Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital reaches 500 hematopoietic stem cell transplant cases

Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital achieved 500 hematopoietic stem cell transplants by transplanting allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells from an unrelated donor to a patient with acute myeloid leukemia on Dec. 28. This is a very meaningful milestone reached 26 years after the first autologous peripheral hematopoietic stem cell transplant was performed on a lymphoma patient in September 1997 by Dr. Sung Ju-myeon, a professor in the Department of Hematology and Oncology.

Over the past 26 years, the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital performed a total of 500 transplants including 249 autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants and 251 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. This included 17 umbilical cord blood transplants, 153 blood-related allogeneic transplants and 81 non-relative allogeneic transplants, which are known to be very difficult transplant procedures.

During a ceremony held on the 28th, Dr. Moon Yeong-cheol, the head of the Department of Hematology and Oncology, said that, “this is the result of the dedication of numerous patients who entrusted us with their treatment and the medical staff who performed very difficult hematopoietic stem cell transplants in spite of numerous difficulties they confronted,” and added, “we will continue to make every effort to become a hematopoietic stem cell transplant center that patients can fully trust.”

the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital has been striving to lead the treatment of and research on blood diseases in Korea by recruiting Professor Park Yeong-hoon, a specialist in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and targeted therapy, in 2020 and inviting Professor Lee Kyu-hyeong, a world-renowned expert in leukemia, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and NK cell therapy, in May this year.