When is a stem cell transplant needed?
Doctors use stem cell transplants to: • Treat diseases that damage or destroy the bone marrow, such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, and aplastic anemia. • Restore bone marrow that has been damaged by total body radiation and high doses of chemotherapy used for cancer treatment. Other uses for stem cells are being studied, such as the treatment of immune system defects, diabetes, sickle cell disease, and thalassemia. How do I know if I am a good candidate for a stem cell transplant? Your doctor will consider your health and your age. People who are good candidates usually are younger than 70, do not have other diseases such as heart disease or diabetes, and have a normal kidney and liver. Your doctor will also consider how much your disease has grown and how aggressive your cancer is. People with aggressive cancer that has spread to many areas of the body are not usually good candidates. Your doctor may also consider if you have cancer that
