Senior scientist Loretta Huckstepp in the hospital laboratory, which stores useable stem cells dating back decades. Photos: Nicholas Ward.
The Canberra Hospital is celebrating 30 years of its bone marrow transplant program which has seen Canberra grow into one of the busiest centres in the country.
Bone marrow transplants are used to treat blood cancers and other conditions.
Since the launch of the hospital’s bone marrow laboratory in 1995 it has treated 760 patients and collected 1600 bone marrow stem cells, which are stored in liquid nitrogen in the hospital’s state-of-the-art laboratory.
Canberra Hospital Haematology director Dr Maya Latimer said the work wasn’t just vital for Canberrans but for people across the region.
“I think these facilities are now probably similar to any major metropolitan hospital in NSW or Victoria, remembering that even though we seem to be a small jurisdiction, we actually look after Canberra and surrounding NSW and Victoria. So our population is probably over 1.7 million that we service,” Dr Latimer said.
The special BMT laboratory contains three large cryogenic storage tanks that keep stem cells at a chilly minus 196 degrees Celsius, fed by a 3000-litre tank of liquid nitrogen.
Laboratory senior scientist Loretta Huckstepp said getting the stem cells from patients was an involved process. It can take six hours to withdraw enough but once done the blood can be stored for decades until patients needed it.
“When cells are being stored and need to be used again later, the best way to do that is freezing, not unlike when you freeze meat so that you can use it later. It lasts a bit longer,” she said.
“The colder the better. So for minus 200, that means that we can keep these cells in a very dormant state … we have cells in storage here that have actually been here since the program began 30 years ago.”
Once the cells are needed they are transported to the patient and warmed up in a bath of warm water.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith praised the work of the hospital staff.
“This really is an incredible story of multi-disciplinary, innovative, high-end care for patients from around the ACT and surrounding region that is making a huge difference to people’s lives,” she said.
“The 30th anniversary of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program is a significant milestone. It reflects the unwavering commitment of dedicated staff and resilience of patients.”
Ms Huckstepp shows Ms Stephen-Smith around the lab. The stem cells are stored in vats of liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees before being warmed up for transplant.
Ms Huckstepp said getting to interact with patients was part of the reason she transferred into the field.
“I’ve always wanted to have some patient-facing role in what we do. And so it was perfect fit. I’m irritatingly meticulous with detail and that comes in handy in a role like this, where you really have to be quite meticulous with detail,” she said.
The treatments have a big impact on patients’ quality of life and the doctors and staff say that is a part of what makes the field of medicine a rewarding one.
“I love hematology. I love the fact that it’s a discipline that really embraces clinical laboratory work together. So you’re very holistic,” Dr Latimer said.
“When you are looking after your patient, you see their sample in the laboratory, you know what it’s shown as the cause for the problem and then you follow them through in terms of the treatment strategy and getting them into a good chance of life.
“A lot of our patients’ disorders can be cured, so that’s also very exciting.”
