Bone marrow transplants may be recommended for certain people with leukemia. This may depend on the type of leukemia the patient has and how far it has progressed. Both children and adults may be considered candidates for a bone marrow transplant. The transplanted bone marrow may either come from the patient himself or from a carefully selected donor.

The Procedure

Patients who are scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant will most likely first undergo total body irradiation, in which their entire body is exposed to a high amount of energy administered from a large machine. This helps to kill the leukemia-producing bone marrow that is present in the person’s body. The goal of the surgery is then to replace this damaged bone marrow with healthy bone marrow.

The bone marrow may either come from a donor or from the patient. If the bone marrow is going to come from the patient, it will be specially treated to ensure it is healthy. The marrow will be removed from the patient prior to the total body irradiation. The stored bone marrow will then be subjected to treatment to remove the abnormal cells and to ensure it is appropriate for the transplant.

After a bone marrow transplant, a person will spend several weeks in the hospital. This is to ensure that the bone marrow is producing enough white blood cells in order to help the patient remain healthy. The white blood cells are necessary to help the person’s body fight off infections and germs. If the person were released before enough white blood cells were produced, an infection or other illness could cause the person to become extremely sick.

Bone marrow transplants are serious matters, but they can result in success for many patients who require them. Although the treatment and recovery process can be strenuous --from the total body irradiation that can leave patients feeling weak and fatigued to the transplant which means a few weeks in a hospital—patients who receive a bone marrow transplant may be well on their way to a healthier life.