Why Do Some Cancers Need Bone Marrow or Stem Cell Transplants?
Sometimes very high doses of chemo and/or radiation therapy are used to treat cancer. These treatments destroy cancer cells but also wipe out good cells, like stem cells. What Are Stem Cells? Stem cells make the blood cells needed to carry oxygen to all the parts of the body (red blood cells), fight infection (white blood cells), and prevent bleeding (platelets). Most are found in the bone marrow – the spongy material that fills the inside of bones. Some are also found in the bloodstream. How Transplants Work Healthy stem cells collected from a brother or sister are transplanted into the sibling with cancer. The stem cells travel to the bone marrow and make new red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These new cells help your brother or sister recover from the cancer treatments. Who Can Be a Donor? A stem cell donor can be a brother or sister or a volunteer (from the National Marrow Donor Program®). Stem cells can also be collected from the patient’s own body prior to cancer
