BOSTON (July 24) – The Tufts Medical Center Cancer Center announced today the creation of The John C. Davis Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program, a new clinical program designed to meet and exceed the treatment, education and personal and family support needs of patients battling rare and aggressive plasma cell diseases. These disorders, which include multiple myeloma, systemic AL amyloidosis and monoclonal gammopathies, cause the body’s plasma cells to rapidly multiply, increasing the risk of infection and potentially resulting in organ, tissue and bone damage. The program was established thanks to the generous support of multiple myeloma patient John C. Davis, of Little Compton, Rhode Island.
“I wanted to help create a program that would allow other patients with these terrible diseases to receive the best care and support from a team of the most skilled and experienced doctors, nurses and surgeons,” said Davis. “I was so impressed with the talented staff and the collegial atmosphere at Tufts Medical Center. They are like a big family. And since Tufts MC is a smaller center, everybody on the care team takes the time to really get to know each patient and family and is personally invested in their care. I know firsthand what a difference that can make for patients.”
The John C. Davis Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program is staffed by some of the world’s foremost experts in plasma cell disease detection, treatment and research. The program’s multi-disciplinary team consists of hematologists; stem cell transplant physicians; kidney, orthopaedic and heart specialists; pathologists; radiologists; nurses and nurse practitioners; and social workers. Expert physicians and nurse practitioners perform all bone marrow studies on site and have access to a state-of-the-art stem cell transplant laboratory and major transplant programs – stem cell, kidney and heart – and internationally known experts in those fields. And through a relationship with the Neely Center for Clinical Cancer Research, the program also offers an array of clinical trials for patients at all stages of plasma cell diseases.
“Our goal is to provide patients with high quality care and offer the newest therapies and therapeutic treatments in a nurturing, supportive and comforting environment,” said Raymond Comenzo, MD, Director of the Blood Bank and Stem Processing Laboratory at Tufts Medical Center. “Thanks to Mr. Davis’s generosity, now we are better equipped to evaluate and treat patients in a more expedited manner, often even on the same day the patient first contacts us. Our clinical staff is available by phone and e-mail 24/7, to provide quick and efficient access to the diagnostic and therapeutic expertise, treatments, education and support that our patients and families need.”
For more information about The John C. Davis Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program, or to make an appointment, please call 617-636-4362, e-mail at tuftsmcdavisprogram@tuftsmedicalcenter.org or visit www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/davisprogram.
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About Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Tufts Medical Center. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Tufts Medical Center is the full-service children's hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. Tufts Medical Center is affiliated with the New England Quality Care Alliance, a network of more than 1,800 physicians throughout Eastern Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org.
