Another method of autologous stem cell transplant is an autologous bone marrow transplant.
But a person must produce enough healthy bone marrow cells before an autologous stem cell transplant can be considered.
A side effect of these treatments are that they destroy healthy cells as well.
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An autologous stem cell transplant replenishes the body with the vital new blood cells needed for life.
Who Is Not a Good Candidate?
The difference between the two procedures is basically how the stem cells are harvested.
Bone marrow harvesting is done less often than peripheral blood stem cell harvesting.
One variation of an autologous stem cell transplant procedure is called the double autologous or tandem transplant.
This involves having two stem cell transplant procedures back to backwithin a six-month time spanafter each round of chemotherapy.
The healthy stem cells are collected before the initial high dose of chemotherapy or radiation is given.
The healthy stem cells are reserved, then given after each course of chemo.
You will then undergo the harvesting procedure, either apheresis or bone marrow aspiration.
The bone marrow stem cell harvesting procedure is more involved.
You will need to recover from anesthesia before returning home, and you may have some pain.
This can take two to eight days.
You may have side effects from this treatment.
Bone marrow transplants take much longer, up to a few hours.
Antibiotic therapy may be required.
Those over 60 years of age were deemed to have a poor prognosis (predicted outcome).
Overall, getting an autologous stem cell transplant can raise your chance of survival.
Its important for survivors and their family members to reach out and find resources to help.
The Bone Marrow and Cancer Foundation is one such resource.
2019;9(4):44. doi:10.1038/s41408-019-0205-9
American Cancer Society.Types of stem cell transplants for cancer treatment.
UCSF Health.Autologous transplant guide: treatment and side effects.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Returning home after your autologous stem cell transplant.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Autologous stem cell transplant: a guide for patients & caregivers.
