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EN Stem cell transplant
Stem cell transplant Overview
A stem cell transplant replaces stem cells. It is used when stem cells or bone marrow have been damaged or destroyed by disease, including some types of cancer, or by high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy used to treat cancer. Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue inside your large bones. The bone marrow’s main job is to make blood cells that flow through the body. Stem cells are the most basic cells in the bone marrow, and they develop into different types of blood cells.There are 2 major types of stem cell transplant – allogeneic and autologous. In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, stem cells are removed from another person (a donor) and given to you (the recipient). In an autologous stem cell transplant, you provide your own stem cells. If you receive stem cells from your identical twin, this is called a syngeneic transplant. A stem cell transplant is also called a bone marrow transplant when the stem cells are taken from the bone marrow, a peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT) when the stem cells are taken from the blood, a blood cell transplant (BCT), a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) or a high-dose therapy with stem cell rescue.
Stem cell transplant works
Most stem cells are found in the bone marrow. The stem cells in the bone marrow turn into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. When these blood cells mature they move into the peripheral blood (the blood that flows through the body). If the bone marrow is damaged or destroyed, it can’t make normal blood cells. In a stem cell transplant, healthy stem cells are placed in your body to help your bone marrow start to work properly. The new stem cells make healthy blood cells.Stem cell transplant treat cancer
A stem cell transplant may be used to treat some cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and neuroblastoma. It may also be used after high-dose radiation and chemotherapy to treat the cancer.
There are different kinds of stem cell transplants. They all use very high doses of chemo to kill cancer cells. But the high doses can also kill all the stem cells a person has and can cause the bone marrow to completely stop making blood cells for a period of time. Since our bodies need blood cells to function, this is where stem cell transplants come in. The transplanted stem cells help to "rescue" the bone marrow by replacing the body’s stem cells that have been destroyed by treatment.There's another way a stem cell transplant can work, if it's a transplant that uses stem cells from another person . In these cases, the transplant can help treat certain types of cancer in a way other than just replacing stem cells. Donated cells can often find and kill cancer cells better than the immune cells of the person who had the cancer ever could.
Stem cell transplant Side effects
Side effects can happen any time during, immediately after or days to months after a stem cell transplant. Short-term (acute) side effects generally develop during the first 100 days after a stem cell transplant. Long-term (chronic) side effects generally develop 100 or more days after the transplant. Most side effects go away on their own or can be treated.A stem cell transplant is very complex. It can take 6 to 12 months or longer for your blood counts to be back to normal and your immune system to work well. Side effects of a stem cell transplant can be very serious or even life-threatening. Doctors will watch you closely during this time. They will take measures to prevent side effects and will quickly deal with any side effects that develop. Many common side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue and temporary hair loss, are from the chemotherapy or radiation therapy given before the transplant. Other side effects are related to the stem cell transplant.