Bone Marrow Transplant Program 
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Frequently Asked Questions

Organ and tissue donors save lives. Use the links below to learn how you can be a bone marrow donor.

become a donor

For more information on becoming a bone marrow donor or to join the registry, visit the National Marrow Donor Program at www.marrow.org.

What is a bone marrow transplant?

Blood and marrow transplantation are medical procedures used to treat diseases once thought incurable. Blood and marrow transplantation is used to treat patients diagnosed with leukemia, lymphomas, multiple myeloma, and some anemias, immune deficiency disorders and solid tumors. The primary purpose of bone marrow transplants is to allow cancer patients to receive very high doses of chemo or radiation therapy.

Blood-forming stem cells are found in bone marrow, the soft sponge-like material found inside of bones, and in the bloodstream. They are the basis for building white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in the body.

In peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, stem cells are removed from the bloodstream during a process called apheresis or leukapheresis. The blood then goes through a machine which removes the stem cells, the remaining blood is returned to the patient/donor and the collected stem cells are stored for future use.  The stem cells are administered to the patient after he or she has been treated with high-dose chemotherapy or radiation.

In a bone marrow transplant, the patient's diseased bone marrow is destroyed using chemotherapy or radiation and healthy marrow is infused into the patient's bloodstream. In a successful transplant, the new bone marrow begins producing normal blood cells in the patient’s bones.

What is an autologous bone marrow transplant?

In an autologous transplant, the patient is the donor. The patient’s own blood forming stem cells are collected and stored. The patient is treated with high levels of chemotherapy and then the blood forming stem cells are infused back into the patient.

What is an allogeneic bone marrow transplant?

In an allogeneic transplant, the patient and the donor are different people, but have compatible DNA markers. Blood forming stem cells are collected from the donor, the patient receives high dose chemotherapy and the donor’s cells are given intravenously to the patient.

Geisinger and bone marrow transplants

Geisinger has performed autologous bone marrow transplants since 1998 and has had great success. In April 2008, the Bone Marrow Transplant Program was expanded to include allogeneic transplants.

How can I become a bone marrow donor?

To become a bone marrow donor, a person has a medical exam to determine their overall health and takes a blood test to determine their blood type and DNA. Once they are determined a match for a cancer patient, the donor undergoes more advanced blood testing to reconfirm the DNA match.

Before the bone marrow stem cell donation, a donor takes shots called “filgrastim” for five days to boost their blood-forming cells. On the fifth day, the donor is connected to an apheresis machine with a needle in each arm for approximately six hours. During the procedure, blood is removed from the body, bone marrow stem cells are collected and the blood and platelets are returned to the donor in their other arm.

Once the bone marrow stem cells are removed, they are processed and infused into the cancer patient’s body intravenously. 

Is donating bone marrow painful?

Some donors find the needle sticks in each arm uncomfortable, but rarely donors have physical pain. The process is very similar to donating blood, but takes several hours longer.

Will bone marrow be removed from my hipbones?

Many donors are nervous because they associate donating bone marrow cells with over sized needles previously used to collect stem cells from the hip. With advancements in technology, the process of collecting bone marrow stem cells from the hip bone is rarely, if ever used today. 

Why should I become a bone marrow donor?

Bone marrow stem cell donation can save the life of a cancer patient once their body stops responding to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Often, a bone marrow transplant is the only hope for a cancer patient to overcome their disease.