Treatment FAQ

why are stem cell transplants a treatment for lymphoma?

by Nya Wilkinson Sr. Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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As well as helping your bone marrow recover, the donor stem cells develop into new immune cells that recognise your lymphoma cells as foreign or 'non-self'. This can help your body fight the lymphoma. Both types of stem cell transplant increase your chance of having a longer-lasting remission from lymphoma.

Full Answer

When are stem cell transplants used to treat lymphoma?

In general, stem cell transplants might be used if: your medical team thinks your lymphoma is very likely to come back (relapse) after treatment. your lymphoma doesn’t respond to treatment (refractory lymphoma) your lymphoma has relapsed after treatment.

What are the benefits of stem cell transplants for cancer treatment?

The ability to transplant stem cells allows physicians to use higher doses of chemotherapy to treat the cancer than the body would normally tolerate, increasing the probability of killing cancer cells.

What is a lymphoma transplant procedure?

This procedure is typically used for patients with relapsed (disease returns after treatment), aggressive lymphoma that is still sensitive to the effects of chemotherapy. The procedure does not work for patients with tumors that are unresponsive to drugs.

What happens after stem cell collection for lymphoma treatment?

After the stem cell collection is complete, the patient will undergo a course of high-dose chemotherapy. The goal of the chemotherapy is to eliminate all of the lymphoma cells in the patient’s body. Then, once the chemotherapy is finished, the patient will get their stem cells back through an IV infusion.

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Is stem cell transplant necessary for lymphoma?

Stem cell transplantation can be a part of therapy for most forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It's sometimes used at the start of treatment but is more often used when the disease comes back after a remission or does not respond to chemotherapy or targeted therapies.

Does stem cell therapy cure lymphoma?

Stem cell or bone marrow transplant is a way of giving very high dose chemotherapy. This treatment aims to cure some types of cancer, including Hodgkin lymphoma.

Why would someone with cancer need a stem cell transplant?

Stem cell transplants are procedures that restore blood-forming stem cells in people who have had theirs destroyed by the high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy that are used to treat certain cancers. Blood-forming stem cells are important because they grow into different types of blood cells.

What is the success rate of stem cell transplant with lymphoma?

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been reported to cure approximately 15% of patients with resistant lymphoma and 20%-30% of patients with Burkitt's lymphoma still sensitive to treatment with chemotherapy.

Can lymphoma come back after stem cell transplant?

Recurrence of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) occurs in about 50% of patients after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), usually within the first year, and represents a significant therapeutic challenge. The natural history of recurrent HL in this setting may range from a rapidly progressive to a more indolent course.

How does stem cell transplant work for Hodgkin's lymphoma?

In an autologous stem cell transplant, a patient's own blood stem cells are collected several times in the weeks before treatment. The cells are frozen and stored while the person gets treatment (high-dose chemo and/or radiation) and then are given back into the patient's blood by an IV.

Is lymphoma cancer of the lymph nodes?

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's germ-fighting network. The lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes (lymph glands), spleen, thymus gland and bone marrow. Lymphoma can affect all those areas as well as other organs throughout the body.

Does lymphoma affect the bone marrow?

When white blood cells multiply abnormally, they cause masses to form and lymph nodes become enlarged. Some lymphomas may affect the bone marrow and interfere with its making of blood cells. The result is anemia, or low red blood cell count.

Why are stem cells controversial?

However, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is ethically and politically controversial because it involves the destruction of human embryos. In the United States, the question of when human life begins has been highly controversial and closely linked to debates over abortion.

Is a stem cell transplant a last resort?

High-dose chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation may be appropriately utilized as the initial or subsequent treatment, depending on the type of cancer. It is not a treatment of last resort.

What is the life expectancy after stem cell transplant?

The relative mortality rate was high early after transplant as expected (standardized mortality ratio [SMR], 34.3 in the first 2-5 years) but persisted beyond 30 years (SMR, 5.4). Factors estimating mortality included age, high-risk disease, chronic GVHD, and use of PBSC grafts.

Does stem cell transplant cure non-Hodgkin's lymphoma?

Autologous transplant – This is when your stem cells are removed from your blood and later put back (reinfused) into your body. This is the most common type of transplant used to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Allogeneic transplant – This is when the stem cells are collected from another person (a donor).

Where do stem cells come from in an allogeneic transplant?

Allogeneic transplant: In an allogeneic transplant, the stem cells come from a donor. The donor can be a close blood relative or an individual located through a national donor registry program, such as Be the Match. Occasionally, stem cells will be taken from umbilical cord blood that has been donated after the birth of a child.

How long do transplant patients stay in the hospital?

After the infusion, transplant patients remain in the hospital until their care team believes it is safe for them to be released.

What is the procedure for autologous transplant?

Lymphoma patients receiving an autologous transplant will first have their stem cells collected. This takes place during a procedure called pheresis, in which the patient is connected to a special machine that filters their stem cells from their bloodstream.

How long does it take to recover from a blood transplant?

A blood or marrow transplant is a months-long process that can be physically and emotionally taxing. Though the procedure itself does not take a long time, patients usually enter the hospital at least one week before the transplant for preparatory treatments and then stay for several weeks afterwards to recover.

What is the rarest type of transplant?

Syngeneic transplant: In syngeneic transplants, the stem cell donor is an identical twin. This is the rarest type of transplant.

How to contact Siteman for blood transplant?

If your physician believes that you are a good candidate for a blood or marrow transplant, he or she should contact our referral specialists at 314-747-3046 or 877-251-6485 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Referrals also can be made online through a secure appointment request service at https://www.siteman.wustl.edu/refer.

Can lymphoma patients get stem cells?

Patients with lymphoma sometimes benefit from receiving a stem cell transplant, or bone marrow transplant . This procedure replenishes the blood stem cells in the bone marrow so they can go on to produce healthy new blood cells.

Why are stem cells used to treat lymphoma?

Why are stem cell transplants used to treat lymphoma? Stem cells are dividing all the time to create the blood cells your body needs. They are very sensitive to the effects of chemotherapy, which kills cells that are actively dividing.

How do stem cells help with lymphoma?

In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, the stem cells are collected from a donor. Your transplant team tries to identify a donor whose cells match yours as closely as possible. You have high-dose chemotherapy and you are then given the donor stem cells. As well as helping your bone marrow recover, the donor stem cells develop into new immune cells that recognise your lymphoma cells as foreign or ‘non-self’. This can help your body fight the lymphoma.

What happens when you get chemotherapy?

When chemotherapy damages or destroys the stem cells in your bone marrow, your body cannot produce all the blood cells it needs. This might lead to: a low white blood cell count, especially a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil ( neutropenia) a low red blood cell count ( anaemia)

What is a stem cell transplant?

A stem cell transplant is a procedure that replaces damaged or destroyed stem cells in your bone marrow with healthy stem cells. It is sometimes called a ‘peripheral blood stem cell transplant’ (if the healthy stem cells are collected from the bloodstream) or a ‘bone marrow transplant’ (if the healthy stem cells are collected from the bone marrow). ...

What type of cancer is stem cell transplant?

Stem cell transplants are an intensive form of treatment and you have to be well enough to have one. They can be used to treat some types of Hodgkin lymphoma, high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma and low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

How long does it take for a stem cell transplant to work?

The entire process can take weeks or months. In an autologous stem cell transplant, your own stem cells are collected and frozen. You then have high-dose chemotherapy to kill your lymphoma. This also damages the rest of the stem cells in your bone marrow.

How long does it take to recover from a stem cell transplant?

Stem cell transplants involve high-dose chemotherapy. Even after a stem cell transplant, it can take your bone marrow around 2 to 3 weeks to recover, although it can be more or less than this. It can take much longer – several months or more – for you to fully recover. Back to top.

What is stem cell transplant?

What Is a Stem Cell Transplantation? Stem cell transplantation (SCT), sometimes referred to as bone marrow transplant, is a procedure in which a patient receives healthy stem cells to replace damaged stem cells. Before SCT, the patient receives high doses of chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation therapy, to prepare the body for transplantation. ...

What is the procedure of stem cell transplantation?

Stem cell transplantation is a rigorous medical procedure . Before undergoing transplantation, patients will be given a number of medical tests to ensure that they are healthy enough for the procedure. Caregiver. It is important for patients preparing for transplantation to choose a caregiver.

What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic SCT?

The main types of SCT are: Autologous transplantation uses the patient’s own stem cells. These cells are removed, treated and returned to his or her own body after a conditioning regimen. Allogeneic transplantation uses stem cells from a donor. A donor may be a family member or someone who is not related to the patient.

How long does it take for a stem cell transplant to heal?

Recovery from stem cell transplantation may take months to years, and patients of childbearing age may not be physically or psychologically ready to think about parenthood for several years after transplantation. Patients who may want to have children in the future should discuss options to preserve fertility before transplantation.

Why is syngeneic transplantation rare?

A syngeneic transplantation is much less common. Syngeneic transplantation is rare for the simple reason that it's only used on identical twins. In addition, the donor twin and the recipient twin must have identical genetic makeup and tissue type.

What happens if stem cells cannot make enough blood cells?

If the stem cells cannot make enough new blood cells, many serious health problems can occur. These problems may include infections, anemia or bleeding.

What is the caregiver role in transplant?

Sometimes a caregiver is one person, but often several people can help at different times throughout the process. A caregiver should be with the patient all the time once the patient is discharged from the hospital in case unexpected complications arise and help is needed. Once the patient returns home, the caregiver will need to provide medical, emotional and daily support during recovery. Members of the patient’s healthcare team will teach the caregiver (s) the necessary skills to care for the patient.

Why do doctors prescribe antibiotics for stem cell transplants?

Because a stem cell transplant increases risk for infection —especially in those who are taking drugs to suppress the immune system for allogeneic transplantation—doctors usually prescribe antibiotics.

Where do autologous stem cells go after lymphoma?

After this treatment, your own frozen stem cells are then thawed and transfused back into your body. The stem cells travel to the bone marrow, where they begin to make healthy new blood cells. Many factors influence the decision to use autologous stem cell transplantation, including the lymphoma subtype and the response ...

What is autologous stem cell transplant?

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation. Autologous stem cell transplantation uses stem cells collected from your own bloodstream. Before collection, doctors may give you medications that cause stem cells to leave the bone marrow and circulate in the blood. Some blood is then removed from the body through a catheter, or hollow tube, ...

How do you transfuse stem cells?

Doctors then transfuse the donor stem cells into the body with an intravenous catheter. The stem cells travel to the bone marrow, where, over time, they begin to make new blood cells that can create an immune response against the cancer cells.

What are stem cells?

These bone marrow cells are also known as stem cells. Stem cells develop into red blood cells, which provide oxygen to tissue; white blood cells, which fight infection; and platelets, which help with blood clotting. If stem cells are destroyed by chemotherapy, production of red cells, white cells, and platelets stops.

Why do people need blood transfusions after transplant?

Because high-dose chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy causes blood cell levels to decrease, most people require blood transfusions after transplantation. Transfusions may include red blood cells to treat anemia and its associated fatigue and platelets to prevent problems with clotting.

What happens to bone marrow after chemotherapy?

With stem cell transplantation, damaged bone marrow cells are replaced with healthy stem cells after you receive high-dose chemotherapy. This process preserves blood cell production while allowing doctors to treat the disease in the most effective way possible. Our team at the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, ...

Session Description

Stem cell transplants are a type of treatment option for lymphoma patients. A stem cell transplant involves treatment with an aggressive therapy first to destroy the cancer, followed by an infusion of your own stem cells (autologous) or a donor’s stem cells (allogeneic) to replace the cells destroyed by the cancer treatment.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Mohamed Elemary is a hematologist and director of the Stem Cell Transplant Program at Saskatoon Cancer Centre, and is also an Associate Professor at the College of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor at the College of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr.

What is the purpose of stem cells?

Stem cells develop into specialized cells with specific functions in the body. A stem cell transplant can help your body produce enough white blood cells, which fight infection; red blood cells, which bring oxygen to tissue; and platelets, which help blood clot. In an autologous stem cell transplant, NYU Langone doctors collect stem cells ...

What happens after a stem cell transplant?

After a stem cell transplant, some people experience neutropenia, in which levels of white blood cells remain low, increasing your risk of infection. NYU Langone doctors monitor your blood cell levels and prescribe a white blood cell-boosting medication, if necessary.

How do NYU Langone transplants work?

In an autologous stem cell transplant, NYU Langone doctors collect stem cells from your own blood. During this procedure, your doctor may give you medications that cause stem cells to leave the bone marrow and circulate in the blood, where they are easier to collect. He or she uses a catheter, a thin, hollow tube, to remove blood from the body. The blood is sent to a machine for filtering and infused back into the body.

How do NYU Langone doctors collect stem cells?

In an autologous stem cell transplant, NYU Langone doctors collect stem cells from your own blood. During this procedure, your doctor may give you medications that cause stem cells to leave the bone marrow and circulate in the blood, where they are easier to collect. He or she uses a catheter, a thin, hollow tube, to remove blood from the body.

What is the number to call for Hodgkin lymphoma?

Opens in a new tab Twitter. Opens in a new tab. Menu. Call Us 212-731-6000. If Hodgkin lymphoma does not enter remission or if lymphoma returns after chemotherapy or radiation therapy, doctors at the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, part of NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, may recommend a stem cell transplant.

How are stem cells stored during transplant?

The stem cells are placed in frozen storage for use during the transplant. Next, doctors prescribe high-dose chemotherapy—with or without radiation therapy—for several days to kill cancer cells. Frozen, healthy stem cells are thawed and transfused into the body, where they return to the bone marrow. There, they start to make healthy blood cells.

How long do you stay in isolation after a stem cell transplant?

Recovery From Stem Cell Transplantation. After a stem cell transplant, you remain in the hospital in isolation for up to four weeks to protect you from infection. Your doctor may give antibiotics through a vein with intravenous (IV) infusion to prevent or treat any infections. You may need red blood cell and platelet transfusions until ...

What type of lymphoma did Kate have?

In June 2008, a CT scan confirmed that Kate had stage IV follicular monocleave cell lymphoma, a slow-progressing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “We were completely shocked, completely overwhelmed. It was like the whole world stopped,” she says. Kate received eight rounds of chemotherapy at a hospital near her home in Mettawa, Illinois.

Why did Kate start chemotherapy?

Once her doctors had found an unrelated donor, Kate started chemotherapy to destroy the cancer and prepare her body for the transplant. She agreed to participate in a clinical trial in which Velcade was added to the pre-transplant chemo cocktail she’d been prescribed.

Was Kate's transplant uneventful?

Kate says the transplant itself was uneventful, but the aftermath was a different story.

Does stem cell transplant help with lymphoma?

Stem cell transplant gives lymphoma survivor more time with kids. Kate Arnold isn’t entirely sure when her journey with non-Hodgkin lymphoma started. “I probably was walking around with cancer for a long time,” she says.

Which tissue produces all blood cells?

Soft tissue inside the bones that produces all blood cells

Is autologous HCT standard of care?

In relapsedDLBCL, responding to salvage chemotherapy, autologous HCT remains Standard-of-Care

What is a stem cell transplant?

A stem cell transplant uses young blood cells, called stem cells, to replace bone marrow that has been destroyed by cancer treatment. These stem cells will grow, divide, and become new and healthy bone marrow.

When might a stem cell transplant be used?

A stem cell transplant is a complex treatment. It can cause serious side effects. Because of this, it's most often used only when lymphoma is no longer responding to treatment. It also may be used if the lymphoma comes back after treatment. A stem cell transplant might be part of the first treatment for some hard-to-treat types of lymphoma.

Having the transplant

You'll be admitted to the hospital the day before your transplant. Your treatment team will go over the procedure with you one more time. They will also talk about ways to lower your risk for infections and other possible side effects.

Possible short-term side effects

Most of the short-term side effects of a stem cell transplant are from the high doses of chemotherapy or radiation. These should go away over time as you recover from the transplant. Common side effects can include:

Possible long-term side effects

Some side effects of a stem cell transplant may be long-lasting or appear years later, such as:

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What Are Stem cells?

What Is A Stem Cell Transplantation?

  • Stem cell transplantation (SCT), sometimes referred to as bone marrow transplant, is a procedure in which a patient receives healthy stem cells to replace damaged stem cells. Before SCT, the patient receives high doses of chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation therapy, to prepare the body for transplantation. This is called "conditioning treatment."...
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Types of Stem Cell Transplantation

  • The main types of SCT are: 1. Autologoustransplantation uses the patient’s own stem cells. These cells are removed, treated and returned to his or her own body after a conditioning regimen. 2. Allogeneic transplantation uses stem cells from a donor. A donor may be a family member or someone who is not related to the patient. 2.1. Reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation. Like …
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Are You A Candidate For Stem Cell Transplantation?

  • Stem cell transplantation has been used to cure thousands of people who have cancer, but there are serious risks to this treatment. Before undergoing stem cell transplantation, patients considering this treatment should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors. Not all patients are eligible for stem cell transplantation because not all patients can withstand the con…
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Preparing For Transplantation

  • Medical Tests.Stem cell transplantation is a rigorous medical procedure. Before undergoing transplantation, patients will be given a number of medical tests to ensure that they are healthy enough for the procedure. Caregiver. It is important for patients preparing for transplantation to choose a caregiver. Sometimes a caregiver is one person, but often several people can help at di…
See more on lls.org

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