The provision of health services and the innovative research project of the Hematology Clinic are presented for 2023 General Hospital “Georgios Papanikolaou”.
As the hospital states in its announcement, “the Hematology Clinic is one of the most unique and special cases of a department operating within the National Health System. It is constantly evolving through continuous research activity and an uninterrupted presence throughout the scientific spectrum of hematology at an international level. Patients from all over Greece and Cyprus are treated at the clinic, while cases from the entire field of Hematology are treated with special emphasis on the treatment of malignant hematological diseases. The specialty of the clinic is the carrying out of hematopoietic cell transplants of all types (autologous, allogeneic, with bone marrow grafts, with peripheral blood grafts, umbilical cord, with related donors, with voluntary unrelated donors, etc.) and the application of CAR-T lymphocytes[1]. During 2023, 152 transplants have been performed in the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit. In addition, since 2009, the Hematology Clinic has been operating the first Public Umbilical Placental Blood Bank (OPA) or Stem Cell Bank and the Gene and Cell Therapy laboratory, the first in Greece at a clinical level, since 2009. Well qualified and specially trained doctors, nurses, biologists, biochemists, technologists, etc. work in the clinic.
A key point, as noted, for the further development of the clinic is the start of the construction of the new building near the STORGI building, which is financed by the Recovery Fund dedicated to cell and gene therapies. For this specific project, the contract has already been signed with the construction contractor and the preparatory work has begun.
Significant for the specialty of hematology is the initiation of a medical residency in Transplantation and Cell Therapy for medical hematologists. This is a process that is ongoing in collaboration with the Hellenic Hematology Society given the increasing number of patients who have an absolute and urgent indication to undergo transplantation or cell therapy and the necessity to staff the accredited units with specialized medical personnel.
The fact that the Hematology Clinic also receives patients from Cyprus gradually led to an important collaboration that promotes the treatment of hematological diseases and gives a breath of life to the care of patients with the opening of a hematopoietic cell transplant unit in Cyprus with the cooperation of the Hematology Clinic, the which also provides training to the staff there.
The pioneering treatment with CAR-T lymphocytes that contributes worldwide to the treatment of hematological malignancies is another aspect of the special character of the Hematology Clinic. By 2024, the “in house” production of CAR-T lymphocytes will be completed at the Gene Therapy Unit and a similar clinical study in patients with lymphoma will begin.
The overall presentation of the clinic’s work concerns the Hematology Clinic (30 beds), the Short-Term Hospital (14 beds), the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit (member of the European Society of Transplantation) with 8 beds, the Transplantation Recovery Unit with 8 beds and the Short Hospitalization Ward of the Transplantation Unit with 5 beds housed in the STORGI building, donated by the association of the same name. In addition, since 2009, the first Public Bank of Umbilical Cord Blood or Stem Cells has been operating in the NHS.
The work of the clinic is intertwined with a number of laboratories where specialized tests are performed: The Laboratory of Cytomorphology and Flow Cytometry, Cytogenetics, Molecular Hematology, Cryobiology, Graft Collection and Processing, Gene and Cell Therapy, the first in Greece at clinical level with a preclinical and clinical department.
During 2023, in the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit headed by Mrs. Ioanna Sakellari, coordinating director of the clinic, 152 hematopoietic cell transplants (a record for the Hospital’s Transplantation Unit) have been performed in patients from all over Greece and Cyprus. In detail: a) 64 allogeneic and 69 autologous transplants, b) 19 CAR-T treatments were performed in patients with resistant forms of lymphoma or acute lymphoblastic leukemia, mantle lymphoma and multiple myeloma in the context of a clinical study.
In the 6 Outpatient Clinics of the clinic (3 general hematology and 3 transplantation) 23,961 visits were recorded, of which 17,952 were in the Hematology Clinic and 6,009 in the Transplantation Unit. Thousands of tests have been performed for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients (adolescents and adults) in the specialized laboratories of the clinic from many parts of Greece.
During 2023, 175 hematopoietic grafts have been collected from 157 patients and donors. Among them there were 32 volunteers from Northern Greece, whose transplants were given to patients hospitalized in transplant centers abroad and in our country.
The stock of umbilical cord grafts increased by 137 bringing the total to 6,358 and at the end of June 2024 the NetCord-FACT inspection is scheduled.
The clinic operates with high quality standards thanks to 18 accreditations/certifications, among them:
– Since 2013 with the special JACIE accreditation for the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit,
– the EFI accreditation for chimerism testing in transplant patients,
– with 4 special accreditations for hematopoietic cell/lymphocyte collection,
– with 7 certifications for corresponding specialized examinations in the Molecular and Cellular Biology laboratory including two international programs for the harmonization of examination execution,
– 1 certification in Cytomorphology.
– In addition, the 4 specialized laboratories of Cytomorphology, Flow Cytometry, Cytogenetics and Molecular Hematology have obtained ISO 9001:2015 accreditation since 2020.
– It should be noted that the Gene and Cell Therapy Unit has GMP certification from the Greek Ministry of Health (0000015967/22/1) for the production of cell products for patient use.
– The Clinic also participates in the External Quality and Morphology Control Program organized and executed by the External Quality Control Laboratory of General Blood of the Hellenic Society of Hematology.
An important research project is carried out in the Hematology Clinic and the scientific staff has a constant presence at international and national level in conferences and scientific events. Specifically:
– The clinic conducts 17 research studies, 45 clinical intervention studies as well as approved subsidized programs.
– 37 papers from the clinic or in collaboration with others were published in international journals.
– 94 announcements were presented at Greek and international conferences, of which 10 were awarded.
– In the Hematology Clinic and its laboratories, researchers have the possibility to prepare thesis, post-doctoral and post-graduate research and currently two doctors and 34 biologists are conducting the research.
The Hematology Clinic collaborates with university clinics and NHS clinics and laboratories throughout Greece, expanding both ways the scientific horizons of Hematology.
Tags: Hematology Clinic Papanikolaou hospital innovative treatments
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