Stem cell transplant
Stem cells are cells that are born in the bone marrow and later develop into red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets that circulate around the body. With a stem cell transplant, the cells are taken from the cancer patient’s blood before chemo and then later returned after chemo much like a BMT.
It can be either the patients own stem cells or those from a donor. We don’t have many stem cells circulating around in the blood, so a few days before they are taken an injection called G-CSF is given to promote their numbers. The stem cells are then collected by a procedure called leukopheresis which filters the stem cells out of the blood through a machine over about 4 hours. After the patient receives their high dose chemo, the cells are then transfused back into the body (much like a blood transfusion). The cells will find their way back into the bone marrow eventually resulting in normal blood cell numbers.