Bone marrow transplant

The patient is prepared for transplantation by administering high doses of chemotherapy or radiation (conditioning). This serves 2 purposes. First, it destroys the patient's abnormal blood cells or cancer. Second, it inhibits the patient's immune response against the donor bone marrow (graft rejection).

Following conditioning, the patient is ready for bone marrow infusion. After infusion, it takes 10 - 20 days for the bone marrow to establish itself. During this time, the patient requires support with blood cell transfusions.

Bone marrow transplant may be recommended for:

• Bone marrow deficiency disease caused by:
  • Abnormal red blood cell production, such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease
  • Aggressive cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiation therapy), especially for leukemia or lymphoma
  • Lack of normal blood cell production (aplastic anemia)
• Immune system disorders (immunodeficiency) such as:
  • Congenital neutropenia
  • Severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome

• Patients with heart, kidney, lungs, or liver disorders
• Patients with other diseases that may limit survival

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