stem cell transplant & cancer cells !

A bone marrow transplant, also called a stem cell transplant, is a procedure that infuses healthy cells, called stem cells, into your body to replace damaged or diseased bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant may also be used to treat certain types of cancer. A bone marrow transplant may be necessary if your bone marrow stops working and doesn't produce enough healthy stem cells.

Bone marrow transplants may use cells from your own body (autologous transplant) or from a donor (allogeneic transplant).

why it's done ?

A bone marrow transplant may help you by:
• Safely allowing treatment of your condition with high doses of chemotherapy or radiation
• Replacing diseased or damaged marrow with new stem cells
• Providing new stem cells, which can help kill cancer cells directly
Stem cell transplants can benefit people with a variety of both malignant (cancerous) and nonmalignant (noncancerous) diseases, including:
• Acute leukemia
• Adrenoleukodystrophy
• Aplastic anemia
• Bone marrow failure syndromes
• Chronic leukemia
• Hemoglobinopathies
• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Immune deficiencies
• Inborn errors of metabolism
• Multiple myeloma
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Plasma cell disorders
• POEMS syndrome
• Primary amyloidosis
• Risks:

A stem cell transplant poses many risks of complications, some potentially fatal. The risk can depend on many factors, including the type of disease or condition, the type of transplant, and the age and health of the person. Although some people experience few problems with a transplant, others may develop complications that may require treatment or hospitalization. Some complications could even be life-threatening.

Complications that can arise with a stem cell transplant include:

• Graft-versus-host disease (allogeneic transplant only)
• Stem cell (graft) failure
• Organ damage
• Infections
• Cataracts
• Infertility
• New cancers
• Death

source: myoclinic