Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplant Program
Ask the Expert — Answers
In recognition of National Marrow Awareness Month, experts at Dana-Farber's Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplantation Program have agreed to answer your questions about the process of donating stem cells and how one goes about joining the donor registry.
Ask your question
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I'm going to be a bone marrow donor for my son, who is 18 years old. Is there anything I can do prior to donation to improve my bone marrow? Or is there anything destructive that I should avoid?
— J.C., Massachusetts
Thank you for your question. When preparing to donate bone marrow or stem cells, be sure not to take any type of analgesic medication (e.g. for pain relief) other than Tylenol for two weeks prior to the donation. It is also helpful to avoid alcohol for a few weeks leading up to the donation.
Q: I lived in Europe for a while and so am unable to donate blood. Does this also make me ineligible for the stem cell registry?
— Olivia, New York
Although travel or residence for specific timeframes in the United Kingdom or Europe since 1980 is considered an increased risk for new variant Creuzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), you are still eligible to join the marrow and blood stem cell donor registry and donate to patients around the world.
Q: I would like to set up a blood/stem cell drive in honor of my father who has Hodgkin's lymphoma. What is the best way to do that? Many of his family and friends would like to be placed on the national registry to help others who need to have a stem cell transplant, just like he is having next week. How can I arrange to have the testing and samples taken for the registry?
— J.G., Kentucky
Our donor center runs drives to recruit donors across New England and can help you plan drives in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut. You can contact our recruiter, Diane Gemba at Diane_Gemba@dfci.harvard.edu or (617) 632-5847 to get started. We will help you determine a date and location for the drive and aid you in planning and promoting your event.
If you would like to set up a donor drive in another part of the U.S., you will work with a donor center in that area. We can help you find a center to work with, or you can contact the National Marrow Donor Program at outreach@nmdp.org or (800) 627-7692 to find a local donor center.
Q: I recently consulted with a doctor about a stem cell transplant, but do not have a match at this time. I have friends who want to be tested just for me, but do not want to join the international registry. How can that be accomplished?
— Kathy, New York
It is always wonderful to have the support of friends and family. Your bone marrow type is inherited from your parents; you get one-half of your type (or one haplotype) from your mother and one-half of your type (or one haplotype) from your father. Because of this, siblings are the most likely matches. Outside of sibling matches, the odds of finding a match vary dependent on the commonality of your typing. We do not advocate being tested for one individual patient unless you are a full sibling because the chances of someone you know being a match are very, very slim. There are over 5 million unique marrow types in the national and international donor registries, so you can understand how unlikely it would be for someone you know to be a match. The reason so many patients are able to find matches is because someone tested in Wisconsin matches someone in Texas and someone in Iowa matches someone in France. However, if someone does not feel they can make the commitment to being part of the donor registry, they can pay for their individual HLA typing at a private lab. Visit www.bonemarrowtest.com for more information on private testing.
Q: Am I too old to be a donor? I was on the national blood donor system and have been let go because of age.
— N.S., Illinois
Thanks, N.S., for your question. You didn't mention how old you are, but the guidelines set by the National Marrow Donor Program for donors states you must be between the ages of 18 and 61. If you are 61 or older, you might consider donating platelets at your local center. Platelets are the clotting agents of the blood, which help to control bleeding. Cancer patients, trauma victims, and transplant recipients are only a few of the many patients who will need platelet transfusions. At our center, we do not set an age limit on platelet donors.
Learn more about donating platelets at Dana-Farber
Q: On a television show last year, I saw a character donating bone marrow and it looked very painful. Can you please tell me about what the process is really like?
— T.H., Massachusetts
Marrow donation is done under general or regional anesthesia so the donor experiences no pain during the collection procedure. The National Marrow Donor Web site offers an informative Myth vs. Fact breakdown on the donation process.
