30/08/2026
A bone marrow transplant (also called a stem cell transplant) is a medical procedure that replaces unhealthy or damaged bone marrow with healthy blood-forming stem cells.
What it Does
Produces new blood cells, including infection-fighting white blood cells, oxygen-carrying red blood cells, and clotting platelets.
Allows doctors to use very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation to kill cancer without permanently destroying the body's ability to make blood.
Treats various conditions like leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and aplastic anemia.
Types of Transplants
Autologous: Uses your own healthy stem cells, which are collected and saved before you start intense treatments.
Allogeneic: Uses stem cells from a matched donor, who may be a family member or an unrelated volunteer.
Syngeneic: Uses stem cells donated by your identical twin.
The Procedure and Recovery
Preparation (Conditioning): You receive high-dose chemotherapy or radiation for several days to destroy diseased marrow and any remaining cancer cells.
The Infusion: Healthy stem cells are put into your bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line, much like a blood transfusion.
Engraftment: The new cells travel to your bone marrow and begin growing and making new blood cells, which takes several weeks.
Risks: Major risks include infections, organ damage, and graft-versus-host disease (where donor cells attack your body in allogeneic transplants).