A bone marrow transplantation is an operation performed to supplant bone marrow that has
been harmed or obliterated by illness, contamination or chemotherapy. This methodology
includes relocating the blood stem cells which travel deep down the marrow wherein they
produce fresh blood cells and advance the development of a new marrow.
Bone marrow is important for the body as it creates red blood cells, white blood cells
and platelets.
A bone marrow transplant helps in replacing your harmed stem cells with the healthy cells.
This aides your body to make sufficient white blood cells and platelets helping you to stay
away from diseases, draining issues or anaemia.
1. Bone Marrow Transplantation
A bone marrow transplantation is an operation performed to supplant bone marrow that has
been harmed or obliterated by illness, contamination or chemotherapy. This methodology
includes relocating the blood stem cells which travel deep down the marrow wherein they
produce fresh blood cells and advance the development of a new marrow.
Bone marrow is important for the body as it creates red blood cells, white blood cells
and platelets.
A bone marrow transplant helps in replacing your harmed stem cells with the healthy cells.
This aides your body to make sufficient white blood cells and platelets helping you to stay
away from diseases, draining issues or anaemia.
Types of bone marrow transplantation
There are two types of bone marrow transplantation:
Autologous Transplant – In this procedure, the donor is the patient himself. Stem cells are
collected from the patient’s body by the process called bone marrow harvest. These stems
cells are then kept away to get frozen. After this, the patient undergoes an intensive
chemotherapy in order to get the disease treated. This is followed by reinfusion of the stem
cells collected from the patient which further helps in restoring blood formation in the body.
Allogenic Transplant – For this procedure to be carried out, the patient needs a genetically
matching donor. Both the donor and the patient should have same gene type. Usually, the
donor is a family member. Stem cells are collected from the donor by following the process
of bone marrow harvest.
Why is bone marrow transplant needed?
The objective of a bone marrow transplant is to treat numerous kinds of infections and
diseases. At the point when the dosage of chemotherapy or radiation expected to fix a
disease is high to such an extent that an individual's bone marrow stem cells will be forever
harmed or annihilated by the therapy, a bone marrow transplantation might be required.
Bone marrow transplants may likewise be required if the bone marrow has been obliterated
by a sickness.
The bone marrow transplant helps in:
• Supplanting infected, nonfunctioning bone marrow with sound working bone
marrow (for conditions like leukemia, aplastic sickliness, and sickle cell anaemia).
• Rejuvenating the immunity system that will battle existing or leftover leukemia or
different malignant growths not killed by the chemotherapy or radiations utilized in
the transfer.
• Supplanting the bone marrow and reestablishing its typical capacity after high
dosages of chemotherapy and additionally radiations to treat a malignancy.
Numerous kinds of diseases can also benefit from bone marrow transplantation which
include - leukemia, severe aplastic anaemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, immune
deficiency disorders, some solid-tumour cancers, etc.
2. Treatment
The procedure of bone marrow transplant is as follows:
• Bone marrow transplantation procedure depends on the type of transplant
you are undergoing. Medications and the body’s level of tolerance is also
examined for the procedure to be conducted.
• Generally, chemotherapy and additionally radiation are used for the methodology.
This intense treatment is needed to viably treat the danger and make room in the bone
marrow for the new cells to develop. This treatment is frequently called ablative, or
myeloablative, on account of the impact on the bone marrow. The bone marrow
delivers the majority of the blood cells in our body. Ablative treatment forestalls this
cycle of cell creation and the marrow becomes vacant. An unfilled marrow is
expected to account for the new stem cells to develop and build up a fresh blood cell
creation framework.
• After the chemotherapy and radiation is regulated, the bone marrow transplantation is
given through the focal venous catheter into the circulatory system. It is nothing but a
surgery to put the marrow into the bone; however, it is like getting a blood
transfusion. The stem cells discover their direction into the bone marrow and start
replicating and developing new, sound blood cells.
• This is followed by providing supportive care to the patient in order to forestall any
kind of infectious diseases, side effects of treatment and further complications. This
incorporates incessant blood tests, closely observing the crucial signs, severe
estimation of the fluid input and output, every day weigh-ins, and giving an ensured
and clean environment.
Time taken for the blood creation is called engraftment period. Before engraftment, the
patient's blood tallies are notably depressed for around 10-20 days; the odds of diseases
may be high so the patients are kept in severe segregation and HEPA-filtered rooms.
During this time, patient will require close checking of the blood tallies and standard
blood/platelet transfusions.
Side effects can involve:
Since this a very intense treatment, chances of side effects and complications are
very likely. Some are as follows:
• The patient may feel nauseous and may also suffer from a loss of appetite.
Typically, it is for a brief period, going on for few days. With the accessibility of
present-day drugs, it may very well be forestalled and controlled to an incredible
degree.
• Mouth ulcers are also very likely to occur. These are generally very mild and can be
easily treated apart from pain control. If the ulcers are severe, then
drinking/swallowing becomes a difficult task. In such situations, patients are given
sustenance through veins.
• Patients also tend to suffer from hair loss as a result of intense chemotherapy. This
phenomenon is for a very short period of time and usually lasts till the hair grows
back in just a matter of months after the transplant.
• Brief or perpetual sterility may happen in practically all grown- up/adolescent male
and female patients after transplant because of side effects of
chemotherapy/radiotherapy, although the capacity to engage in sex is not influenced
by transplantation. It is suggested that male patients, who intend to have family, to
have their sperm stored for future use.
3. • The liver and heart are significant organs that might be harmed during the
transplantation procedure. Brief or lasting harm to the liver and heart might be
brought about by contamination, graft-versus-host disease, high portions of
chemotherapy and radiation or fluid over-burden.
• Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) can be a side effect in allogenic transplantation.
This condition occurs when the donor’s immune system reacts against the recipient’s
tissue. This can be a very severe and fatal condition. GVHD usually affects the liver,
skin, GI tract and lungs of the patient.
In case you have more queries or concerns, visit Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre,
Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad or access our website https://www.yashodahealthcare.com/ for
more information.
.