Why are bone marrow donors needed?
Each year, thousands of Australians are diagnosed with some form of leukaemia or other cancer of the blood. In many cases, a bone marrow or stem cell transplant is the only treatment for these patients. The most suitable donor is a fully matched family member, but only about one patient in four is able to find a match with in their family. In this case, the patient must search for an unrelated donor on the registry.