When in leukemia can a bone marrow transplant be helpful?

Any time: We have learned that offering a transplant earlier, when a patient does not respond to therapy or has a relapse is better because there are less complications but at times this may be the only option left. If your doctors and specifically the stem cell transplant team feel this is the best option, they will offer a transplant for your disease.

In remission is best: The 'time' is not absolute. If transplant is considered appropriate for a patient, we'd prefer the patient to be in remission or with only a minimal amount of disease at the time we start. In some cases this means we recommend a transplant within a year of diagnosis, however in other instances it is appropriate to wait many years before the risk of bmt is appropriate.

Depends on leukemia : AML poor Cytogenetics or lack of response ALL poor Cytogenetics , older age CML compliant patient not able to tolerate most of frontline therapies or has refractory progressive disease CLL poor Cytogenetics and / or lack of response to therapy