Treatment decisions for blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant

Making treatment decisions can be overwhelming. However, understanding the benefits, risks and outcomes associated with the treatment options available to you can help you make more informed decisions about your health.

If you need assistance understanding your options or just need to speak to someone, NMDP offers one-on-one, group, emotional support options.

Questions to ask your doctor 

Ask questions so you understand your treatment options and can make decisions that are best for you. They may include:

• What are my treatment choices?
• What treatment do you recommend? Why?
• What is the goal of this treatment?
• How many patients have you treated who have the same disease?
• What are the chances that this treatment will get rid of the disease? For how long?
• What are the chances that I could get rid of the disease without this treatment?
• What are the possible risks and side effects of the treatment?
• What can be done to lower the side effects?
• Is it possible to continue work or school during treatment?
• What can you tell me about my quality of life after this treatment?
• How long will the treatment take?
• How will we know whether the treatment is working?
• What other choices do we have if the treatment does not work?
• Do you know of any clinical trials that might be appropriate for me?

Access specific questions related to allogeneic, autologous and haploidentical transplant.

Although transplant can cure some diseases and treat others, it has risks. These are often highest in the first 100 days as your immune system begins to rebuild.

Most patients experience short-term side effects, including:

• Hair loss
• Infections
• Fatigue or weakness

More serious risks can include your body rejecting the new cells or developing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). GVHD happens with donor transplants and occurs when the donor cells attack your body’s tissues. It can range from mild to life-threatening.

Some complications may appear months or even years later. Stay in close contact with your care team and report any new or ongoing symptoms.

Learn the symptoms of GVHD

Survival and quality of life outcomes are two types of treatment outcomes (results). Both are important to keep in mind when choosing the best treatment plan for you. If your doctor doesn’t tell you about outcomes for your disease and transplant, you‘ll want to ask about them so you can make an informed decision.

Survival outcomes tell you how many people with a certain disease were alive at a specific time after diagnosis or after a specific treatment, like a blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant.

Quality of life outcomes tell you how well a group of patients were doing in different areas of their life after transplant. These areas could include physical, emotional and social health, plus other parts of everyday life like work or spirituality.

Outcomes tell you how patients with a similar disease and treatment have done as a group. Your doctor can also use outcomes to help you decide when to get a transplant, but they can’t tell you how your body will react. You may respond differently than someone else who received the same type of transplant because no two people are exactly the same. Your doctor can’t predict how your body and the disease will respond to treatment.

You can also learn more about outcomes data from our U.S. transplant center partners, see the number of transplants each center has facilitated and the type of transplant performed. However, it’s important to remember that your doctor is the best person to explain what outcomes may mean for you.

Family members or close friends may also help you make treatment decisions. Here are some tips for talking to them:

• Talk about what you think is important about your treatment, such as whether you want to be treated at a center close to home or by a specific doctor.
• Talk about how they can help you make treatment decisions and support you in your choices.

If you have a child who’s ill, talk with your doctors or clinic social worker about ways you and other family members can get support as you’re making decisions. If your child is a teenager, ask for help involving them in treatment decisions.

Resources for parents

You and your caregiver may find that it’s helpful to hear about other patients’ experiences. Tell your doctor if this would help you feel more comfortable making treatment decisions.

Our NMDP^SM Peer Connect program can connect you with a trained volunteer who’s been there. No matter where you’re at in the process, recipients and caregivers like you are available to talk by phone or correspond via email to share their real-life experience and tips.

Request a connection through NMDP Peer Connect