What is the purpose of bone marrow transplantation?
A person’s red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets may be destroyed or may be abnormal due to disease. Also, certain medical therapies, particularly chemotherapy or radiation treatment, may destroy a person’s stem cells. The consequence to a person’s health is severe. Under normal circumstances, red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and remove carbon dioxide from the body’s tissues. White blood cells form the cornerstone of the body’s immune system and defend it against infection. Platelets limit bleeding by enabling the blood to clot if a blood vessel is damaged. A bone marrow transplant is used to rebuild the body’s capacity to produce these blood cells and bring their numbers to normal levels. Illnesses that may be treated with a bone marrow transplant include both cancerous and noncancerous diseases. Cancerous diseases may or may not specifically involve blood cells; but, cancer treatment can destroy the body’s ability to manufacture new blood cells. Bone marro
