- How the transplant is done
- Bone marrow transplant compatibility
- Risks of bone marrow transplantation
Bone marrow transplantation is a therapeutic strategy widely used in the case of diseases that affect blood cells, such as lymphoma and leukemia, in which the bone marrow is deficient, that is, it is unable to properly perform its function of producing blood cells and of the immune system, such as red blood cells, platelets, lymphocytes and leukocytes.
The bone marrow is made up of hematopoietic stem cells, or CTH, which are in fact responsible for the production of blood and immune cells. Thus, bone marrow transplantation is done with the aim of replacing the defective bone marrow with a healthy one through functional HSC.
There are 2 main types of bone marrow transplantation, which include:
- Autologous bone marrow transplant: healthy cells are removed from the patient before starting treatment with chemotherapy or radiation, being injected back into the body, after treatments, to allow the creation of more healthy cells. Understand how self-transplantation is done. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: the cells to be transplanted are taken from a healthy donor, who must undergo special blood tests to ensure the compatibility of the cells, and transplanted into a compatible patient.
In addition to these types of transplants, there is a new technique that allows the stem cells of the baby's umbilical cord to be stored, which can be used to treat cancer and other health problems that arise throughout the life of the baby or another compatible person.
How the transplant is done
Bone marrow transplantation is a procedure that lasts around 2 hours and is done with surgery with general or epidural anesthesia. The transplant is done by removing the bone marrow from the hip bones or the sternum bone from a healthy and compatible donor.
Then, the removed cells are frozen and stored until the recipient has finished the chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments that aim to destroy the malignant cells. Finally, healthy bone marrow cells are injected into the patient's blood so that they can multiply, take the place of malignant cells and produce blood cells.
Bone marrow transplant compatibility
The compatibility of bone marrow transplantation should be evaluated to avoid the risk of rejection and serious complications, such as internal bleeding or infections. For this, the possible bone marrow donor must perform a blood collection at a specialized center, such as INCA, to be evaluated. If the donor is not compatible, he may remain on a list of data to be called to another patient who is compatible. Find out who can donate bone marrow.
Normally, the bone marrow compatibility assessment process is initiated in the patient's siblings, as they are more likely to have similar bone marrow, and then extended to national data lists, if the siblings are not compatible.
Risks of bone marrow transplantation
The main risks or complications of bone marrow transplantation include:
- Anemia; Cataracts; Hemorrhages in the lungs, intestines or brain; Kidney, liver, lungs or heart injuries; Serious infections; Rejection; Graft versus host disease; Reaction to anesthesia; Relapse of the disease.
Complications of bone marrow transplantation are more frequent when the donor is not completely compatible, but they can also be related to the response of the patient's organism, which is why it is important to perform laboratory tests on both the donor and the recipient to verify compatibility. and possibility of reactions. Also know what it is for and how the bone marrow biopsy is performed.
