What is stem cell transplantation?
Bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants — collectively known as stem cell transplants — are used in several cancers as supportive therapy to “rescue” patients from the otherwise potentially fatal effects of treatment with high-dose chemotherapy. Stem cells are immature blood cells that will later develop into full-fledged white and red blood cells and platelets. They are found both in bone marrow, the spongy material inside bone that produces these blood cells, and in circulating, or “peripheral,” blood. Three types of stem cell transplants are used to treat cancer patients: • Autologous transplantation is the removal of some of the patient’s own healthy stem cells or bone marrow, which are then returned to the patient after treatment; it is the only form of transplant used in ovarian cancer. • Allogeneic transplants come from people other than the patient. • Syngeneic transplants come from a patient’s identical twin. Autologous bone marrow and peripheral stem cell transplants ar
Related Questions
- Does consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation improve the outcome of children with metastatic or relapsed Ewing sarcoma?
- First, what is the difference between stem cell transplantation and bone marrow transplantation?
- Can Neuromuscular Diseases be cured successfully with stem cell transplantation?
