How does a transplant center choose the best donor or cord blood unit for me?
After your primary doctor refers you to an NMDP transplant center, your transplant center will work with the NMDP to find a donor or cord blood unit for you. Your transplant center will request more tests to see if a potential donor or cord blood unit is a suitable match. Sometimes more testing shows that potential donors or cord blood units do not match you at all the details or markers your center requires. Your transplant center will also look at other information. For cord blood transplants, the number of blood-forming cells in the cord blood unit is important. The number of blood-forming cells in a transplant needs to be suitable for the weight of the patient — larger patients need more blood-forming cells. When choosing an adult donor, your center may look at the donor’s age, sex, size and other factors. How quickly you need a transplant and your disease status, your age and your general health can also affect your transplant center’s strategy in choosing a donor or cord blood un
