Canada’s Largest Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Program

Blood and marrow transplants—also known as hematopoietic stem cell transplants—are a treatment option for patients with certain blood or bone marrow disorders. These transplants may be recommended when chemotherapy alone is unlikely to be effective. Stem cells are collected from a donor’s bone marrow or peripheral blood and used to help restore healthy blood cell production in the patient.

An allogeneic blood and marrow transplant involves receiving stem cells from a donor other than yourself. The donor may be a relative or an unrelated volunteer from an international registry. Before the transplant, patients typically undergo high-dose chemotherapy and, in many cases, radiation therapy. The donor’s stem cells are then infused into the patient. Most transplants are performed in an inpatient setting, with hospital stays averaging around four weeks.

Allogeneic transplants are used to treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Blood and bone marrow cancers such as leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, myelofibrosis, and lymphoma.
• Non-cancerous disorders such as aplastic anemia, bone marrow failure syndromes, and sickle cell disease.