A Guide To Bone Marrow Transplantation May 2026

To kill cancer cells and suppress the immune system so it won’t reject the donor cells.

At its simplest, a bone marrow transplant replaces a damaged or diseased immune system with healthy stem cells. These cells are the "architects" of your blood, responsible for creating red cells (oxygen), white cells (immunity), and platelets (clotting). The Two Primary Types A Guide to Bone Marrow Transplantation

The healthy stem cells are infused through a central venous catheter (like a blood transfusion). To kill cancer cells and suppress the immune

The cells naturally "home" to the bone cavities, where they begin to settle. 3. Engraftment: The Waiting Game For 2–4 weeks, the patient has almost no immune system. Doctors monitor blood counts daily. The Two Primary Types The healthy stem cells

Using your own cells. They are collected and frozen before high-dose chemotherapy, then returned to help your marrow recover.

This is the physically toughest phase, often involving fatigue and nausea. 2. "Day Zero": The Infusion