Quote:
Originally Posted by Peachy
We are also trying to figure out the difference between a Stem Cell Transplant vs BMT. Am thinking the SCT is a "mini" transplant.
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These terms are worth an explanation.
There are two primary differences between a
stem cell transplant and a
bone marrow transplant: how the stem cells are collected from the donor, and statistical outcomes for the patient.
For the donor:
With a stem-cell donation, the donor is given injections of a drug that brings their stem cells into the circulating blood. The cells can then be removed just like donating blood. No surgery is needed, recovery is quick, and side effects from the drug are rare.
With a bone marrow donation, the donor is given an anesthetic and undergoes removal of bone marrow (usually from a hip) in a surgical procedure, similar to the bone marrow biopsies that patients get. The donor will be sore for a few days. There are no drugs other than the anesthetic and the risks are like those of any other minor surgery.
The donor may have a preference for one method or the other.
For the patient:
In either case, the patient receives chemo and/or radiation (referred to as "conditioning") to "zap" their broken bone marrow, and then gets the donor's cells through an IV, just like getting a transfusion. The new donor cells travel to the marrow, replacing the old cells.
Doctors have done research to learn whether it matters to the patient whether it's a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplants. Overall survival is basically the same. Stem cell transplants tend to have an edge in engraftment speed and recovery time while bone marrow transplants tend to have an edge at limiting the long-term effects of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD, which is when the patient's new immune system fights with the patient's own cells).
There may be medical reason for the patient to prefer one method over the other. In past decades all transplants were bone marrow transplants. These days stem cell transplants are more common. But what's right for a given patient is something to talk to the doctor about.
The question of a
full transplant vs a
mini-transplant is a separate matter.
In a full transplant, the patient receives full doses of chemo and/or radiation. In a mini-transplant (also called a "reduced-intensity" or "non-myeloablative" transplant), the patient receives less chemo and/or radiation or a less toxic chemo drug.
Full transplants have the edge when it comes to completely curing the disease, because all of the faulty cells are gone. But you have to be strong enough to survive the transplant. Mini transplants have the edge in reducing the risk of the transplant process, making them more suitable for patients with advanced ages or with other health conditions.