Stem Cell Transplants

How have stem cell transplants been used to treat patients who have been diagnosed with cancer?

Stem cell transplants have been used to successfully treat patients with cancer, in particular, cancer that affects blood cells. This includes but is not limited to patients who have been diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndromes. They have also been used to treat neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, brain tumors in children, germ cell tumors, and testicular cancer. There are two types of stem cell transplants: allogeneic and autologous. An allogeneic stem cell transplant sees stem cells removed from a donor and transferred to a patient. An autologous stem cell transplant sees the patient provide their own stem cells. Less commonly occuring is a syngeneic transplant, which sees stem cells removed from a patient’s identical twin and transferred to that patient. The stem cells for these transplants are delivered to the patient through a needle in their vein. If the stem cells are taken from blood, it is called a peripheral blood stem cell transplant. The stem cells can also be taken from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood. 

Stem cell transplants do not directly fight against cancer. Rather, they are transplanted after high doses of chemotherapy or radiation. These other treatments are implemented first to destroy cancerous cells. Stem cells are then delivered to the patient to regenerate their body’s capability to produce new cells.