Bone Marrow Transplant

Counseling

Learn more about how oncology social workers can help you cope with a cancer diagnosis.

Resource Navigation

Learn more about how CancerCare Resource Navigation can help you address barriers to care.

Connect Education Workshops

Listen in by telephone or online as leading experts in oncology provide up-to-date information about cancer-related issues in one-hour workshops. Podcasts are also available.

Podcasts

Bone Marrow Transplant

• Diverse Populations Living with Multiple Myeloma: Treatment Advances, Mar 28, 2024
• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML): Current Treatment Perspectives, Apr 14, 2023
• Progress in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma, Apr 13, 2023
• Progress in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma, Jul 28, 2022
• Life with Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) Post Allogeneic Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplantation: New Treatment Approaches, Apr 28, 2022
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): Treatment Updates, Apr 1, 2022
• Transplantation as a Treatment Option for Blood Cancers, Jun 24, 2021

Publications

Read or order our free Connect booklets and fact sheets offering easy-to-read information about the latest cancer treatments, managing side effects and coping with cancer.

For Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Acute Myeloid Leukemia

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Follicular Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Hodgkin Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Leukemia

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Mantle Cell Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Multiple Myeloma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Myelofibrosis

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

For Polycythemia Vera

• Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Treatment Option: What You Need to Know

Financial Assistance

Limited assistance from CancerCare is available to help with cancer-related costs.

Ask CancerCare

Every month, featured experts answer your questions about coping with cancer including specific answers to questions asked by caregivers.

For Lymphoma

• Q.

  After two recurrences of lymphoma, my oncologist is suggesting I have a bone marrow transplant. Is there financial assistance available for transplants? And I don't have any siblings so how can I find a match?

  A.

  In 1956, E. Donnall Thomas performed the first successful syngeneic (genetically identical) bone marrow transplant and in 1990, he became co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work. Today, thousands of bone marrow transplants are performed at over a hundred medical centers around the U.S. While they have been tried on some solid tumor cancers, they are primarily done for blood cancers and blood disorders where they have proven to be most successful.

  There are several types of bone marrow transplants: allogeneic (donor cells, “allo” means other), autologous (patient cells, “auto” means self) and umbilical cord blood transplant (umbilical cord blood saved right after birth). They are called bone marrow transplants (BMT, harvested from the bone marrow), or stem cell transplants (SCT, taken by aphaeresis).

  Because many types of blood cancers are hard to cure with current treatments, transplants are used to make it possible for patients to receive very high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation to kill the disease, and then reinfused with their own or a donors cells to rebuild their immune system and help them recover.

  While transplants have become more frequent within the last decade, with improved prognosis and better recovery, they are still costly and require advance preparation for your time in the hospital and during your recovery afterward. Many insurance carriers, as well as Medicare and Medicaid, cover most transplant costs. Your transplant team will work closely with you to help prepare for these needs, as well as search for a donor through a national registry, if you don’t have a family match.

  For more information, read The National Cancer Institute’s fact sheet, Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation. You may also contact The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to learn more about their Be The Match Program.

  Answered by
  Richard Dickens, MS, FAOSW, LCSW-R

  ∞ Direct link to this question

  Tags:

  lymphomabone marrow transplant

For Leukemia

• Q.

  One of my best friends has had a bone marrow transplant for leukemia and will hopefully be getting out of the hospital soon. I'm looking for a website where people can sign up to sit with her over the next few months and take her to doctor appointments. Do you have any suggestions?

  A.

  The transition home after a bone marrow transplant can be a time of great readjustment. There may be many outpatient medical visits and it will likely take time for the patient to return to normal levels of activity. It can be helpful during this time to organize a support team to assist with the many practical aspects of returning home. However, friends and family may not be aware of the needs of a loved one recovering from a transplant or know how best to help. Luckily there are resources that can help loved ones organize help and support for an individual recovering from a bone marrow transplant, or any cancer treatment.

  My Cancer Circle™ is a free online private support community for caregivers of people facing cancer. At mycancercircle.net you can easily create a community and coordinate volunteer activities that will meet your friend’s needs as she recovers from her bone marrow transplant, such as preparing meals or arranging transportation to medical appointments. By creating a support community you can inform friends of what tasks need to be done and friends can sign up for the activities they can best assist with. My Cancer Circle is also a great way to quickly and easily keep your online support community informed of recovery updates, milestones reached, photos, or other information.

  You can also find additional information about recovering from a bone marrow transplant through The National Marrow Donor Program and The Bone Marrow Foundation.

  Answered by
  Emma Alexander, MSW, LCSW

  ∞ Direct link to this question

  Tags:

  leukemiacaregivingbone marrow transplant

Specialized Programs

CancerCare offers specialized programs to address specific populations and concerns.

Community Programs

Learn about and view the full calendar of our free community programs.

Coping Circle Workshops

Virtual educational and supportive workshops led by oncology social workers and qualified co-facilitators. These workshops cover numerous topics and are offered in English and Spanish.