TAMPA, Fla. — Outpatient cell therapy treatment is now available to qualifying patients with aggressive cancers.

What You Need To Know

  • Outpatient cell therapy is now available at Tampa General Hospital (TGH)

  • In-patient hospital stays for the treatment can last weeks

  • Patients must live within a 60-minute radius of TGH and complete an educational course

  • Patients treated in unit are grateful to spend time with family during care

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has opened its new outpatient Cellular-Immunotherapy Transplant Unit (CTU) at the TGH Cancer Institute.

“Historically for transplant, patients would be admitted for their chemotherapy, their actual transplant and stay in for approximately two to three weeks,” said Dr. Ivan Borrello, Medical Director of the Myeloma, Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Cell Therapies program within the TGH Cancer Institute. “Patients that get these kinds of therapies as an outpatient can actually recover quicker, have fewer complications and ironically there’s even data to suggest that their clinical outcomes in terms of their underlying cancer may even be better.”

Antony Nairouz was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and says he is grateful to receive cell therapy at the new CTU as an outpatient, which meant he could head home after each session, spend time with his family and eat meals with them.

“This one it was very, very amazing. At least you stay here with your family, you can watch some movies, you can talk about some topics, so you’re not feeling you are alone,” said Nairouz. “At least I come here to see my family, I do my regular life.”

The program means patients can receive daily (CAR) T-cell therapy and Bone Marrow Transplant treatment at the new outpatient unit without a hospital stay. A caregiver at home monitors the patient’s vitals and connects with clinicians at TGH.

Patients must meet certain qualifications to include: they must live within a 60-minute radius of TGH and complete a mandatory educational course.

Nairouz says he is grateful to be in remission. The CTU hopes to expand its services to help more patients like Nairouz.