Greetings all,
My myeloma doctor is recommending that I go for my autologous stem cell transplant at Mount Sinai, New York City. The website for the hospital says that the Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Tisch Center has "one of the biggest bone marrow transplant centers in the country.” I'm not quoting this because I think "big" is necessarily "better," but only to mention that I haven't yet read about this large group on this forum, or elsewhere, and so I have little by which to judge their competency.
So I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with this institution, or with any of the doctors in it, either directly or by reading about it, and I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts on it.
Thanks,
Tom
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7 posts
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SBarro - Name: Thomas Tonon
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: April, 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 69
Re: Auto stem cell transplant at Mount Sinai (NYC)
Tom,
The Advanced forum search link towards the top of the Forum page is your friend.
Just use the keyword "sinai" and select "post subjects and message text". You can then select to see the search results listed either as discussion topics that include mention of "sinai" in either the subject or text of the postings in the discussion (these results), or as all individual posts that contain "Sinai" in the post subject or text (these results).
The Advanced forum search link towards the top of the Forum page is your friend.
Just use the keyword "sinai" and select "post subjects and message text". You can then select to see the search results listed either as discussion topics that include mention of "sinai" in either the subject or text of the postings in the discussion (these results), or as all individual posts that contain "Sinai" in the post subject or text (these results).
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Auto stem cell transplant at Mount Sinai (NYC)
Tom,
I'm sure Mount Sinai is a fine facility but if your looking for stats and comparisons between different BMT centers I would recommend you visit here. You will find the number and type of transplant each center has done over the past 10 years or so along with other helpful and interesting data.
The support of family and friends is important during and post transplant, so give some consideration to having your transplant close to home if possible. Wishing you the best!
I'm sure Mount Sinai is a fine facility but if your looking for stats and comparisons between different BMT centers I would recommend you visit here. You will find the number and type of transplant each center has done over the past 10 years or so along with other helpful and interesting data.
The support of family and friends is important during and post transplant, so give some consideration to having your transplant close to home if possible. Wishing you the best!
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Dano - Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Jan 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Auto stem cell transplant at Mount Sinai (NYC)
I think I am gonna love this thread!! My husband was diagnosed in August of this year and he had been extremely reluctant to see a specialist from the outset for various reasons. However, after quickly becoming refractory to Velcade, his doctor had decided to put him in the hospital for 4 days of DR-PACE therapy [dex, Revlimid, cisPlatin, Adriamycin (doxorubicin), cyclophosphamide, and etoposide]. The DR-PACE did an awesome job of knocking his lambda light chains down, but within 2 weeks of completing that chemo his numbers quickly started to rise again and now, a month out from that chemo, his light chains are almost back up to what they were when he was diagnosed (they were 7700) at diagnosis. At this point, his doctor felt it was time to bring in the big guns and referred us to Dr. Jagannath at Mt. Sinai.
Originally the plan under his original doctor had been 4 rounds of RVD therapy, then harvest and transplant some time in December or January. However, since that did not work out as planned, she referred us to Dr. J. The new plan is to do two rounds of Cytoxan [cyclophosphamide] and a clinical trial of Kyprolis [carfilzomib] at an elevated dosage and dex to get his light chains down to below 1000, do the harvest, and then shooting for a transplant at Mt. Sinai sometime in March.
After all that has happened with his initial therapy, I am hoping that this does put him in remission, but I do have my doubts seeing that, although he responded to the DR-PACE, his numbers quickly started climbing again. Dr. J is confident that he can get him into remission with the planned regimen.
Originally the plan under his original doctor had been 4 rounds of RVD therapy, then harvest and transplant some time in December or January. However, since that did not work out as planned, she referred us to Dr. J. The new plan is to do two rounds of Cytoxan [cyclophosphamide] and a clinical trial of Kyprolis [carfilzomib] at an elevated dosage and dex to get his light chains down to below 1000, do the harvest, and then shooting for a transplant at Mt. Sinai sometime in March.
After all that has happened with his initial therapy, I am hoping that this does put him in remission, but I do have my doubts seeing that, although he responded to the DR-PACE, his numbers quickly started climbing again. Dr. J is confident that he can get him into remission with the planned regimen.
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Melanie - Name: Melanie
- Who do you know with myeloma?: husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Auto stem cell transplant at Mount Sinai (NYC)
I'm being treated at Mt. Sinai. Dr. Sundar Jagannath is one of the top multiple myeloma doctors out there. Google his name. He's great. Don't choose a center by the shear numbers of BMTs. Choose by the doctors, and their background in multiple myeloma.
I've sent you a PM.
I've sent you a PM.
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Stan W. - Name: Stan
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: SMM-April 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 58
Re: Auto stem cell transplant at Mount Sinai (NYC)
Hi Stan, we are fairly new to Dr. Jagannath ourselves, if you read my post above. If you could share any of your experiences or impressions I would greatly appreciate it. My husband is still not thrilled about having to change doctor's or hospitals, since he would prefer to be closer to home. So any encouraging info you could give me would be wonderful. I am trying everything I can to keep his spirits up.
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Melanie - Name: Melanie
- Who do you know with myeloma?: husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Auto stem cell transplant at Mount Sinai (NYC)
Hi all,
First of all, thanks, Dano, for providing the link to the BMT Infonet stats. I'm sure that will be very useful to lots of folks.
Second, Stan W. makes a good point that one should not choose a facility based solely on the number of transplants they perform. More is not necessarily better. Early on, when I was trying to decide where to be treated, my local hematologist/oncologist said we should use data like these to make sure the center I would choose did perform enough transplants to be "current and competent," but that more transplants above that number did not necessarily mean a center was better. What that "current and competent" number is is sort of a subjective matter, though.
Hope that's a help.
Mike
First of all, thanks, Dano, for providing the link to the BMT Infonet stats. I'm sure that will be very useful to lots of folks.
Second, Stan W. makes a good point that one should not choose a facility based solely on the number of transplants they perform. More is not necessarily better. Early on, when I was trying to decide where to be treated, my local hematologist/oncologist said we should use data like these to make sure the center I would choose did perform enough transplants to be "current and competent," but that more transplants above that number did not necessarily mean a center was better. What that "current and competent" number is is sort of a subjective matter, though.
Hope that's a help.
Mike
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mikeb - Name: mikeb
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009 (MGUS at that time)
- Age at diagnosis: 55
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