is part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and is driven by its mission to serve all God’s people, especially those most in need. For more information, visit ololrmc.com.