Number of View: 68
The bone marrow transplantation is a form of treatment of various diseases of the blood. The most cited are the leukemias, but there are others such as lymphomas and bone marrow aplasia. Often, bone marrow transplantation is the only hope of life for patients with these diseases.
The bone marrow transplant is the only hope of life for many patients suffering from diseases, being one of the main leukemia.
This operation is the transfusion of progenitor cells in patients withdrawn from the donor marrow. These healthy cells will replace the diseased cells and are responsible for the formation of new healthy cells. The success of transplantation depends on the compatibility between healthy cells and cells of the patient.
Who can be a bone marrow donor?
The search for a compatible donor is guided first to the brothers of the patient. However, only one patient in four is an identical sibling donor, that is, who inherited the same paternal and maternal tissue characteristics. If there is a compatible family donor search is initiated in the register of donors.
Where can you be a donor?
It is the National Center for Stem Cell Donor Bone Marrow and Umbilical Cord (CEDAC) which records and identifies the potential supply of donor Portuguese bank, which is integrated into the global network of bone marrow donors. In November 2011, the national register had over 260,000 registered donors, making Portugal the country with the second largest register in Europe.
The fastest way to become a donor is go to CEDAC, Hospital Pulido Valente, Lisbon, or the two other centers in the country histocompatibility, Coimbra and Porto. In the online home of CEDAC in www.chsul.pt , all information is available.
Harvesting of cells
Bone marrow is a soft tissue that fills the interior of long bones and the cavities of spongy bone. That tissue cells are capable of giving rise to any cell in the peripheral blood cells are called progenitor / stem cells, which are constantly renewed.
Harvesting of cells for transplantation can be made from the bone marrow, where cells are harvested from inside the pelvic bones, or, in the peripheral blood. The umbilical cord is another source of progenitor cells that are harvested when the baby is born, being used primarily in transplant children.
Conditions to be bone marrow donor
They can be healthy donors aged between 18 and 45 years. The record does not mean that a donor will be required for future collaboration.
The tests consist only of the initial blood collection. The data is stored on a national and international computer and will be used whenever a patient is proposed for bone marrow transplantation.
Through the Bone Marrow Donors World Wide (a wider international registry that contains 66 records, a total of more than 17 million donors in 2011), 80 percent of patients have at least one potential donor match.
What is leukemia?
There are several types of leukemia. In the case of acute leukemia (AL), which appears suddenly and progresses rapidly, is a malignant disease of the spinal cord in which younger cells accumulate in the bone marrow without mature normally. This accumulation prevents the growth of normal cells: red blood cells, white cells and platelets. The treatments differ according to the disease.
Not all patients require bone marrow transplant, some are cured with chemotherapy alone. This condition is not easy to detect because the symptoms are common to many infections, fever and night sweats, frequent infections, feeling weak, headache, bleed and bruise easily, pain in bones and joints, swelling or discomfort in the abdomen, swollen glands and weight loss.
Already a bone marrow donor? You have a story or testimonial to tell us? Share them with other readers!
