Childhood Cancer Facts

"Bone Marrow Transplant"
Some childhood cancer treatments may involve bone marrow transplantation.

• What is a bone marrow transplant?
  A bone marrow "transplant" is not a surgical procedure, or operation, but a transfusion - in this case of (marrow), not blood.
 
• What is the function of bone marrow?
  Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside bones, which manufactures various components of blood and the immune system: red blood cells, white cells, and platelets. Each of these different types of cells has a vital role to perform in keeping the body healthy and disease free.
 
• When is a bone marrow transplant needed?
  Marrow transplants are used to treat patients whose marrow stops producing the correct amounts of various blood cells. Cancer causing cells can restrain healthy cells and multiply at a rapid rate. If untreated, It can lead to progressive disease and death.
 
• What types of childhood cancer use bone marrow transplantation in their treatments?
  Some Diseases treated include; acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma.
 
• Are there different types of bone marrow transplants?
  YES, there are 3 types:
 
• Allogenic: Marrow that is genetically similar to the patient's marrow and is harvested from a relative or matching donor.
 
• Autologous: The patient's own marrow is used. A small amount of marrow is removed, sometimes "purged" of cancer cells and reinfused.
  
• Syngeneic: The donor is an identical twin of the recipient.
 
• What happens to children after transplant?
  The first two weeks after the transplant are the most physically trying for the child. During this critical time they will become extremely susceptible to fevers, infection and mouth sores. Antibiotic and antifungal medications are usually administered to prevent infections like pneumonia. Diarrhea and skin rash can be an early effect of graft-versus-host disease (body is rejecting transplant). Children usually do not eat much during this time due to treatment related mouth sores and are given nutrients and fluids intravenously. Patients, staff, and visitors will be required to wash hands with antiseptic each time you enter the child's room. It may include wearing a protective mask or sterile garments.
  
  Bone marrow transplantation is necessary to combat childhood cancer (because of the aggressive nature of most cancers) but very hard on the child both physically and emotionally. Body irradiation and high dose chemotherapy create horrific side effects. Sterility is often a permanent side effect.