How You Get a Stem Cell Transplant for Leukemia

Stem cells may come from your own body or from a donor. A donor is someone whose tissue is a close match to yours. If the cells come from you, the transplant is called autologous. If they come from a donor, the transplant is called allogeneic. If you’re using your own cells, they are removed before you have chemotherapy or radiation treatment and are stored until needed. Then the doctor puts them back into your body through a transfusion. There, they migrate or go to the bone marrow, where they begin to multiply.

Stem cells may be removed in one of these ways.

• Bone marrow aspiration. You or the donor receives general anesthesia, which puts you to sleep so that you don’t feel or hear anything. Then the doctor makes several needle punctures in your pelvic bone to remove bone marrow. The stem cells are filtered and frozen until later. You will likely stay in the hospital overnight.

• Apheresis. You or the donor receives a growth-factor drug by injection for several days. It encourages stem cells to grow. Then your doctor removes blood from your vein or the donor’s vein. A special device separates out the stem cells and returns the rest of your blood right back to your body. This may be repeated more than once. The stem cells are frozen until later.