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Autologous Bone Marrow

In the past, it's been common to transplant bone marrow from a compatible donor to the cancer patient to eradicate any chance of the cancer returning. In the last several years, though, autologous bone marrow transfers, or transfers of bone marrow stem cells that have come from the patient himself, have become more common.

Standard bone marrow transplants always have a risk of rejection. If you receive marrow from your own body, however, there is no chance of rejection. With autologous bone marrow transplantation, stem cells are removed prior to chemotherapy or radiation treatments, then reintroduced to the patient's body after cancer treatment to kill diseased cells. The cancer-free stem cells take up residence in the marrow and begin to produce regular blood cells again. If the cancer has been completely eradicated, the patient is cured.

Blood cells are simply reintroduced through a vein. They make their own way back to the bone naturally, without intervention by physicians.

This treatment is often used when Hodgkin's disease has become resistant to standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Web Resources On Autologous Bone Marrow

Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplants to Treat Lymphoma
Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation

Book Resources On Autologous Bone Marrow

Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation by Stephanie F. Williams (Ed)
Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation for Hodgkin's Disease, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma by Zander & Barlogie (Ed)

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