Bone marrow is the soft,
sponge-like
material found inside bones. It contains
immature cells called stem cells that
produce blood cells. There are three
types
of blood cells: white blood cells, which
fight infection; red blood cells, which
carry oxygen to and remove waste
products
from organs and tissues; and platelets,
which enable the blood to clot.
Most stem cells are found in the
bone
marrow, but some stem cells called
peripheral blood stem cells can be
found in
the bloodstream. Umbilical cord blood
also
contains stem cells. Stem cells can
divide
to form more stem cells, or they can
mature
into white blood cells, red blood cells,
or
platelets.
Types of
Transplants
Bone marrow
transplantation and
peripheral blood stem cell
transplantation
are procedures that restore stem cells
that
have been destroyed by high doses of
chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
There
are three types of transplants:
- In autologous transplants, patients
receive their own stem cells
- In syngeneic transplants, patients
receive stem cells from their identical
twin
- In allogeneic transplants, patients
receive stem cells from someone other
than
the patient or an identical twin. The
patient’s brother, sister, or parent may
serve as the donor, or a person not
related
to the patient (an unrelated donor) may
be
used.
Candidates for Transplant
Surgery
The
following diseases may be treated
with bone marrow transplantation.
- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
(ALL)
- Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
(AML)
- Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
(CML)
- Histiocytic Disorders (HIS)
- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL)
- Inherited Erythrocyte Abnormalities
(IEA)
- Inherited Immune Systems
Disorders (IIS)
- Inherited Metabolism Disorders
(IMD)
- Inherited Platelets Abnormalities
(IPA)
- Myelodysplastic Disorder
Syndromes (MDS)
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)
- Other Leukemias (OL)
- Other Malignancies (OM)
- Other Non-Malignant Diseases
(OND)
- Plasma Cell Disorders (PCD)
- Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA)
A health care professional can
provide
you with more information about bone
marrow
transplantation as a part of a treatment
plan.
Last Updated: December 03, 2007
