When do you need a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)?

The bone marrow is an important part of your body and is responsible for the fighting mechanism. It is responsible for developing the red blood cells (RBC’s) that carry the oxygen laden cells to all parts of the body , the white blood cells (WBC’s) that provide the ability to the body to fight against infections and diseases and lastly produces platelets that are responsible for clotting the blood.  The bone marrow also provides a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells. These special cells have no function and depending on the need of the body develop into the same type. In short it is safe to conclude that the bone marrow i the power house of the body.

What kills the Bone Marrow Cells?

The bone marrow or the bone marrow cells can get destroyed or damaged due to an infection. The bone marrow may stop developing good cells due to a disease such as cancer. The immunity of a person, the RBC count, WBC count and the platelet count can get depleted. Moreover patients that are getting treatment for cancer through chemotherapy and radiation therapy can also suffer from destroyed bone marrows. Their systems need a reboot or an influx of fresh and new bone marrow cells that rejuvenate the body’s ability to develop RBC’s, WBC’s and Platelets.

What happens in a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)?

Bone marrow cells collected from a donor, that has the same HLA type matching with the patient, are transfused in the patient. The new cells reboot the patient’s system and soon the sick body gets the ability to fight infection, develop immunity and formulate cells that can carry oxygen to various parts of the body.

In which cancers can Bone Marrow Transplant be used?

Bone Marrow Transplant can be used to treat a number of cancers. It specialises in the treatment and the management of blood cancers, lymphoma, leukemia, neuroblastomas, to list a few. It is also used to treat some non cancer conditions such as aplastic anaemia and thalassemia.

Is Bone Marrow Transplant complicated procedure?

Bone Marrow Transplant is a novel and most advanced technology to treat a number of cancers. It is a bit complicated however a high success rate has. The success depends on the match of the HLA typing of the donor and the patient cells, the non presence of ay graft vs host disease and the acceptance of the donor cells by the patient.

Is Bone Marrow Transplant costly?

Bone marrow transplant is a specialised procedure and requires specialised doctors, nurses and technicians. The cost of the bone marrow transplant is higher than a kidney transplant, however the cumulative costs of palliative cancer care compound to much more.  Paras Cancer Centre is the only cancer specialising hospital in Bihar and Jharkhand to provide BMT facility.