Why Are More American Indian and Alaska Natives Needed as Donors?
The diseases that may be treated with a marrow or blood cell transplant affect people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, American Indian and Alaska Native patients face a greater challenge in finding a donor. Because tissue types are inherited in the same way as hair or eye color, a patient’s best chance of finding a match is with a brother or sister. Only 30 percent of patients have a suitably matched donor in their family. The next best chance of finding a match is between people who share the same racial and ethnic background.
