Share the Science: What is best stem cell source for children with AML? Ask Dr. Heather Stefanski

Save the Cord Foundation and WellSky are proud to welcome Dr. Heather Stefanski as our featured speakers for the next edition of Share the Science on Tuesday, February 28th at 2pm US Eastern Time / 11am US Pacific Time. Join us to hear Dr. Heather Stefanski discuss how the source of stem cells influences outcomes for pediatric patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Recording now available in the Share the Science Archive.

Share the Science is a free webinar series focused on the cord blood industry and the latest research in this field.  As always, we invite both health professionals and the general public to join us for this unique online educational series. Learn more about this exciting educational series here.

Treating children with AML:
​What is the best source of stem cells?

Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in children often requires a stem cell transplant. Doctors often hope to find a matched sibling for the pediatric patient in need of a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). However, when a matched sibling cannot be identified doctors turn to other sources of stem cells from bone marrow and/or cord blood. At this point, doctors will search for matches from possible donors and then begin a delicate decision making process to choose the best stem cell source for their patient. But, what is the "best source" of stem cells? What factors must the transplant team consider?

Relapse and Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD) are both potential risks for pediatric patients post transplant. Both can be debilitating or life-threatening to the child.  Transplant teams work daily to balance these risks with the risk of the cancer itself. Multi-center studies provide these medical teams with much needed observations from real world use of various stem cell sources in transplant. Analysis of these observations is critical to the fight against cancer and efforts to find a cure. 

For this reason, we are very pleased to welcome Dr. Heather Stefanski from NMDP BeTheMatch who will discuss in detail a recent multi-center study comparing stem cell sources. Presenting data from "The influence of stem cell source on transplant outcomes for pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia" (published by Blood Advances), Dr. Stefanski will review outcomes of more than 300 patients receiving stem cell transplants from cord blood, matched unrelated donors, sibling donors and more. She will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each and show the overall conclusions of this multi-center study.

Join us on February 28th for this fascinating, in-depth discussion led by a recognized expert in the field of stem cell transplants, Dr. Heather Stefanski. Free and open to all, this webinar is highly recommended for healthcare professionals, transplant teams and those working in cancer research. Likewise, we encourage OBGYNs, nurses, midwives and others who work with expectant parents to watch this webinar so that they can learn how cord blood stem cells are used on a daily basis in the treatment leukemia, particularly in children. 

SHARE THE SCIENCE
with
Dr. Heather Stefanski
Senior Vice President of Medical Services
for Be The Match / National Marrow Donor Program
 
"The Influence of Umbilical Cord Blood on
Treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia" 
Free webinar.  Open to the public.
​
Tuesday, February 28th 2pm US Eastern Time / 11am US Pacific Time

View the recording now in the Share the Science Archive.
​

Watch the Recording Now:  Dr. Heather Stefanski (click HERE)

Additional resources

Key to NMDP Be The Match's success is education! In addition to the webinar session with Dr. Stefanski, the cord blood team at NMDP Be The Match has shared numerous resources expanding on the topic of cord blood and how it is matched to patients in need: 

• Ebook - Cord Blood Transplant: https://network.bethematchclinical.org/transplant-centers/cord-blood-transplant/ 
• Cord Blood Practice Guidelines: https://network.bethematchclinical.org/transplant-centers/cord-blood-practice-guidelines/ 
• Cord Blood Consultation:  https://network.bethematchclinical.org/transplant-centers/search-and-testing/search-services/cord-blood-consultation/ 
• HCT Graft Source Selection - Cord Blood:  https://network.bethematchclinical.org/education/education-catalog/hct-graft-source-selection--cord-blood/ 
• Webinar on Graft Source Selection:  https://www2.network.bethematchclinical.org/l/566592/2021-04-06/hz32mn?_ga=2.161300285.1078025001.1686580602-284608465

About the speaker

Heather Stefanski, MD, PhD
​
​Senior Vice President of Medical Services for Be The Match / National Marrow Donor Program

Heather Stefanski, MD, PhD, understands the unique challenges transplant centers face. Before joining the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP)/Be The Match® as the Senior Vice President of Medical Services, she spent 27 years treating patients at the University of Minnesota (U of M) Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy.

---

We wish to thank Dr. Heather Stefanski for volunteering her time to speak on
Share the Science and sharing her valuable insight
on the influence of cord blood stem cells in the treatment of AML in pediatric patients.
​​
We also wish to also thank our generous sponsor and partner for this event,
WellSky Health, who continue to support cord blood
education through our “Share the Science” series.