As part of the 50th anniversary of the Antoine-Lacassagne Center, a conference will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2011, in the Jean Médecin Amphitheater, level -1 of building A.
The treatment of malignant blood diseases has benefited from significant advances over the past thirty years. The use of conventional dose chemotherapy in the 1970s allowed for the first cures of adult hematological malignancies. In the 1980s, chemotherapy protocols used increasing doses to cure refractory or relapsed patients.
The toxicity of these techniques required hematological resuscitation maneuvers, including the reinjection of bone marrow stem cells or autologous bone marrow transplant. This technique is now performed with blood stem cells, which are easier to collect.
The Antoine-Lacassagne Center was among the first in France to engage in this therapeutic approach and performed its first autologous transplant in August 1983. Since then, more than 500 patients treated at CAL have benefited from this technique for malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin’s disease, myelomas, and acute leukemias. Initially reserved for patients under 55, blood stem cell autotransplant is now commonly performed up to the age of 70, with CAL being a pioneer in France for treating hematological diseases in the elderly.
Autotransplantation requires hospitalization for 3 to 4 weeks in the 6-bed continuous care hematology unit at CAL, recently equipped with an innovative integrated multimedia system designed to improve patient comfort by providing free access to TV, radio, a reading bank, audiobooks, the internet, email, and a webcam.
In 2010, the CAL team led by Professor Antoine Thyss performed nearly 50 bone marrow autotransplants, confirming its status as the leading center on the Côte d’Azur for this technique. Additionally, the team participates in numerous national and international research projects, some of which they coordinate, initiated by them. In continual pursuit of improving care and practices, the team will undergo European JACIE accreditation in 2011 (international standards recognized by the Haute Autorité de Santé, aimed at promoting medical quality and good practices in the field of autotransplantation).
During the conference, Professor Antoine Thyss, head of the hematology continuous care unit, will recount the history of autotransplants at CAL, with the presence of medical professionals involved in this treatment and testimonials from patients who have benefited from this technique.
A photo exhibition titled “Clic-Claques aux lymphomes,” organized at the request of the Association FRANCE LYMPHOME ESPOIR, will also be on display. The photos, taken by individuals directly or indirectly affected by the disease, will be exhibited on the ground floor of building A.
