Transplants

Counseling

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Connect Education Workshops

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Podcasts

Transplants

• Diverse Populations Living with Multiple Myeloma: Treatment Advances, Mar 28, 2024
• Liver Cancer: Treatment Update, Jun 12, 2023
• Gastric Cancer: Treatment Advances, Jun 12, 2023
• Oral, Head and Neck Cancer: Treatment Updates, May 31, 2023
• Mesothelioma: Innovative Treatment Options, May 1, 2023
• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML): Current Treatment Perspectives, Apr 14, 2023
• Progress in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma, Apr 13, 2023
• Liver Cancer: Treatment Updates, Feb 6, 2023
• Gastric Cancer: Treatment Advances, Jan 9, 2023
• Progress in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma, Jul 28, 2022
• HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: What’s New in Treatment & Quality-of-Life, Jun 29, 2022
• Gastric Cancer: Treatment Advances, Jun 13, 2022
• Mesothelioma: Innovative Treatment Options, Jun 13, 2022
• Oral, Head & Neck Cancer: Treatment Update, Jun 1, 2022
• Small Cell Lung Cancer: Treatment Update, May 24, 2022
• Colorectal Cancer Treatment: Progress and Advances, May 16, 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
• Treatment Update: Acute Myeloid Leukemia

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
• Treatment Update: Acute Myeloid Leukemia

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 Any Cancer Diagnosis

• Q.

  How soon after a stem cell transplant can you return to work? Will I need to take a leave of absence during the complete work up as well as transplant and average time off?

  A.

  I suggest you speak to your transplant team about when you can return to work. Since your immune system is completely destroyed and then replaced, it can take anywhere from around three months from an autologous transplant, to about nine months if you have an allogeneic transplant. You may also feel a lot of fatigue and the many doctor appointments and follow ups after your transplant may make it harder to go back to work. You also may want to take into account the type of work you do. If the work is less labor intensive, you may feel well enough earlier, than if your work requires more labor intensive activities.

  In terms of taking a leave of absence, you might want to speak to your Human Resources department and/or supervisor about your options. During the workup phase, you may be able to continue your work schedule, but it depends on what the workup and pre-transplant procedure is like at your transplant center. I would encourage you to get a direct answer from your health care team. During the transplant you will be hospitalized for at least a month, during that time you will not be able to go to work. You may be too fatigued to be able to work remotely. When you are ready to return (with your doctor’s permission), I would encourage you to speak to HR/your supervisor to work out a schedule to work only a few days a week before going back into a full-time schedule, as you may have to slowly reintegrate work back into your normal routine. For more guidance, I encourage you to listen to our Connect Education Workshop “Transplantation as a Treatment Option for Blood Cancers,” as it provides information about stem cell transplants that you might find useful. Cancer and Careers may also be a useful resource as well.

  Answered by
  Paige Soleimani, MSW, LMSW

  ∞ Direct link to this question

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Specialized Programs

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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.