How are the marrow or stem cells given to the patient?
A. The patient’s marrow is first treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation to wipe out diseased cells, and then he or she receives the new healthy stem cells through an IV transfusion similar to a blood transfusion. The stem cells travel through the patient’s blood steam to the marrow spaces where they begin to grow and provide health new blood cells. It takes about a month for the first signs of engraftment to be evident, meaning that the transplant has begun to work and is producing new healthy cells. During this time the patient is vulnerable to infection and remains hospitalized.
