What are bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation?
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) are procedures that restore stem cells that have been destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. There are three types of transplants: • In autologous transplants, patients receive their own stem cells. • In syngeneic transplants, patients receive stem cells from their identical twin. • In allogeneic transplants, patients receive stem cells from someone other than the patient or an identical twin. The patient’s brother, sister, or parent may serve as the donor, or a person not related to the patient (an unrelated donor) may be used. Return to top of page. • How are BMT and PBSCT used in cancer treatment? The main purpose of BMT and PBSCT in cancer treatment is to make it possible for patients to receive very high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. To understand more about why BMT and PBSCT are used and how they work, it is helpful to understand how chemotherapy a
