What is a blood or marrow transplant (bone marrow transplant)?
A transplant is a standard treatment option for many patients with life-threatening blood, immune system or genetic disorders. A transplant replaces your unhealthy blood-forming cells with healthy ones. To prepare for the transplant, you may be given strong chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. This treatment kills your unhealthy cells. Then healthy blood-forming cells are given to you in your vein. This is like a blood transfusion. The transplanted cells begin to grow and make the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets your body needs. This is called engraftment. It typically takes three to four weeks. Until your transplant has engrafted, you stay in the hospital or are seen often in a clinic so doctors can check your progress.
