Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Blood or Bone Marrow Better for Stem Cell Transplants?


Study found no survival differences, but blood cells may be associated with more chronic side effects

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For people whose bone marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy, radiation or disease, stem cell transplants offer a potential lifeline back to health.
But a key question has remained unanswered: Is it better to get the stem cells from a donor's blood or from bone marrow?
Now, a new study evaluates the pros and cons of harvesting stem cells from bone marrow rather than blood and suggests there are benefits to both approaches, but no survival differences between the two methods. The research was published Oct. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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