What diseases are treated with blood or bone marrow transplantation?
Blood or bone marrow transplantation may be the best treatment for some life threatening cancerous and non-cancerous diseases. Examples of cancerous diseases include leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, and neuroblastoma. Non-cancerous diseases include aplastic anemia, thalassemia major, severe combined immune deficiency, and selected genetic disorders. Where does the blood or bone marrow come from for transplant purposes? The best source of blood or bone marrow is from a compatible sibling, as documented by sophisticated blood testing. However, there is only a one in four chance (25%) of any sibling being compatible for transplant purposes. If a compatible sibling donor is not found, then search for an unrelated adult donor or cord blood unit will be pursued. For certain cancerous diseases, the patient’s own blood stem cells may be used, if not contaminated by cancer cells (called autologous donation). What transplant services are offered at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego? The team
