Other

Bone marrow transplant

Originally Published: March 01, 1996

 

Dear Alice,

What is involved in being tested to be a bone marrow transplant donor?

 

Bone marrow transplantation has been used as a treatment in a number of serious illnesses, usually cancers. The principle followed in transplant units is generally to destroy the patient's own bone marrow through chemotherapy and radiation. This leaves the patient essentially defenseless against infection, without any ability to manufacture blood cells, antibodies, or platelets, which are used in clotting. As they await their transplant, these patients are protected from infection.

Before the active marrow destruction, the patient has his/her own marrow removed through a series of needle sticks into marrow containing bone, usually the pelvis. This marrow is cleaned of cancer cells and readied for transplant back to the patient. An alternative is to use another individual's marrow---usually a close relative (twins are best) or a compatible stranger. This is why tests to be a bone marrow donor are conducted. It is a simple blood test. A tube of blood is drawn and the proteins (antigens) in the blood are matched to the patient. It does not have to be a perfect match to find a donor, but the closer the better.

After all that, the transplant itself is somewhat anticlimactic: a plastic bag of cleansed marrow is hung up and run into the patient through an intravenous live (IV). It takes about 15 minutes. The new marrow cells find their way to the patient's bones, implant themselves, and start to make new, non-cancerous cells. Isn't this amazing!

For more information about bone marrow or other transplants, you can call the Division of Bone Marrow and Transplantation of the Health Services and Resources Administration at 301-443-7577.

Alice

Related Q&As

Leukemia

Respond to this Q & A
		Send this page to a friend