Stem cell donation side effects

Diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma or bone marrow failure syndromes can affect bone marrow.

Long-term side effects of stem cell donation

Bone marrow is a spongy tissue inside bones that is rich in stem cells and helps to produce blood and immune cells. Healthy stem cells are often needed to treat these marrow-impacting diseases. This is why “stem cell transplant” and “bone marrow transplant” are often used interchangeably, the main difference being the method of collection of the stem cells.

In some cases — especially for some blood cancers — a person can use stem cells from their own body to facilitate giving higher doses of chemotherapy in an attempt to cure the disease.

This is called an autologous stem cell transplant. The other option, especially when a recipient‘s bone marrow is already compromised, requires a donor to provide healthy stem cells, which is called an allogeneic stem cell transplant.

William Hogan, M.B., B.Ch., is a consultant hematologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program.

Dr. Hogan says that about one-quarter of trans

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