Impacts of Stem Cell Transplants

What are the positive impacts of treating patients who have been diagnosed with cancer with stem cell transplants?

Stem cell transplants have been used to treat patients with blood cancers and yielded positive outcomes. Cleveland Clinic reports that 79% of patients treated with stem cell transplants for multiple myeloma were alive three years after their transplant. Furthermore, 92% of patients who were treated for Hodgkin lymphoma were alive three years after transplant, and 72% of patients treated for regular (Non-Hodgkin) lymphoma were alive three years after transplant. In summary, stem cell treatments have been proven to be effective in curing or slowing blood cancers in conjunction with other, more conventional, treatments.

What are the negative impacts of treating patients who have been diagnosed with cancer with stem cell transplants?

Nevertheless, there remain negative side effects to stem cell transplant treatment. After the initial cancer cell-destruction therapies, patients may experience bleeding, increased risk of infection, or feeling tired and exhausted. After the stem cell transplant is performed, in the short-term, patients may experience nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, mouth sores, hair loss, or skin reactions. In the long-term, patients may experience infertility, cataracts, new secondary cancers, damage to liver, kidney, lung, or heart, or bone and muscle weakness. Aside from negative physical side-effects, stem cell transplants are additionally very expensive. DVCSTEM reports that depending on the treatment needed, the cost of a stem cell transplant ranges from $15,000 to $75,000. Lastly, as Catholics, the most negative side effect of a stem cell transplant is morality.