Transplant Optimization Program: Preparing Patients For A Stem Cell Or CAR T-Cell Transplant

The weeks before a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy can feel overwhelming. Between appointments, tests and trying not to worry, it’s easy to feel uncertain about what’s ahead.

That’s where the Transplant Optimization Program (TOP) at Franciscan Health Indianapolis can help. TOP provides personalized physical therapy (sometimes called “prehab”) before and after your stem cell or CAR T-cell transplant. These lifesaving treatments are intense. Recovery can take a physical and emotional toll — even for patients who were active and healthy before their diagnosis.

“TOP really changes people’s ability to get back to their normal lives after going through a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy,” said Macy Hogan, PT, DPT, Oncology Rehabilitation Facilitator. “We try to get your baseline before you go through a bone marrow transplant and give you supportive services while you are going through cancer treatment. Then, we provide for any rehab needs after these advanced therapies take place.”

Key Takeaways: Franciscan's Transplant Optimization Program

• Stem cell transplants and CAR T-cell therapy save lives, but they also take a physical and emotional toll.
• The Transplant Optimization Program (TOP) at Franciscan Health Indianapolis offers “prehab” therapy to help patients prepare for the road ahead.
• People who participate in TOP tend to recover faster and return to their normal activities sooner than those who don’t.

Who Should Consider TOP

TOP is for people with blood cancers such as leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or multiple myeloma who are facing a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy. While patients 55 and older or with additional health conditions are ideal candidates, all patients undergoing transplant or CAR-T can be referred by their cancer specialist for an evaluation of their baseline function and personalized education to improve their treatment outcomes.

Because the period between evaluation and transplant can be as short as a few weeks, early referral to TOP gives patients the best opportunity to improve strength and endurance before treatment.

Getting Started With TOP

During your first TOP appointment, a physical therapist will evaluate your strength, mobility, endurance, cognition and overall function. The evaluation will help them create a personalized care plan.

After this assessment, the therapist may recommend:

• A single follow-up visit to learn about transplant expectations and receive a home exercise program
• Multiple follow-up visits for more extensive preparation

You may meet with other team members, such as an occupational therapist and speech-language pathologist, during follow-up visits.

How TOP Can Help You

TOP helps patients take an active role in their health before the procedure. The program addresses concerns that often arise after a stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy:

• Fatigue
• Endurance
• Exercise capacity
• Functional performance
• Cognition and memory

Indiana resident Dan Williams is still grateful for how TOP helped him before and after his stem cell transplant in 2022. “Macy was my physical therapist, and she really prepared me for the grueling post-transplant process and through the recovery,” Dan said. “The transplant knocked me down — it’s not easy. You need a support system — physical, mental and emotional — to get through it. If people go through TOP, it will really help them recuperate.”

See what Dan said about his experience with TOP and the Cancer Center.

About The Indiana Blood & Marrow Transplantation Program

TOP is a partnership between the rehabilitation services department at Franciscan Health and the Franciscan Health Cancer Center Indiana Blood & Marrow Transplantation (IBMT) program at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. IBMT has been a leader in advanced therapies for blood cancers for over 25 years. The program offers outpatient stem cell transplants, CAR T-cell therapies and clinical trials. Through integrated care — including TOP — IBMT strives to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

"Very few medical centers in the country do bone marrow transplants," Dan said. "We considered others but chose Franciscan, and I'd recommend them to anyone. They know what they are doing."

Get In Tip-TOP Shape Before Intense Cancer Therapies

Recover stronger, faster and smarter after stem cell or CAR T-cell transplants. Franciscan Health’s Transplant Optimization Program (TOP) offers physical, occupational and speech therapy to support patients before and after. Discover the path to a smoother recovery.