The cancer non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) affects the lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system. Several treatment options exist including bone marrow transplants.
What is Bone Marrow?
Bone marrow produces all of your blood cells and is an integral part of your immune system.
Purpose of Bone Marrow Transplants for NHL
If doctors can give NHL patients very high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation, this increases the chance of a cure. These high doses, however, kill bone marrow. Transplants can replenish bone marrow supply and allow for these more intensive treatments.
Obtaining Marrow for the Transplant
Your doctor might harvest your own bone marrow before you begin chemotherapy or you might receive donated marrow, most often from a sibling.
Transplant Procedure
The procedure involves a intravenous drip that delivers the marrow into your body.
When to Consider a Transplant
You might consider a bone marrow transplant if you have achieved remission but have high risk of recurrence or if the cancer is not responding to other treatments.
Tags: bone marrow, bone marrow, high doses, immune system