Teen’s stem cells collected during first pediatric BMT procedure

In April 14-year-old Brianna Chitty became the first patient at Children’s Hospital of Georgia to have her stem cells collected during a procedure by the new Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant team. 

An MRI revealed a mass pressing on Brianna’s spinal cord, diagnosed as Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare cancer in the bones that had progressed to Stage 4. 

For certain cancers, a patient’s own healthy stem cells are extracted and stored for future treatment in case standard chemotherapy is not enough, according to Dr. Amir Mian, director of the Pediatric BMT program. To continue reading, please click HERE.