Dr. Cristina Gasparetto

What makes Duke Health unique in bone marrow transplants is its holistic approach. We take care of the disease -- which is important, because these are very serious, potentially fatal diseases. But at the same time, we pay attention to patients’ emotional and psychological well-being in addition to their physical well-being. And not only for patients but also the whole family, because the caregivers and other parts of the family need attention as well. I wanted to go into medicine, because it was a great way to interact and take care of patients. In my mind, cancer is one of two diseases within internal medicine where you can actually cure people. The best part of bone marrow transplant is that the time between the laboratory and the patient is short. Patients who need a transplant tend to be relatively sick and in need of new therapies. That’s been very intellectually challenging and fun. Dr. Chao is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD). His top areas of expertise are Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD), Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD), Multiple Myeloma, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Bone Graft.

People in need of a bone marrow transplantation can often be scared or intimidated by what is ahead of them -- my goal, when seeing a new patient, is to devote all the time and effort that is needed to address these emotions. My hope is that after this visit, my patient will feel reassured and hopeful that the Duke team of providers will do all that it can to restore them to health, and allow them to return to their lives. Dr. Horwitz is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD). His top areas of expertise are Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD), Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Bone Marrow Transplant, and Bone Marrow Aspiration.

I am a doctor and researcher who specializes in bone marrow transplants. Patients usually come to me after their cancer treatment has been unsuccessful or when their disease is high-risk and may require further care. When I first see a patient, it is important for me to hear their story, the history of their condition and their treatment goals. This information is important so we can decide, together, which treatments to pursue and to what degree. For me, it is a privilege to get to know where people come from and to help families through their difficult time. I grew up working in a restaurant, so I was exposed to serving the public at an early age. As I became educated, I decided that I wanted to help others in a different capacity, so I pursued medicine. Outside of work, I like spending time enjoying nature and the beauty of North Carolina with my children and husband. Dr. Sarantopoulos is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD). Her top areas of expertise are Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD), Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD), Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), Chronic B-Cell Leukemia (CBCL), and Bone Marrow Transplant.