Roswell Park was among the first centers in the world to routinely offer bone marrow transplants (today more commonly performed as stem cell transplants) and we are a high-volume center with survival rates among the highest in the nation.
How does a stem cell transplant work for multiple myeloma?
Hematopoietic stem cells are produced by your bone marrow, the soft material inside your bones. These stem cells transform into blood cells, depending on what your body needs at the time: red cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body; white cells, including plasma cells, which fight infection; and platelets, which cause your blood to clot after an injury. In multiple myeloma, the plasma cells grow out of control and become cancerous myeloma cells.
A stem cell transplant (previously called blood or marrow transplant, or BMT) infuses a new batch of stem cells into your body where they settle into your bone marrow and begin to produce healthy new plasma cells. These new stem cells might come from your own body (removed or "rescued" before you began chemotherapy) or from a donor. An autologous transplant uses your own cells. An allogenic transplant uses cells from another person who must be a good "donor match," which means that the donor's blood proteins closely match yours.
Roswell Park's Transplant & Cellular Therapy Center
Stem cell transplant is a complex medical procedure that requires highly specialized expertise. We provide transplants at our Transplant & Cellular Therapy Center, where our dedicated team provides the most advanced, comprehensive medical care during treatment and beyond to help our patients live longer, with a better quality of life.
Your Multiple Myeloma Team at Roswell Park will work closely with our transplant specialists to determine whether you might benefit from this option, now or in the future. Planning ahead ensures that everything will be in order if you should need a transplant. This is especially important in the unusual instance that you would need to find a stem cell or bone marrow donor (allogeneic stem cell transplantation).