ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A new cellular therapy laboratory is open in the Lehigh Valley.
HNL Lab Medicine’s Tom and Karin Hall Cellular Therapy Laboratory will bring the latest technology in the field of hematology, the study of blood and its disorders, to the Lehigh Valley, so patients will not have to travel far to receive the care, according to a news release.
It also will have highly skilled providers to accommodate the complex needs of patients, the release said.
Hematologic diseases, which are disorders of the blood and blood-forming organs, afflict millions of Americans, the National Institute of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases states on its website.
In addition to blood cell cancers, hematologic diseases include rare genetic disorders, anemia, conditions related to HIV, sickle cell disease, and complications from chemotherapy or transfusions, it states.
The lab is designed to meet the increasing demand for personalized medicine and life-saving therapies.
“In the Lehigh Valley, with a population of approximately 1 million people, no HSCT/CT center exists within a 50-mile radius."Dr. Elsie Lee, HNL's chief of transfusion services
Cellular therapy applications are used in the treatment of hematologic cancers. Those therapies include hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or HSCT, and cellular therapy, or CT.
“There is a need for lengthy inpatient stays and frequent outpatient visits during treatments,” said Dr. Elsie Lee, HNL's chief of transfusion services.
“In the Lehigh Valley, with a population of approximately 1 million people, no HSCT/CT center exists within a 50-mile radius. Instead, patients are referred to centers in Hershey, Philadelphia and New York.
"Aside from the physical, mental, and socio-economic impacts of a cancer diagnosis, the need to travel takes a toll on vulnerable patients and places stress on their loved ones and support systems.”
'Provide comprehensive care'
Only a third of patients who need stem cell transplants get them, according to HNL.
“An experienced, multidisciplinary team of HNL Lab Medicine and Lehigh Valley Health Network colleagues will be available to provide comprehensive care for patients with hematologic cancers,” Lee said.
"We will be able to perform apheresis collections, stem cell processing, and lifesaving treatment for patients in the Lehigh Valley.”HNL Labs news release
The expansion was made possible by a generous donation from the Hall family, according to a news release.
“With the generosity and support of the Hall family, and in close collaboration with our LVHN colleagues, we have been able to build and equip this brand-new laboratory," the release said.
"HNL Lab Medicine has aligned with LVHN to create a clinical program, collection center and cellular therapy laboratory. In doing so, we will be able to perform apheresis collections, stem cell processing, and lifesaving treatment for patients in the Lehigh Valley.”
