Bone marrow: The chance of a lifetime...

Only 30 percent or less of those who need marrow transplants will find matched donors within their families. The rest must search for unrelated donors. This is where you come into the picture. Even though the Community Blood Bank is not a direct partner with the national marrow donor program, we are providing this important information. For those interested in exploring this program more, you can make contact with the National Marrow Donor Program at www.marrow.org.

Questions and Answers about Marrow Transplants

When doctors completed the first successful bone marrow transplant in 1968, their discovery charted a new course for the treatment of leukemia, aplastic anemia and many other life-threatening blood diseases. This breakthrough gave critically ill people an option that never existed before. Although many of these potentially fatal blood diseases go into remission, they will eventually claim the live of their victims. With the possibility of finding a marrow donor match on the National Marrow Donor Program registry of potential donors, these patients' odds of living a normal healthy life increase dramatically. All it takes is a small sample of blood drawn and sent into the national marrow donor program. The NMDP will test and type your blood sample for a possible match with a marrow recipient.

What exactly is marrow?

Marrow is found in the cavities of the body's bones. It resembles blood and contains stem cells, which produce red cells, white cells and other blood components.

Who needs a marrow transplant?

Marrow transplants are a treatment for patients with anemia, lymphomas, leukemia and a number of other life threatening blood diseases.

What is the chance of matching a patient?

The odds vary widely, depending upon the rarity of the patient's tissue type. This means a volunteer may never be called upon. However, if identified as a matched donor, the volunteer may be the only person who can provide lifesaving marrow to that patient.

When a volunteer matches, what's next?

Once additional laboratory tests have determined that a potential donor matches a patient, the volunteer must decide whether to donate. Before making the final commitment to donate, the potential donor attends a thorough information session with his/her NMDP donor center personnel. After the information session and a thorough physical examination, the potential donor decides whether to become a donor. After the donor signs the "intent", the potential recipient undergoes a pre-transplant treatment of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to wipe out all disease. Because the treatment destroys the immune system, the potential recipient will most likely die if he or she does not receive a marrow transplant.

Thank you for considering becoming a volunteer marrow donor. Please share information about this lifesaving effort with your family and friends.