What are the Conditions to Indicate a Bone Marrow Transplant?

Chemotherapy is a procedure where high radiation is used to kill cancer cells in our body. We can barely imagine the pain and emotional scars an illness like cancer could have on a patient and their families. However, radiation therapy kills off healthy blood cells that produce oxygen, make antibodies, and ensure oxygenated blood flows through the body.

Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation are procedures to restore the stem cells that have been destroyed by chemotherapy. Jaslok Hospitals and Research Center are one of the best hospitals in Mumbai that you could trust to undergo this complex procedure.

What is Bone Marrow?

Bone marrow is the soft, gel-like, spongy material inside the bones. Bone Marrow contains hematopoietic, or stem cells, that form blood. These cells divide to form more stem cells. These blood-forming stem cells also mature into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Some peripheral blood stem cells are found in the bloodstream. Stem cells are also found in the umbilical cord, at the time of birth. These cells are used for transplantation.

What is a Bone Marrow Transplantation?

There are three kinds of transplantations, autologous transplantation where the patients receive their own blood cells, syngeneic transplantation where the patients receive stem cells from their identical twin, or allogeneic transplantation where the patients receive blood cells from an unrelated donor. After the cells are injected, they travel to the bone marrow and produce new white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. The process is called ‘engraftment.’

You must consult the best bone marrow transplant doctor in Mumbai for bone marrow transplantation. Jaslok Hospitals and Research Center, being the best hospital for emergency in India are equipped with the right equipment and specialized doctors to perform this critical operation.

Conditions to Indicate a Bone Marrow Transplant

Bone Marrow Transplantation is required for almost everyone who undergoes radiation therapy for a long time. Since bone marrow cells multiply faster, very high doses of chemotherapy can severely damage their bone marrow. After transplantation from one of the  best hospitals in Mumbai , the bone marrow’s cells regenerate. Myeloma, Malignant lymphoma, and acute myeloblastic leukemia are some of the most critical illnesses that demand bone marrow transplantation.

In some types of leukemia, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation leads to a phenomenon called graft-versus-tumor. It identifies the cancer cells in the patient’s body leftover after radiation therapy, and kills them. Leukemia and Neuroblastoma are two of the most common cancers that are treated with bone bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Matching Criteria for Bone Marrow Transplant

The tissue type is the marker for a bone marrow transplant match. HLA markers like human leukocyte antigens are the markers that allow the cells to decide who is foreign. This is very crucial in determining a bone transplant match. This is why it is important to consult the best bone marrow transplant doctor in Mumbai.

Tests for Bone Marrow Transplant

The most common tests that are required for bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation are blood tests, chest X-rays, PET scans, heart tests, and a bone marrow biopsy of both the donor and the receiver. The procedure of bone marrow transplant in Mumbai is done in a few hospitals, who usually perform these tests in their respective centers.

Risks and Side Effects

The most common side effects a person may undergo after bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is loss of blood, higher chances of infection, infertility, cataracts, and potential damage to the liver, lungs, and kidneys. It may so happen that the graft identifies healthy cells in the patients’ body as foreign and attacks them.

In Conclusion

A woman could donate the stem cells in her umbilical cord to public cord banks. However, commercial cord banks do charge some fees to store a baby’s stem cells for future use. There are several advanced procedures in Jaslok Hospitals and Research Center, the  best hospital for emergency in India , which brings down the amount of time a person has to stay in the hospital for treatment, thus bringing the costs down.