Question 1

does getting radiation, chemotherapy, and a stem cell transplant affect chances of having kids later in life?

Accepted Answer

Yes: I am not sure of your gender, but for women, usually this leads to cessation of ovulation, that may recover later.
For men, sperm count may be significantly reduced, and depending on what chemo agent used, this may be permanent.

Question 2

life expectancy of myeloma patients after autologous stem cell transplant?

Accepted Answer

Myeloma : There are many things that go into predicting life expectancy of somebody with myeloma who has an autologous stem cell transplant.  The rough estimate for somebody getting a transplant in first remission is about 6-7 years now.  However, this is something your oncologist or transplant doctor can talk to you about with more specific information.

Question 3

my husband had a stem cell transplant in sept. he is having difficulty urinating. mri was normal. could this be life threatening or more likely something simple?

Accepted Answer

Probably something: That is treatable and not life threatening.

Question 4

how long are you out of commission after a stem cell transplant?

Accepted Answer

It depends.: The recovery from autologous transplant is much quicker than allogeneic transplant, typically 90 days or so.  Recovery from allogeneic stem cell transplant is more difficult to predict, as there are more potential complications, a much slower recovery of immune function that requires avoiding crowds and infection risk for a much longer time.  Age and pre-transplant status also play a role.

Question 5

pros and cons of a stem cell transplant?

Accepted Answer

Cure vs toxicity: This depends on the type of transplant (autologous-your own cells; allogeneic-donor cells), the disease that is being treated and the status of the disease. Stem cell transplants do have a higher toxicity than most standard treatments but in many cases can control the underlying cancer for a longer period of time and can cure many cancers that cannot be cured with standard therapy.

Question 6

when is a stem cell transplant used nowadays?

Accepted Answer

Several diseases: Including acute leukemia, multiple myeloma, some forms of resistant lymphoma, aplastic anemia and a few other rare disorders.

Question 7

how do i get ready for a stem cell transplant?

Accepted Answer

Information: The best way to prepare is to understand the procedure and potential risks and side effects.  Usually your transplant center will have information booklets or videos that explain the procedure. There is a free downloadable resource from nbmt link at: http://www.Nbmtlink.Org/resources_support/rg/index.Htm.

Question 8

what is stem cell transplantation used for now?

Accepted Answer

Leukemias, etc.: It is a medical procedure in hematology and oncology, most often done for patients with certain cancers of the blood or bone marrow, like multiple myeloma or leukemia. In these cases, the recipient's immune system is usually destroyed with radiation or chemotherapy before the transplantation. Graft-versus-host disease is a major complication.  This is reserved for life threatening conditions.

Question 9

what kind of stem cell transplant is the most common?

Accepted Answer

Bone marrow: At some institutions stem cells, or stem like cells are isolated and enriched for bone marrow transplantation.  This is done most commonly for hematologic malignancies such as leukemia.

Question 10

what is stem cell transplantation's status in the u.s. now?

Accepted Answer

Used non-manipulated: Use of adult mesenchymal stem-stromal cells (mscs) are currently in clinical trial in us/internationally.  Trend is toward use of fat derived mscs, havested by liposuction, isolated and concentrated in tissue culture.  Early reports suggest significant improvement in neurological, autoimmune and organ functions.  Many more mscs in fat than bone marrow making ad-msc the center of most research now.

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Doctor answers about:

Life after stem cell transplant

A member asked:

Does getting radiation, chemotherapy, and a stem cell transplant affect chances of having kids later in life?

A member asked:

Life expectancy of myeloma patients after autologous stem cell transplant?

A member asked:

My husband had a stem cell transplant in sept. he is having difficulty urinating. mri was normal. could this be life threatening or more likely something simple?

A member asked:

How long are you out of commission after a stem cell transplant?

A member asked:

Pros and cons of a stem cell transplant?

A member asked:

When is a stem cell transplant used nowadays?

A member asked:

How do i get ready for a stem cell transplant?

A member asked:

What is stem cell transplantation used for now?

A member asked:

What kind of stem cell transplant is the most common?

A member asked:

What is stem cell transplantation's status in the u.s. now?

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