Transplantation of bone marrow stem cells to treat cancer

A stem cell transplant is a method to replace blood cells destroyed by cancer treatment. After a stem cell transplant will be formed immature blood cells following treatment.The purpose of a stem cell transplant is to help rebuild the bone marrow, but also in the formation of healthy blood cells.
A stem cell transplant may be autologous, where the stem cells come from your own body or allogeneic, meaning the stem cells come from a donor.

Candidate for a transplant or bone marrow stem cells to treat cancer
Although stem cell transplantation or bone marrow transplantation can save lives, not everyone could be candidate for this treatment. The process can be difficult and tedious. Most often, this type of treatment is addressed to young people, the age limit is 55-60 years.
Given that risks can be quite serious, the decision to get a transplant or bone marrow stem cells to treat cancer is not easy. The physician should consider overall health, diagnosis and disease stage.
Further investigations will be needed to be certain that the health of the patient allows this procedure. You must make sure you understand the benefits and potential risks of stem cell transplantation and bone marrow trasplantului.

Collect bone marrow or stem cells for cancer treatment
How to collect stem cells from a donor? How to transplant depends on its type: if stem cell transplantation from peripheral blood or bone marrow.

• In the case of transplantation of peripheral blood stem cells will be harvested and stored donor blood cells. This technique has become more common than bone marrow transplants to treat cancer. Transplantation of peripheral blood stem cells is effective for some people, and the donation process is much simpler.
• In the case of transplantation of bone marrow stem cells, the process is more complicated and will be done in an operating room. Donor will be general or local anesthesia. The doctor will then insert a needle into a bone and will harvest a quantity of the bone marrow, which is then stored and cryogenic.

Decision on transplantation of blood stem cells or bone marrow cancer
Decision transplant or bone marrow stem cells to treat cancer is not easy. Many of these procedures are experimental and include clinical trials. It is difficult to weigh the benefits with potential serious risks – including death which may involve the patient or donor.
But when anxiety occurs, you must remember how many tens of thousands of people have been treated for cancer with stem cell transplant or bone marrow. The techniques involved are constantly improved and refined.
Try to keep optimistic and have an active role in treatment. Do research on various stem cell transplants or bone marrow transplantation techniques. Doctors put specific questions, especially if you participate in a clinical trial. As you will know more and more detail options, the increases confidence in their own decisions.