Stem cell transplants don't usually work directly against cancer. Instead, they restore the body's ability to produce new blood cells after treatment with very high doses of chemotherapy and, perhaps, other treatments, such as radiation therapy, that are used to kill cancer cells. The stem cell transplant process can be difficult both physically and mentally. Treatment effects may include hair loss, rash, swelling, weight loss or gain, and decreased sexual desire. After the infusion, the stem cells will travel through the blood stream to the bone marrow.
These stem cells begin to divide and produce new blood cells in the bone marrow, a process called grafting. Usually, grafting occurs within the first 30 days after the transplant, but sometimes it can take longer. The doctor will check the patient's blood counts every day to see if the patient's bone marrow has started to produce new blood cells. As the graft occurs, the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets begins to increase in the patient.
You will have daily blood tests to check the number of different types of blood cells until doctors see a steady increase in your blood cell count. Whether you receive donated stem cells or your own stem cells, the process is much like receiving medication through a central venous catheter. The embryos used in embryonic stem cell research come from eggs that were fertilized in in vitro fertilization clinics, but were never implanted in women's uteruses. Relationships with family and friends can be affected by the stress of having cancer and receiving a stem cell transplant for cancer.
Primary graft failure means that the transplanted stem cells have not started producing new blood cells in the first 3 to 4 weeks after the transplant. This type of allogeneic transplant can prevent the rejection of donor stem cells by suppressing the immune system. This occurs because of an effect called graft-versus-tumor or graft-versus-leukemia, which can occur after transplants that use stem cells from a donor. If you are interested in finding a stem cell transplant clinical trial, use the advanced clinical trial search form or contact the NCI Cancer Information Service.
You've heard about stem cells in the news and you may have wondered if they could help you or a loved one with a serious illness. Because people respond to stem cell transplants in different ways, your doctor or nurse can't know for sure how the procedure will make you feel. Groups of cells can be removed from a stem cell line and frozen for storage or sharing with other researchers. Eye problems usually appear one year after a stem cell transplant, but they can also occur several years later.
Embryonic stem cells are the most versatile, as they can become all the cells of the developing fetus. When cancer or cancer treatments destroy stem cells, stem cell transplantation (SCT) may be the best treatment option. To decide if a donor's stem cells are compatible with your own, they will be tested to determine if they contain HLA (which stands for human leukocyte antigens).). Researchers have been able to take normal connective tissue cells and reprogram them to become functional heart cells.
