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What are the different types of bone marrow transplantation?
When we decide to undergo a bone marrow transplantation procedure, there are many factors that have to be decided. One of the most important ones is the type of transplant.
There are three main types of bone marrow transplant that can be done:
·
Autologous bone marrow transplantation- where the stem cells of the patient are collected so that it can be reused later on.
· Allogenic bone marrow transplantation- where the stem cells are collected from an appropriate donor which is matched to the patient and then transplanted.
·
Placental bone marrow transplant- where the stem cells are collected from the umbilical cord when the patient was born. This is not always an option as some may not have preserved the umbilical cord.
How is autologous bone marrow transplantation done?
There are many stages in the entire procedure of getting an autologous transplantation.
1.
Selection of patient, case and procedure: Not all patients are ideal candidates for even bone marrow transplantation. The type of cancer, medical condition of the patient and the viability of the stem cells need to be taken into consideration before selection of procedure. Consult your doctor regarding the various procedures.
2.
Preparing the patient: Before the procedure of collecting the stem cells, the number of stem cells available should be increased. This is done by using certain chemotherapeutic agents. The stem cells are also made more accessible by mobilizing them into the bloodstream. This makes the collection also easy. The patient is given injections of colony stimulating growth factors so that the count of stem cells increases.
3. Collection of stem cells: Once the doctor is satisfied with the numbers of stem cells in the bloodstream, he/she will decide to collect them. The growth factor injections will be continued until then. The patient’s blood is passed through a machine called apheresis machine where the stem cells will be filtered out of the system and collected, and the normal blood flows back to the body. This procedure may cause slight pain which can be managed with over-the-counter tablets. The collected stem cells are stored by cryopreservation (freezing) until the patient is ready to accept the transplants.
4. Conditioning of the patient: Once the cells are collected, the patient is given high doses of chemotherapy. Sometimes, even radiation therapy may be given. This procedure will destroy all the cancerous cells in the blood. But, along with this, the blood count also drastically drops. Once the system is clear of cancerous cells, the bone marrow transplantation is carried forward.
5.
Transplantation: The patient, post- chemotherapy is at a vulnerable state and is very prone to infections. They are stripped of their body’s natural immunity. This leads to an increased risk of infection. Even the simple flu can become a serious condition. The patient needs to be placed in an environment which is safe until the transplant is accepted by the body. For the bone marrow transplantation, the collected stem cells are injected into the bloodstream. These stem cells automatically find their way to the bone marrow and begin multiplying.
6.
Post-transplantation care: After the bone marrow transplantation, the patient’s health will be in a critical condition. The risk of infection is still high. The blood cell count will drop. The patient may need blood transfusions as well. The patient will be experiencing post-chemotherapy symptoms which need to be managed with over-the-counter medications (for nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea). A close watch needs to be kept on the patient’s health so as to see if the blood cell levels are rising if the bone marrow transplant procedure is being rejected and if the cancerous cells are re-occurring.
7. Recovery: The levels of blood cells will begin to rise within a few months. This is a positive sign of the procedure and usually, this is when the patient is discharged. It takes at least six months for the patient to recover completely and regain their immunity. Until then, regular check-ups, careful watch of one’s health and protection against infections is needed.
Despite such careful procedures and observant care, many individuals tend to relapse. But the very possibility of getting cured of cancer is enough motivation for many to undergo this procedure.
About BloodCancerCure:
BloodCancerCure is world’s first such organization working 24*7 on helping blood cancer patients. BloodCancerCure works for patients across world by providing the lowest cost for bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and Bone marrow test. You can contact at +91-8448533753 to talk to our experts at BloodCancerCure for BMT treatment in India.
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