Why is a bone marrow transplant needed | Bmt Abroad

 Why is a bone marrow transplant needed?

The objective of a bone marrow transplant is to treat many diseases and types of cancer. When the doses of chemotherapy or radiation needed to treat cancer are so high that a person’s bone marrow stem cells will be permanently harmed or destroyed by the treatment, a bone marrow transplant may be needed. Bone marrow transplants may also be required if the bone marrow has been destroyed by a disease.

A bone marrow transplant can be used to:

1. Replace diseased, nonfunctioning bone marrow with healthy functioning bone marrow (for conditions such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, and sickle cell anemia).
   
2. Regenerate a new immune system that will fight existing or residual leukemia or other cancers not killed by the chemotherapy or radiation used in the transplant.
   
3. Replace the bone marrow and restore its normal function after high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation are given to treat a malignancy. This process is often called rescue.
   
4. Replace bone marrow with genetically healthy functioning bone marrow to prevent more damage from a genetic disease process (such as Hurler’s syndrome and adrenoleukodystrophy).
   
5. The risks and benefits must be weighed in a thorough discussion with your healthcare provider and specialize in bone marrow transplants before the procedure.

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