Educate Yourself,Donate - it Saves Lives!
 What Is a Bone Marrow Donation?

Deceber 2011      

  

Bone marrow donation is a life-saving procedure in which the healthy bone marrow from one person is taken and used to replace the unhealthy marrow of another. This is usually done by inserting a needle into the donor’s pelvic bone and extracting the marrow from this location into a syringe or vial. The donor will typically feel no pain during this procedure because anesthesia is administered prior to marrow extraction.

There are many reasons why someone would participate in bone marrow donation. Often, the person has a friend of family member who could benefit from a transplant and they want to help. Others simply donate as a good Samaritan effort in the hopes that their marrow may be useful to someone.

To better understand bone marrow donation, it is important to know what bone marrow is and what it does for the body. Bone marrow is a flexible tissue that can be found inside the hallow cavity of bones. Marrow in large bones produces new blood cells to be entered into the blood stream for use in preventing infection and carrying oxygen throughout the body.

Certain diseases, such a leukemia, can affect the effectiveness of this process. This can cause low blood cell counts which in turn, leads to compromised immunity and blood oxygen levels. If left untreated, these diseases can be fatal. There are other treatments used for many of these conditions, but often they are not enough and a bone marrow transplant is needed.

For anyone who needs a bone marrow transplant, the first place to start looking for a donor is with family members. Marrow will be taken in samples from both the patient and any relatives or friends who are willing to be donate. The two marrows will be tested to see if they are compatible. If a match is found, then a full bone marrow transplant can be performed.

If there is no match within the patient’s circle of family and friends, they are placed on a waiting list in hopes of finding a matching donor in one of many bone marrow donation facilities. These are places where everyday people go and give bone marrow. The donations are tested, labeled and stored until someone who can use them is found.

Since the human body is able to fully regenerate any donated bone marrow, it is possible for the same person to donate more than once if needed. After a bone marrow donation is complete, the donor may feel soreness around the injection site. Pain medication may be given to ease discomfort. Marrow donation is generally an outpatient procedure, meaning the person can go home the same day.

Who Can Donate Marrow?

December 2011

If you are in good health and between the ages of 18 and 60, you may be eligible to join the NMDP's registry, where patients seeking a compatible donor begin their search.

--DONATE--

Many in our community have no hope ahead, learn and become a bone marrow.

Please be a donor today!

Do You understand what is a bone marrow procedure?

December 2011

by MedicineNet.com

A bone marrow procedure (commonly referred to as a bone marrow or bone marrow aspiration) is a technique used to obtain the blood-forming portion (marrow) of the inner core of bone for examination in the laboratory or for transplantation. The bone marrow consists of inserting a special needle into a bone that contains marrow and withdrawing the marrow by suction or coring out a sample of the marrow.

Why are bone marrows done?

Most bone marrows are performed to diagnose various conditions that affect the different types of blood cells. Abnormal blood counts can lead a doctor to suspect that there may be a problem in the bone marrow. Another frequent purpose of a bone marrow is to diagnose certain cancers or to determine the extent of the cancer (cancer staging) within the bone marrow. Bone marrow procedures can also detect uncommon conditions, including abnormal proteins (such as in amyloidosis), inflammation (such as in sarcoidosis), and infection (such as in tuberculosis). This procedure can also be used to obtain marrow for transplantation.

What bone is used to sample the bone marrow?

The most frequent site for obtaining bone marrow is the pelvic bone, known as the ilium. A portion of this bone is readily accessible in most people from the lower back and is usually marked by shallow dimples on either side of the spine. Other sites include the front of the pelvic bone near the groin and the sternum at the front of the chest.

How is a bone marrow performed?

Typically, only a local anesthetic is required to numb the skin and tissue down to the surface of the bone. A small cut (less than one-quarter inch) is then made in the skin. A special needle is used to penetrate through the dense outer shell of bone. Once inside the bone, the center portion of this needle (the trochar) is removed and a syringe is attached. The bone marrow is withdrawn by pulling back on the plunger of the syringe and collecting the liquid. This sample is known as the marrow aspirate. This part of the procedure only lasts a few seconds, but is usually the most painful due to the sudden stimulation of small nerves inside the bone.

A biopsy can also be obtained in addition to the marrow aspirate or when an aspirate cannot be obtained. The same needle is used but without the center portion in place. As the needle is twisted through the bone it cuts a core which is trapped inside the needle. Once the needle is removed, this core can be extracted from the needle barrel. This core can then be prepared with fixatives and stains for examination under a microscope.

Since the skin cut for a bone marrow procedure is usually very small, no stitches are generally necessary and only a bandage is applied.

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry

December 2011

On any given day, more than 6,000 men, women and children are searching the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry for a life-saving donor like you. These patients have leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases that can be treated by a bone marrow transplant. For many of these patients, a transplant may be the best and only hope of a cure.

We work to provide hope and deliver a cure to all patients in need. With your support, more patients can access the treatment they so desperately need.

For a successful transplant, the tissue type of a bone marrow donor needs to match the patient’s as closely as possible. Special testing determines whether a patient and bone marrow donor are a good match. The closer the match, the better for the patient.

Race and ethnicity matter in tissue matches
Because tissue types are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. Adding more donors from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the NMDP Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.

We have a Registry of millions. But we still do not have matched bone marrow donors for all patients, especially those from racially and ethnically diverse communities.

We need more new donors to join the Registry. With your help, more people will receive a transplant. And more families will have a future filled with hope.

Please contact me if you would like to host a drive or would like to volunteer!

The ABC of Bone Marrow Transplant

December 2011

Bone Marrow transplantation is a relatively new medical procedure where stem cells from the bone marrow are taken out and filtered to be given back either to the same person or another person. Being the main blood cell factory of the body, bone marrow forms a very critical part of human body. It is used to treat several diseases today that are considered to be incurable earlier. Since the first bone marrow transplant that was successfully done in 1968, the procedure has been used to cure aplastic anemia, leukemia, multiple myeloma, immune deficiency disorders, lymphomas such as Hodgkin’s disease, and some solid tumors such as ovarian and breast cancer. Even though thousands of patients undergo BMT each year in the United States itself, more than double the number of people are not able to get BMT done due to unavailability of a suitable bone marrow donor.

Now we come to the basic question; why BMT? In patients with any of the diseases mentioned above, eitther a large number of defective or immature blood cells are produced (in the case of leukemia), or there is an exceedingly low blood count (In the case of aplastic anemia). These defective blood cells accumulate in the blood cell and interfere with the function, or even invade other tissues. These abnormal blood cells can be destroyed by large doses οf radiation or chemotherapy, which can even destory normal blood cells in the bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant can be used by the doctors to treat abnormal blood cells with radiation and replace the damaged bone marrow wwith new one. Even though, BMT does not guarantee against recurrence of the disease, but can hellp the patient enjoy a healthier life for a prolonged period of time.

A transplant of any sorts is accompanied with several complications and is a harrowing experience to say tthe least. For a BMT, a patient has to be physically and mentally healthy enough to undergo the rigors of the complicated procedure. A battery of tests is conducted before the transplant and then after it to make sure the body has not been impaired in any way. Bone marrow transplant is conducted by an expert team of doctors and nurses who specialize in this particular procedure. In this case, doctors also need to provide physical and psychological support to the patient and his family, before, during and even after the bone marrow transplant..

Bone marrow transplant

December 2011

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells.

Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. Stem cells are immature cells in the bone marrow that give rise to all of your blood cells.

Description
There are three kinds of bone marrow transplants:

Autologous bone marrow transplant: "Auto" means "self." Stem cells are removed from you before you receive high-dose chemotherapy or radiation treatment. After these treatments are done, your stems cells are put back in your body. This is called a "rescue" transplant.
Allogeneic bone marrow transplant: "Allo" means "other." Stem cells are removed from another person, called a donor. Most times, the donor must have the same genetic makeup as the patient, so that their blood is a "match" to yours. Special blood tests are done to determine if a donor is a good match for you. A brother or sister is most likely to be a good match. However, sometimes parents, children, and other relatives may be good matches. Donors who are not related to the patient may be found through national bone marrow registries.
Umbilical cord blood transplant: Stem cells are removed from a newborn baby's umbilical cord immediately after being born. The stem cells are stored until they are needed for a transplant. Umbilical cord blood cells are so immature, there is less of a concern that they will not match.
Before the transplant, chemotherapy, radiation, or both may be given. This may be done in two ways:

Ablative (myeloablative) treatment: High-dose chemotherapy, radiation, or both are given to kill any cancer cells. This allows new stem cells to grow in the bone marrow.
Reduced intensity (nonmyeloablative) treatment, also called a mini transplant: Today, some patients are getting lower doses of chemotherapy and radiation before a bone marrow transplant.
A stem cell transplant is done after chemotherapy and radiation is complete. The stem cells are delivered into your bloodstream through a tube called a central venous catheter. The process is similar to getting a blood transfusion. The stem cells travel through the blood into the bone marrow. Usually, no surgery is required.

In many cases donor stem cells can be collected directly from the person's blood. Surgery is not needed. The donor will first receive injections for a few days.

Minor surgery may be needed to collect bone marrow and stem cells from a donor. This is called a bone marrow harvest. The surgery is done under general anesthesia, which means the donor will be asleep and pain-free during the procedure. The bone marrow is removed from the hip bones.

Why the Procedure is Performed
A bone marrow transplant replaces bone marrow that is either not working properly or has been destroyed (ablated) by chemotherapy or radiation.

Your doctor may recommend a bone marrow transplant if you have:

Certain cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma
A disease that affects the production of bone marrow cells, such as:
Sickle cell anemia
Aplastic anemia
Thalassemia
Congenital neutropenia
Severe immunodeficiency syndromes
Had chemotherapy that destroyed your bone marrow
Risks
A bone marrow transplant may cause the following symptoms:

Pain
Chills
Fever
Hives
Chest pain
Drop in blood pressure
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Flushing
Headache
Funny taste in the mouth
Possible complications of a bone marrow transplant depend on many things, including:

The disease you are being treated for
If you had chemotherapy or radiation before the bone marrow transplant
Your age
Your overall health
How good of a match your donor was
The type of bone marrow transplant you received (autologous, allogeneic, or umbilical cord blood)
Complications can include:

Infections, which can be very serious
Bleeding in the lungs, the intestines, brain, and other areas of the body
Anemia
Stomach problems, including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
Pain
Inflammation and sorenes in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach, called mucositis
Damage to the kidneys, liver, lungs, and heart
Cataracts
Early menopause
Graft failure, which means that the new cells do not settle into the body and start producing stem cells
Graft-versus-host disease , a condition in which the donor cells attack your own body
Delayed growth in children who receive a bone marrow transplant
Before the Procedure
Your health care provider will ask you about your medical history and do a physical exam. You will have many tests before your treatment begins.

Before your transplant, you will have one or two tubes, called catheters, inserted into a blood vessel in your neck. This tube allows you to receive treatments, fluids, and sometimes, nutrition.

Your doctor or nurse should discuss the emotional stress of having a bone marrow transplant. You may want to meet with a mental health counselor. It is important to talk to your family and children to help them understand what to expect.

You will need to make plans to help you prepare for the procedure and handle tasks after your transplant. Things to consider include:

Advanced care directives
Arranging medical leave from work
Bank or financial statements
Care of pets
Household chores
Insurance coverage
Payment of bills
Schedules and care for your children
You may need to find housing for yourself or your family near the hospital.

After the Procedure
A bone marrow transplant is usually done in a hospital or medical center that specializes in such treatment. Most of the time, you will stay in a special bone marrow transplant unit in the center to limit your chance of getting an infection.

All or part of an autologous or allogeneic transplant can be done on an outpatient basis. This means you do not have to stay in the hospital or medical center.

How long you stay in the hospital depends on how much chemotherapy or radiation you received, the type of transplant, and your medical center's procedures. While you are in the hospital, you will be isolated because of the increased risk of infection. The health care team will closely monitor your blood count and vital signs.

While you are in the hospital you may:

Receive medications to prevent or treat infections, including antibiotics, antifungals, and antiviral drugs.
Need many blood transfusions
Be fed through a vein (IV) until you can eat by mouth and stomach side effects and mouth sores have gone away
Be given medication to prevent graft-versus-host disease
Outlook (Prognosis)
How well you do after transplant greatly depends on:

The type of bone marrow transplant
How well the donor’s cells matched yours
What type of cancer or illness you have
Your age and overall health
The type of chemotherapy or radiation therapy you had before your transplant
Any complications
Your genes
A bone marrow transplant may completely or partially cure your illness. If the transplant is a success, you can go back to most of your normal activities as soon as you feel well enough. Most times it takes up to 1 year to recover fully.

Complications or failure of the bone marrow transplant can lead to death.

Do You Understanding Your Treatment Options

December 2011

by National Marrow Donor Program

When you face a life-threatening disease, learning about your treatment options can help you make informed choices about your health care. The treatment your doctor recommends will depend on your diagnosis, your disease status and other health factors specific to you.

The first step in learning about your treatment options is to ask your doctor questions. You may also want to talk to other doctors (get a second opinion). Different doctors may recommend different treatments. You can gather information from books, articles, the Internet and other people. Then you can discuss this information with your doctor.
Learn about transplant and other treatment options

If you have a blood-related cancer or other disease for which a bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT) is a treatment option, you may want to learn:

* What is a bone marrow or cord blood transplant?
* What other treatment options do I have?
* What are clinical trials and how do I find one?
* What are recent advances in transplants and how well do transplants work?
* Is a reduced-intensity transplant or cord blood transplant an option for me?
* When might transplant be an option for me?
* What do I need to know about understanding survival outcomes data?
* How can I sort through my options to make a treatment decision (PDF)?


Get help from the NMDP

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) can help answer your questions. Case managers in the NMDP Office of Patient Advocacy can help you understand your disease and treatment options. They can explain how a transplant works. If they can't answer your questions, they will help you find someone who can.

NMDP OPA staff are available between Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.

* Inside the United States, call 1 (888) 999-6743. This call is toll-free in the United States.
* Outside the United States, call 1 (612) 627-8140. This call may have long-distance or international charges.
* You can also send an e-mail message to patientinfo@nmdp.org.


Interpreters are available
If you need information in another language, the NMDP can help. You will need to say — in English — what language you speak. It will take four to eight minutes for an interpreter to join the call. Please stay on the line until you are greeted by the interpreter.

Patient advocacy
1 (888) 999-6743

Case Mangers available: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time