After being treated with high-dose anticancer drugs and/or radiation, the patient receives the bone marrow or PBSCs through a central venous catheter, a flexible tube that is placed in a large vein in the neck or chest area. This part of the transplant is called the "rescue process."

The purpose of Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant (PBSCT) in cancer treatment is to enable patients to receive safely very high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. High doses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy will destroy cancer cells and some healthy cells. BMT and PBSCT replace healthy stem cells that were destroyed by these treatments.

Bone marrow transplant is a type of transfusion that replaces diseased or damaged bone marrow with new bone marrow.

It is not known for sure but it seems highly possible that the choice you make about treatment may influence your system's capacity to deal with subsequent choices. Prolonged chemotherapy damages organs and patients may be less able to weather the severe chemotherapy required prior to a bmt. Some German researchers have claimed that patients treated with interferon first have not done so well with a bmt but other doctors do not accept their results.

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue found inside your large bones. It is responsible for making blood cells including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. It is also home to your immune system.

After entering the bloodstream, the transplanted cells travel to the bone marrow, where they begin to produce new white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in a process known as "engraftment." Engraftment usually occurs within about 2 to 4 weeks after transplantation, and is monitored by checking blood counts on a frequent basis.

Until now, the most common way to transfer stem cells from one person to another has been through bone marrow transplantation, which is a complex and risky procedure. Cord blood- a richer source of stem cells than bone marrow- eliminates many of the problems associated with bone marrow transplants should your child or other family member ever need such a treatment in their lifetime.

v In the first phase, lasting 5 to 14 days, the bone marrow recipient is prepared for receiving the graft.

This is a dangerous form of treatment and some patients die because of treatment complications. The risks are greater in older patients and in patients with more advanced disease. In the good-risk groups, the treatmentrelated mortality during the first year after transplantation in the best centers is between 10% and 15%. This is about the same as mortality in newly diagnosed patients treated with hydrea.

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 (PBSCs) can be found in the bloodstream.

In general, the procedure for obtaining bone marrow, which is also called "harvesting," is similar for all three types of BMTs (autologous, syngeneic, and allogeneic). The donor is given either general anesthesia, which puts the person to sleep during the procedure, or local anesthesia, which causes loss of feeling in the area of the body where the bone marrow will be removed.

After a patient undergoes chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment to destroy their diseased marrow, the healthy donor cells are given directly into the patient's bloodstream. The cells travel to the marrow, where they begin to function and multiply.

Marrow donation is a surgical procedure that takes place in an operating room. The donation will be scheduled at an NMDP-partnering hospital. In some cases, the hospital may be near your home. In other cases, you may be asked to travel.

There is not much literature on this for PV patients but Dr. Jeanne Anderson, formerly of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington, recently advised our mpd-net group that they now have protocols for bone marrow transplants in patients with PV. Dr. Anderson recently left the Hutch but there are others who can help you find information. There is a link to the Hutch website on our web page.

Because only a small amount of bone marrow is removed, donating usually does not pose any significant problems for the donor. The most serious risk associated with donating bone marrow involves the use of anesthesia during the procedure. Within a few weeks, the donor's body will have replaced the donated marrow. The area where the bone marrow was taken out may feel sore for a few days, and the donor may feel tired. The time required for a donor to recover varies.

It’s a potentially life-saving treatment for patients with MDS, leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood diseases. The transplanted healthy stem cells from a donor replace a patient's unhealthy blood cells that have been destroyed by chemotherapy.