4 ways how a Bone Marrow Transplant Can Save Someone’s Life

mayur raval
CancerCareNews
Published in
3 min readNov 25, 2019

Bone marrow transplant is a surgical procedure for collecting blood-forming cells from the pelvic bones of the human body. Each day more and more people are being diagnosed with blood cancer. Patients who have Leukemia and other life-threatening blood diseases do not find a possible match for their transplant, which ultimately brings them closer to their death.

In these cancer cases, the recipient’s immune system is generally destroyed by radiation or chemotherapy before the transplant. Finding a donor with the same Genetic codes can be tricky and could seem to be a long wait. Generally, patients get a match among their family members and relatives.

A doctor evaluates the tissue sample of a donor with the patient. The process is generally known as Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA). It is a type of protein found in most cells of the body. The immune system acknowledges the cells that belong to the body with the help of HLA.

A close HLA match between the donor and the patient is an essential factor for bone marrow transplantation ( visit : https://oncology.fortisbangalore.com/cancer-treatments-bangalore/bone-marrow-transplant ) . Anyone can help a cancer patient get through a bone marrow transplant by being a donor. The recovery of the bone marrow, which is withdrawn from your body replenishes up to 97% in just 6 months.

Doctors use general anesthetics on the donor so that during surgery, the donor does not feel pain. The liquid bone marrow is withdrawn with the help of large needles from the back of the pelvic bones and is transported to the patient’s location.

The concept that donating blood stem cells is a painful and scary process is a hoax, in reality, it is much less painful, and the discomfort depends from person to person. Side effects may include- nausea, headache and back pain for days or weeks. Back pain is the most common discomfort after bone marrow transplantation.

The below points can help understand how a bone marrow transplant can save a life-

● After the transplant, the recipient’s body starts accepting the blood stem cells and starts making healthy blood cells. The donor’s healthy bone marrow eradicates the Leukemia cells and minimizes the chances of relapse in the patient.

● In children, once the Leukemia is in remission, A total body radiation and chemotherapy can help destroy the remaining Leukemia cells in the bone marrow.

● It makes the bone and marrow healthy. The marrow manufactures the new blood-forming cells known as ‘hematopoietic stem cells ’. The literal meaning of hematopoietic is related to the formation of blood. It helps in the development of red and white blood cells. White blood cells are essential in the body as they help to fight infections.

● It is difficult to find the perfect donor for a bone marrow transplant. For this reason, many patients are still on the wait for their transplant to be successful. Genetics and ancestry sometimes play vital roles in finding a life-saving match for a transplant.

The joy of saving a life gives new meaning to oneself, so the discomfort which comes after donating bone marrow seems to be less painful after knowing that a person’s life has been saved. Fortis Cancer Institute bannerghatta road is one of the leading cancer hospital in bangalore.

With the help of advancements in medical technologies, bone marrow transplant has helped save numerous lives. Connect with our representatives to know about bone marrow transplantation hospital in Bangalore.

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