CancerCenters of the Carolinas Blood and Marrow Transplant Program Re-awarded FACT Accreditation

Greenville, SC, March 8, 2005 - The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program of CancerCenters of the Carolinas has been awarded re-accreditation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) for autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation, including collection and processing. FACT is a voluntary inspection, which requires strict adherence to standards that promote the highest quality in stem cell transplantation. The FACT accreditation shows a commitment to excellence to provide the highest quality of transplant services in the community.

CancerCenters of the Carolinas program was the first autologous stem cell transplant program in the state of South Carolina to receive this prestigious accreditation. The program was first accredited in 2001 and the program must be re-inspected every 3 years. The Blood and Marrow Program has performed approximately 400 transplants with the overall survival and disease-free survival data tracking that of national data banks.

Stem cell transplantation is an aggressive therapy for patients with blood borne diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, as well as some solid tumors. Autologous stem cell transplantations use stem cells harvested from the blood of the patient.

CancerCenters of the Carolinas partners with Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and The Blood Connection for the Blood and Marrow Transplant program.

About CancerCenters of the Carolinas CancerCenters of the Carolinas (CCC) is a community-based, physician-owned practice with 19 board-certified oncologists practicing in 8 locations in the Upstate of South Carolina. CCC is the Upstate’s largest cancer care group treating over 5,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients annually. CCC specializes in medical oncology, radiation oncology, hematology, transplantation and clinical research. CCC is a National Cancer Institute grant recipient and is home to South Carolina’s first FACT accredited Stem Cell Transplant Program. CCC is an affiliate of US Oncology, Inc., the world’s largest health care network dedicated exclusively to cancer treatment and research. US Oncology’s network includes more than 850 physicians in 32 states and provides comprehensive outpatient cancer care for approximately 15% of the nation’s newly diagnosed cancer patients.