FAQ

Bone marrow is contained inside our bones. It is looks like blood except it contains stem cells which are capable of producing the body’s blood cells, platelets and white blood cells – the main components our blood.

All medical expenses relating to the bone marrow donation will be borne by the patient. You, as the donor, will be given medical leave for adequate rest following the donation. Throughout the whole process, you will be assigned a BMDP staff or volunteer who will be there on hand to render any assistance required.

A volunteer donor who is successfully matched with a transplant patient may decide not to go ahead with the process. There are legitimate reasons for saying “no”, including illness, the risk involved or even fear. While the BMDP respects the decision of the matched donor, uncommitted donors give false hope to patients awaiting transplants. Once a donor gives his or her consent on the “Intent to Donate” form, the patient actually begins pre-transplant treatment where his or her bone marrow is completely being wiped out. So when a donor decides to pull out at any stage after the endorsement, the patient will most likely die without a transplant as his or her own bone marrow has been wiped out. The BMDP hopes that you will be committed to your participation as a bone marrow donor.

Other than the remote chance of a reaction to anaesthesia or an infection, the risks to bone marrow harvest are minimal. Donors generally feel no pain during the bone marrow harvest as the procedure is carried out under general anaesthesia. After the procedure, there may be slight discomfort in the lower back lasting a few days, which is much like a muscle ache or similar to pain felt on the tailbone after a fall. With the peripheral blood stem cell harvest, donors might experience some flu-like symptoms, slight bone pain, or a feeling of heaviness during the 5 days where the injections to stimulate and mobilize the stem cells into the blood are being given. These discomforts usually disappear soon after the injections are completed.

It is the replacement of diseased marrow with marrow from a healthy donor. The recipient will first undergo a pre-transplant preparation where his or her own bone marrow is completely wiped out so that the new marrow can group. The bone marrow or stem cells are infused into a patient's vein just like a blood transfusion. The bone marrow stem cells have a unique ability to home to the bone marrow where within two to three weeks, the transplanted marrow/stem cells begin to produce normal blood cells in the platelet.

Your tissue type has to match perfectly with that of the patient’s. The odds vary widely, depending on the rarity of the patient’s tissue type. However, once you are identified as a compatible donor, you may be the only person who can provide the life-saving bone marrow to that patient.

Upon identification as a compatible match, the donor will be counselled before undergoing a thorough medical examination to ascertain his or her fitness level. Currently, there are two standard methods to harvest the bone marrow.

 

Method 1: Bone Marrow Harvest

The bone marrow is removed from the back of the pelvic bone using a special needle. The entire process takes 45 to 60 minutes whilst the donor is under general anaesthesia. Though there is no surgery involved, an overnight rest in the hospital is recommended. The amount of bone marrow harvested is less than 5% of the body’s marrow and this is naturally regenerated within a few weeks.

 

Method 2: Stem Cell Harvest

Stem cells are really the blood cells found in the bone marrow. The donor will be given a series of G-CSF (Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor) injections to stimulate the growth of their stem cells and to mobilize them into the blood stream. A few days later, the stem cells will be collected as part of a blood donation procedure. Donations can be done in an outpatient setting as the procedure takes approximately three to five hours.

Bone marrow transplants are used to treat patients whose bone marrow stops producing the correct amount of various blood cells. More than 60 potentially fatal diseases, including several types of leukaemia, are treated with unrelated bone marrow transplants.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a natural substance produced by the body in time of infection. It is used to stimulate the production of blood stem cells. A man-made G-CSF derived from the E coli bacteria is used for peripheral blood stem cell harvesting.

The best source of stem cell donation (Bone Marrow Harvest OR Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation) would be determined by the patient's medical condition. Transplant doctors may indicate the preferred source of stem cells based on the needs of the patient. Donors can indicate their preferred method of donation and they will be advised of the transplant doctors’ preference eventually.