Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders

Bone Marrow Transplant

Primary Children’s bone marrow transplant program treats patients from birth to young adulthood with a diagnosis of cancer or nonmalignant disorders.

Our team has conducted over 700 transplants and 16 CAR-T infusions and has treated patients from 13 different states and four different countries. We specialize in allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplants and partner with the Be The Match bone marrow registry to match patients with donors worldwide. 

Conditions and Treatments

We treat patients from birth to age 25 with cancer, as well as metabolic, immunologic, and hematological disorders. 

Cancer

  • Immunodeficiencies
  • Bone marrow failure disorders
  • Genetic and metabolic disorders
  • Autoimmune disorders

Types of transplant include autologous transplants for brain tumors, solid tumors, or lymphomas and allogeneic transplants from siblings, cord blood, and haploidentical donors. We also provide: 

  • Chimeric antigen receptor for CAR-T cells (Kymriah) for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. 
  • Antibody therapy to target neuroblastoma cells
  • Extracorporal photopheresis (ECP) for the treatment of Graft vs. Host disease in children as small as 10 kgs. 

What Sets Us Apart

Groundbreaking Treatment

Our program is dedicated to being on the frontline of bone marrow transplant treatment. We participate in national research studies including Children’s Oncology Group and Pediatric BMT Registry and have achieved several groundbreaking milestones: 

  • 2017 - Primary Children’s is chosen as one of the first centers nationally to offer Kymriah as an FDA-approved CAR-T therapy and reported the highest enrollment rate in the country for this treatment.
  • 2016 - Conducted the first transplant in Utah for a sickle-cell anemia patient
  • 2014 - Became a national leader in expanding newborn screening for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCIDS)

Multidisciplinary Team

The Primary Children's Bone Marrow Transplant team is a multidisciplinary team comprised of physicians, advanced practice providers, and nurses, whose combined years amount to several decades of dedicated bone marrow transplant training and experience. Our caring team helps the child and the family with all aspects of the bone marrow transplant process and continue to manage long term effects into the future. We also rely on specialized pharmacists, social workers, dietitians, child life specialists, physical therapists, neuropsychologists, and many other supportive team members to care for the full range of needs of each patient and family. 

National Recognition & Accreditation

Primary Children’s bone marrow transplant program is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), a designation achieved only by those that have demonstrated consistently high standards in patient care and laboratory practices. Additionally, U.S News & World Report has ranked Primary Children's as a top hospital in the nation for cancer care in its 2023 - 24 Best Children's Hospitals rankings.