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Saturday, November 25, 1995 Page: 2A
WILKES-BARRE — The Mercy Health System has unveiled a new cancer treatment
that officials say will provide a safer, less costly alternative to bone
marrow transplants.
The treatment, known as high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support,
involves the administration of high levels of chemotherapy and a procedure to
rebuild the body’s immune system. It was not previously available in
Northeastern Pennsylvania but required daily travels to university hospitals
in Philadelphia and New York.
The treatment will be offered through clinical trials on patients with
various kinds of cancer.
The new procedure costs about $80,000, compared to bone marrow transplants
that can cost as much as $200,000. The treatment also requires less time in
the hospital, according to a news release issued Friday by Mercy Health
System.