Bone Marrow Transplant Treatments

Bone Marrow Transplants: Types of Treatments

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure designed to weaken or destroy tissues or cells that cause blood or immune system diseases, then replace those tissues or cells to restore healthy function.

There are two different types of bone marrow transplant treatment procedures:

Autologous: This procedure involves using your own cells. For some diseases, physicians can remove your stem cells and then place these cells back into you after you undergo chemotherapy. Patients having an autologous transplant do not need a donor; they function as their own donor.

Allogeneic: This type of transplant requires the use of someone else’s cells placed into you after you undergo radiation treatment or chemotherapy. Some people cannot use their own stem cells for a transplant. To have a chance at recovery, you need stem cells donated by another healthy individual.

Typically, an allogeneic transplant patient begins the transplant process by trying to identify a family member as a donor. Siblings are most likely to be a close match for a transplant. If you don’t have a family member available who is a match, physicians can search donor registries to find a stem cell match for you.

Please call Memorial Cancer Institute to schedule an appointment: 954-265-4325, or email us.