| |
| |
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
To join the Registry, you need..Read
More |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MDR(I) is a database of voluntary Donors..Read
More |
|
|
|
 |
|
| -
MDR(I) Registration form |
| -
MDR(I) Donation form |
| |
| | |
| |
| |
 |
| | |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Q. What is
a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) / Stem cell Transplant?
Answer:
Bone
Marrow Transplant is transfusing into the
patient blood stream HLA matched blood Stem
Cells capable of developing into red blood
cells, white blood cells and platelets,
replacing a transplant patient diseased or
damaged Stem Cells. Allogeneic Bone Marrow
Transplant & peripheral blood Stem Cell
transplant have become standard of care for such
life threatening diseases such as incurable
leukemia, aplastic anemia, thalassemia etc. Such
transplants are potentially life saving. In
India every year about 2 lakh patients require
this form of treatment. Unfortunately HLA
matched Donors are not easily available. This
means that more than 1, 40, 000 patients are not
given the best possible treatment. If unrelated
but HLA matched Donors are made available
transplant can be done & will provide hope
of cure to these patients. A Bone Marrow
transplant is the process of infusing healthy
Marrow into a person to replace diseased or
damaged Bone Marrow. The original Marrow is
eradicated using high dose chemotherapy or
radiation. |
|
 |
| |
| Q. What is Bone Marrow and who
needs it? |
| Answer:
Patients suffering from a malignant disease such
as leukemia may undergo treatment with radiation
or chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells
alive in their body. Radiation and chemotherapy
treatments are often successful in destroying
the cancer cells, however, in the process; they
may also destroy the patient’s healthy cells and
Bone Marrow. Bone Marrow is essential for the
production of blood cells. If the Bone Marrow is
destroyed, either from a malignant,
non-malignant or genetic disorder, a Stem Cell
transplant becomes necessary. Transplanted Stem
Cells re-populate the Bone Marrow thereby
replenishing the supply of cells of body which
are necessary to maintain a healthy blood and
immune system. |
| |
| Q. What is Bone
Marrow? |
|
| Answer: Bone
Marrow is a blood-based substance that can be
found inside the hollow bones of body. It
resembles blood & contains Stem Cells, which
produces platelets, the red and white blood
cells and forms the basis of immune system of
the body. Marrow for transplant is usually
collected from the iliac crest, which is part of
the pelvic bone. |
| |
| Q. What are Stem Cells? |
|
Answer: They
are the Mother Blood Cells of the blood of human
body and immune system. The Stem Cells that are
used in Stem Cell transplants are blood Stem
Cells. These cells have the ability to become
the different types of blood cells (e.g., red
blood cells, white blood cells, platelets).
These Stem Cells are typically found in three
places:
-
Bone Marrow, the spongy substance in the
bone.
- The blood stream, in smaller
amounts.
- Cord blood, the blood in the
umbilical cord and placenta when a child is
born. |
| |
| Q. What are the different types
of Stem cells Transplant? |
|
Answer:
There are two different types of Stem cells
Transplants:
a. Allogeneic
Stem cells Transplant involves the infusion of
Stem cells from one person to another. Usually
of the same or very similar tissue (HLA) type.
To be successful they should be as closely
matched as possible and the most suitable Donor
is therefore usually a brother or sister.
b. Autologous transplant is
the removal, storage of, and reintroduction
of the patient's own Stem cells. This is
possible in only 2% of cases. |
| |
| Q. What is involved in the
transplant process for the patient? |
|
| Answer: The
patient is given high doses of chemotherapy
and/or radiation. These treatments ideally
destroy all of the cancer cells, but they also
kill other fast reproducing cells such as hair
cells, the lining in the mouth and digestive
tract, and blood Stem Cells (the cells that turn
into red blood cells, white blood cells and
platelets). Without the blood Stem Cells, body
of the patient is unable to create enough blood
cells to sustain life. Once the patient is given
the Marrow-Destroying treatments, there is no
turning back. The patient is then given the Stem
Cells of Donor by an infusion, similar to a
blood transfusion. It takes about three weeks to
see the first evidence of engraftment, which
means that the new Stem Cells have taken hold in
the patient system and are beginning to produce
new blood cells. The patient will have a
compromised immune system for quite a while and
must take care as to who and what he comes in
contact with. He may be hospitalized for several
weeks after the transplant. The patient will
receive many blood and platelet transfusions as
well as injections of filgrastim until he is
able to make sufficient blood cells on his
own. |
| |
| Q. What happens if a patient can
not get a transplant? |
|
| Answer: In
most cases, patients who do not get the
transplant they need will die. Certain
treatments may prolong a patient life, but in
most cases these treatments will not cure the
disease. It is necessary for all those
registered in MDR(I) to update their
registration once a year for any illnesses they
may have suffered during the past year &
would be unfit to donate so that the Registry
removes them from the list. |
| | |
|