It is important to weigh both the risks and the benefits of a bone marrow bone marrow: The soft, spongy tissue inside most bones. Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow. /stem cell transplant. A transplant doctor can answer your questions and help you decide if a transplant is an option for you.
A bone marrow transplant bone marrow transplant: A bone marrow transplant (BMT) is also called a stem cell transplant (SCT) or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).The procedure replaces unhealthy blood-forming stem cells with healthy ones and offers some patients the possibility of a cure. But for many patients, a BMT is not an option due… has serious risks. Some patients suffer from life-threatening problems as a result of their transplant. These problems can include serious infections and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) graft-versus-host disease (GVHD): Also called GVHD, it is a common complication of bone marrow/stem cell transplantation. It is caused when the donor's immune cells, now in the patient, begin to see the the patient's body as foreign and mount an immune response. GVHD most commonly effects the recipient's skin, intestines, or liver… , in which the transplanted cells attack the patient's body.
For some patients, a transplant may be the best option for a longer life, as the procedure remains the only known cure for bone marrow failure bone marrow failure: A condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The most common of these rare diseases are aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Bone marrow failure can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be… diseases like aplastic anemia aplastic anemia: (ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia is a condition that happens when red blood cell count is low. Most… , MDS and PNH. You, your doctor and your family need to consider many factors when making a decision on a transplant, including your disease stage, your age, your overall health, whether a matching donor is available and other treatment options.