Stem cell transplant is a type of procedure that helps to restore blood-forming stem cells in patients who had their stem cells destroyed by very high doses of radiation therapy or chemotherapy which is essentially used to treat certain cancers. The blood-forming stem cells grow into three different types of blood cells. You need all the three types of blood cells in order to be healthy –
- Red blood cells, which are used to carry oxygen throughout your body
- White blood cells, which helps your body fight against infection
- Platelets which help your blood to clot
How a stem cell transplant procedure works is, the patient receives healthy blood-forming stem cells through a needle in the vain. Once it is in the bloodstream, the stem cells travel to the bone marrow. Bone marrow is a spongy and soft tissue in your large bones. Its main job is to make the blood cells flow throughout the body. The most basic type of cells in the bone marrow are the stem cells, which later develop into different types of blood cells. This procedure needs highly qualified doctors which one can find in the national capital of Delhi. Delhi, having one of the best cancer care, one can expect to find qualified and professional bone marrow transplant doctors in Delhi. Bone marrow transplant doctors in Delhi are some of the world’s best and you can rest assured that you are in good hands. There are a number of bone marrow transplant specialists in Delhi and other metropolitan cities of India who provide a range of services so you can have stress free procedure.
The blood-forming stem cells that are used during transplants can come from the bloodstream, bone marrow or the umbilical cord. The transplant can be of three types –
- Autologous transplant which means that the stem cells are coming from your body only. A number of bone marrow transplant specialists in Delhi say that there is a better possibility of long term control of the disease or cure due to the autologous transplant. You can find a number of hospitals that do the autologous bone marrow transplant in Delhi.
- Autologous bone marrow transplant in Delhi has considered one of the best treatments in the country and people from all over the country go and get treated.
- Allogeneic transplant which means that the stem cells are coming from somebody else. There are a number of people who sign up to be bone marrow donors. The donor can be your own relative or somebody who is not related to you. In order to reduce the risk and complications, and increase the success rate it is important that the donor’s blood forming stem cells match yours.
- Syngeneic transplant which means that the stem cells come from an identical twin, if you have one
When it comes to the treatment of cancer, stem cell transplants do not work directly. Instead of working directly, they help you in the recovery process. They help you to get back your ability to produce stem cells after cancer treatment, which essentially requires a high level of doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy or both. However, in some cases of leukemia and multiple myeloma, stem cell transplant works against cancer directly. This happens due to an effect which is called graft versus tumor that typically occurs after allogeneic transplant. It occurs when your white blood cells from the graft attack any remaining cancer cells in your body after a high dose treatment. This greatly improves the success of the treatment.
There are however some side effects, as it is with any other medical treatment. It can cause some bleeding and a risk of infection. If you have received an allogeneic transplant, you may develop a problem called graft versus host disease. It can occur when the white blood cells from your graft recognise the cells in your body as a foreign object and attack them. This is a serious problem and can cause damage to your liver, skin and many other organs. That is why it is important to match your donor’s blood forming stem cells.
