Getting an Autologlous Transplant

In an autologous transplant, your own bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells are removed and preserved, then returned to you after chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments.

At UMGCCC, you can get an autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT) or peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT).

How an Autologous Transplant Works

Some of the process will be on an outpatient basis, then you’ll be admitted to the hospital closer to your transplant date. Prepare to be in the hospital for 14-18 days.

Preparing for the Transplant

• Once the team has determined your body can go through the transplant process, you’ll start “mobilization” (this part may be skipped/lessened for BMTs). A special medication is used to “trick” your bone marrow into over-producing stem cells so they can be collected from your blood. This is given in very high doses as a daily injection for 7-10 days. You’ll learn how to give yourself the shot/have a caretaker give you the shot so you can do so from home.
• You might also receive chemotherapy for 1-5 days during this time.

Stem Cell Collection (Apheresis)

The stem cell collection process varies depending on the type of transplant you're having:

PBSCT: 

• You’ll give a blood sample to test your stem cell count the morning of collection to make sure it’s high enough.
• Stem cell collection is done as an outpatient, over 1 -3 days, for a 4-to-6-hour period each day.
• The collected stem cells are frozen and preserved for you to use at a later date.

BMT:

• You’ll have surgery under general anesthesia to remove about 5% of bone marrow from your hip bones.
• This is done in one day; in many cases you can go home hours after the procedure.

Re-staging

• After apheresis, you'll have tests and bloodwork to get a "snapshot" of your disease status prior to transplant, known as restaging. 

Transplantation

• You’ll be admitted to the transplant unit to receive a conditioning regimen of chemotherapy for 1-8 days, followed by your stem cells. 
• The stem cells are given to you through a catheter inserted into the large vein near your collarbone, taking generally 1-2 hours. 
• They travel to the bone marrow, where they begin to produce new white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. This is called "engraftment” and can take up to 10-16 days. 
• Doctors check blood counts daily to monitor if you're producing new blood cells. Periodic bone marrow samples (aspirations) also help determine if engraftment is working.

Post-Transplant Care

After your transplant, your WBC, RBC, and platelet counts will drop dramatically, putting you at risk of infection. You will likely need red blood and platelet transfusions. The team will talk with you about leaving the hospital once your WBC count starts to increase.

Re-admissions to the BMT unit for post-transplant complications are a common part of the process. The transplant team will closely monitor you for complications.

Your Autologous Transplant Guide

Our Guide for Recipients of Autologous Transplants and Their Families gives you all the details about getting an allogeneic stem cell transplant at UMGCCC: 

• Who is part of your transplant team
• What pre-transplant tests to expect
• What the transplant process timeline looks like and a preparation calendar
• What’s available on the transplant unit and its policies
• What to expect the day of your transplant
• How to successfully manage your post-transplant care

Make a Referral

Get in touch with us when you want to refer a patient to us, talk to one of our doctors or ask about a clinical trial.

Contact Us

To talk to us about getting help with an autologous stem cell transplant, call 410-328-7904 to make an appointment.