How successful is a bone marrow transplantation procedure?

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A bone marrow transplantation procedure gives the claim of curing an affected individual of cancer. In an ideal case scenario, it should be able to cure the type of cancers that fit the bill. But, since the functioning of the human body is not very predictable, they may end up causing various other complications.

To understand how successful the bone marrow transplant would be, one must know the complications and the factors which affect the success of the procedure.

What makes the transplant successful?

There are many factors that affect a bone marrow transplant’s success rate.

• Suitability of patient, treatment and medical conditions: Not all cancers can be treated by bone marrow transplantation. Some cancers respond better to conventional chemotherapy or surgery. The medical health of the patient also plays an important role in the success of the treatment. The age, stage of cancer, overall fitness and health need to be assessed properly.

• Acceptance of the transplant: In conditions where the transplant is not a part of the body, it has a chance of rejecting the transplant. This is more common in conditions where the stems are collected from some other donors. The patient would have to take immunosuppressant drugs to handle the transplantation.

• Protection during chemotherapy: During chemotherapy, the patient reaches a point where there are no immunoglobulins in the body. The blood count drastically drops. In such situations, the proper care and handling of the patient are of utmost importance for the success of this treatment. The required nutrition and blood transfusions need to be given. The patient should not be exposed to agents which might lead to an infection. Utmost care must be taken when the patient is in this vulnerable state.

• Post-transplantation care: Once the procedure is over, the patient is advised to stay at the hospital until the blood counts are rising back up again. This might take anywhere from four to six months. During this crucial time, the care and observation given to the patient will determine most of its success.

What is the current success rate of bone marrow transplantation?

Many studies have been conducted regarding bone marrow transplantation. It has been observed that the average success rate, for this procedure, is around 62 to 68 percent.  This means that, in a group of 100 patients, of the same age, condition and severity of disease, 62-68 of them will be cured through bone marrow transplantation.

In recent studies, it has been observed the age of the patient plays a major role in determining the success. A study was conducted among a group of individuals with blood cancer, at the advanced stage. This study had individuals ranging from the age of 45 to 65. The 45-50-year-old group showed the maximum success rate whereas the 65-year-old age group showed the least. The main causes of death were a relapse of leukaemia, infectious diseases like pneumonia and septicaemia.

In another study that was conducted, people of different stages of the same haemolytic malignancy were treated with bone marrow transplantation and the success rate showed that the earlier the treatment, the better the results.

These two conclusions make it clear that bone marrow transplant is life-saving if the case selection is ideal. Bone marrow transplantation should not be the first line of treatment for people above the age of 50, especially in the terminal stage of their disease.

Scientists today are trying to eliminate all the limiting factors while treating a person through bone marrow transplantation. We can see the dwindling numbers of failed cases, all being converted to success stories. One must have enough awareness about all the situations and scenarios that might result from a bone marrow transplantation, calculate the risks and failures and chances of success and decide if the treatment is well- suited.

Also Read: How painful is bone marrow biopsy?

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