Bone Marrow Transplant referrs to a form of cancer treatment whereby the diseased bone marrow is first destroyed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, then replaced by healthy marrow or stem cells.
Types of bone marrow transplant:
- AUTOLOGOUS -- an autologous transplant uses a patient's own bone marrow or stem cells.
- ALLOGENEIC -- an allogeneic transplant uses peripheral stem cells or bone marrow donated by another person.
A patient's physian will go into detail as to which type is best for you as well as what to expect as far as preparation, pretreatment, side effects and post treatment care.
A bone marrow transplant provides a potential cure for incurable diseases.