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Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)

A bone marrow transplant (BMT) is a process that involves replacing diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow. BMT is performed as the diseased bone marrow is unable to produce healthy blood cells. Several cancerous and non-cancerous conditions require bone marrow transplants. It is usually the treatment of last resort when other treatments fail to treat or control the disease.

  • Autologous BMT: Autologous BMT is the procedure in which the stem cells are obtained from a patient before treatment, stored, and later transfused into the same patient post-treatment. The transplanted stem cells help produce healthy cells in the body. The most important advantage of autologous BMT is that there is no risk of rejection of the transplanted stem cells by the body.
  • Allogeneic BMT: Allogeneic BMT is a procedure that involves the transfusion of stem cells into the patient from a donor. The stem cells from the donor may be collected from the blood, bone marrow of the hipbone, or the donated umbilical cord. The donor may be an unrelated matched donor, a family member, or a mismatched family donor.
  • Preparation for Bone Marrow Transplant: The patients undergo several tests and procedures to evaluate their overall health. These tests help the transplant specialist decide if the patients are fit to undergo transplants. The patients may expect the insertion of a central line or a catheter that will remain in place during treatment. The catheter delivers medications, blood products, and stem cells into the body.
  • Procedure for BMT: The procedure for stem cells comprises several steps. The initial step is to collect the stem cells from the patients or from donors. In the case of autologous BMT, the patient is given an injection of growth factors to increase their level of stem cells. The stem cells are collected through a process known as apheresis. The next step is conditioning the body. The conditioning involves delivering high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to kill cancer cells, preparing bone marrow for new stem cells, and suppressing the immune system. Reduced-intensity conditioning is also done in patients who cannot tolerate high-dose therapies. After the conditioning, the stem cells are infused into the patients through a central line.