Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute recognized for exceptional outcomes in donor stem cell transplants

BOSTON — Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center’s pediatric stem cell transplant program and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s adult stem cell transplant program have once again received exceptional ratings from the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), earning a +1 performance score, the highest possible designation, on their annual center-specific survival reports. The +1 scores reflect that both programs outperformed the expected one-year survival rate for allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplants in the United States.

This marks the second consecutive year that the pediatric program has earned a +1 score — a first for any pediatric program. Dana-Farber’s adult program also earned a +1 score for the sixth consecutive year. In this year’s analysis of 176 U.S. transplant centers, only eight centers were identified as overperforming, with Dana-Farber representing two of the eight through its adult and pediatric programs. Among the 20 largest transplant centers in the country, Dana-Farber is the only center whose outcomes exceed statistical performance benchmarks for survival.

The 2025 CIBMTR report analyzed first allogeneic stem cell transplants performed in the U.S. between Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2023, for first unrelated- or related-donor transplants, with follow-up through May 16, 2025. As part of its federal contract to operate the Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database (SCTOD), CIBMTR is required each year to conduct a center-specific survival analysis comparing each program’s actual one-year survival rate against its risk-adjusted expected rate. This report includes outcomes for transplants using both related and unrelated donors.

Notably, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center was the only dedicated pediatric program in the country that outperformed the expected one-year survival rate for donor stem cell transplants.

“Our team’s commitment to excellence is truly extraordinary,” said Dr. Leslie Kean, Director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. “This recognition speaks to the strength of our collaborative pediatric program and our unwavering focus on pushing the boundaries of what is possible for our youngest patients who need stem cell transplants, in order to optimize outcomes for each of our transplant patients.”

The CIBMTR analysis incorporates a rolling three-year average and adjusts for multiple factors — including disease type, comorbidities, and case complexity — to ensure each center’s outcomes are evaluated within the context of the patients it treats.

Allogeneic stem cell transplants play a critical role in treating leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma, anemias, immune system disorders, bone marrow failure disorders, non-malignant diseases including hemoglobinopathies, inborn errors of metabolism, and many other life-threatening conditions. Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center’s performance reflects the depth, scale, and coordination of its transplant programs, as well as a longstanding commitment to delivering complex, high-risk care to some of the sickest patients while exceeding national survival benchmarks.

This release was adapted from Dana Farber Cancer Institute.