Kitchener, ON – September, 25 2024 – The Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre (GRRCC) performed its first autologous stem cell transplant on July 4. This expanded program embodies Grand River Hospital’s commitment to providing exceptional patient-centred care close to home and is a new unique partnership for Grand River with Hamilton Health Sciences’ Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre (JHCC) in Hamilton.
“This is a monumental milestone for cancer care for Waterloo-Wellington, and beyond,” says Jane Martin, Vice President, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre. “The Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program not only supports the overall provincial healthcare system; it also ensures that patients receive the care they require without the need to travel out of region.”
This partnership, the first of its kind in the province, signals the opportunity to equip and enable patient-centric care closer to home, expanding the reach of services and increasing the reach of the treatment.
“The launch of this program highlights the dedication and perseverance of the entire oncology team,” says Dr. Janet MacEachern, Hematologist Oncologist, Medical Director of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre. “Completing our first successful transplant, in partnership with team at JHCC, and with the support and endorsement of Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), is significant progress in GRRCC’s ability to offer comprehensive, cutting-edge treatments to patients locally.”
Stem cells are found in bone marrow, and develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which form all the components of blood. When bone marrow is damaged or destroyed, it cannot produce healthy stem cells, which are vital for overall health. Stem cell transplants are used to treat specific cancers such as lymphoma and myeloma by allowing faster recovery of the bone marrow and blood after it is destroyed by high-dose chemotherapy.
Through the transplant, healthy stem cells are collected from the patient (autologous) and once the patient is prepared, introduced back into the body to promote the creation of new, healthy bone marrow and blood.
The preparation, training, and work to launch the Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, and to complete the first transplant, took both the courage to dream big and the determination to see the project through. After more than two years, the team’s perseverance paid off, with the first successful transplant procedure. By keeping patients closer to home and personal support systems throughout treatment and recovery, the program underscores GRRCC’s commitment to an exceptional patient-centred care experience.
“The JHCC served as the patient consultation centre for this process,” MacEachern continues. “The patient, Joey Lovecchio, met with their transplant physician and was determined to be a candidate for autologous transplantation. The JHCC team collected and filtered their blood through an apheresis machine, and cryopreserved the cells. The team at GRRCC provided Joey with intensive therapy to prepare him for the transplant procedure, limiting his need to travel to Hamilton. Once Joey was ready, there was a three-day window to receive the cells from JHCC and perform the transplant at GRRCC. Again, this reduced the need to travel to Hamilton or to be transferred back to GRRCC post-procedure. Joey was a phenomenal first patient, bringing energy and optimism to the process. We’re happy to report that everything went to plan and that Joey is doing exceptionally well.”
“Months into my treatment for multiple myeloma at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, I got the news that Grand River Hospital was ready to do stem cell transplants here and that the timing would align for me to be their very first stem cell patient,” Joey shares.
“When the big day came for my transplant, there were a lot of positive emotions in that room. Excitement, positivity, confidence, and absolute trust. That’s what you need in times like that, to know you are in good hands and that everyone is cheering you on. Now it’s time to focus all of our attention on recovery but after that, we plan to travel again and can’t wait!”
This procedure marks the culmination of the first phase of bringing the Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program online at GRRCC, and was made possible through a partnership with JHCC that was rooted in a shared vision and out-of-the-box thinking.
“Providing today’s specialized and highly complex cancer treatments requires teamwork and collaboration of hospitals, physicians, clinical staff, and patients,” says Dr. Kylie Lepic, Medical Director, Cellular Therapy and Transplant, JHCC. “Stem cell transplants require that collaboration to meet strict regulatory requirements and to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment. We are pleased to see the autologous stem cell transplant program at Grand River launch successfully after so much preparation. It’s a true partnership.”
"Congratulations to the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre team for their incredible work and dedication in building a stem cell transplant service for residents in the region,” said Dr. Jonathan Irish, Vice President, Clinical, Cancer Programs, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario). “This is a significant milestone and it supports the provincial effort to provide patients with access to high-quality care close to home."
“The partnership between Grand River Regional Cancer Centre and Jurvanski Hospital and Cancer Centre demonstrates the innovation and collaboration taking place across our healthcare system that is connecting people to the care they need, close to home,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This innovation builds on the bold actions our government is taking to ensure Ontarians are provided with the right care, in the right place, no matter where they live.”
“We’re grateful to the generosity of the Grand River Hospital Foundation and its donors for helping us bring this new therapy to the region,” says MacEachern. “They supported our ambitious vision with seed funding and have since attracted significant funding, enabling us to begin the second phase of the program, where Grand River will take on the consultation and collection of cells portion of the care journey.”
The GRRCC, a full-service cancer treatment and research centre, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023. The first stem cell transplant further underscores the GRRCC’s commitment to providing treatment and support services for people living with cancer in Waterloo-Wellington and beyond.
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Media Contact – Grand River Regional Cancer Centre
Victoria Ott
Integrated Director, Strategic Engagement
Grand River Hospital & St. Mary’s General Hospital
519-588-4687
victoria.ott@grhosp.on.ca
Media Contact – Hamilton Health Sciences
Lillian Badzioch
Manager, Issues Management & Risk Communications
badzioch@hhsc.ca
ABOUT GRAND RIVER HOSPITAL
Grand River Hospital is building a world-class health system for all in the communities we serve. One of Ontario’s largest community teaching hospitals, we’re delivering exceptional, patient-focused quality care by a team of dedicated healthcare workers and volunteers. Located in one of the province’s most diverse and rapidly growing regions, we provide services and support to more than 840,000 residents of Waterloo Region and Guelph Wellington at our two campuses (KW and Freeport) and satellite locations. Driven by innovation, we’re proud of our partnerships and collaborations with health system partners, our region’s academic and innovation communities, and diverse community partners. grandriverhospital.ca | Twitter and Instagram @grhospitalkw | YouTube: griverhosp | Facebook and Linkedin: Grand River Hospital
ABOUT JURAVINSKI HOSPITAL AND CANCER CENTRE
The Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre (JHCC), located on the Hamilton escarpment, is home to one of the largest and most comprehensive Regional Cancer Programs in Ontario. A general medical/surgical hospital, it serves a population of more than 2.3 million people and offers a diverse set of patient care services including a comprehensive emergency department, medical and intensive care services, surgical oncology, complex malignant hematology, oncology, orthopedics, arthroplasty, rehabilitation and diagnostics. The JHCC is also a pioneer in life-saving adult stem cell transplant and cellular therapy where the first successful transplant from an unrelated donor in Canadian history took place. As of the country’s most advanced academic and research-intensive cancer centres, the hospital continues to grow and plans are under way to add a new patient care tower and advanced diagnostics.