The soft, spongelike material inside some bones. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow. A procedure in which doctors replace marrow destroyed by high doses of anticancer drugs or radiation. The replacement marrow may be taken from the patient before treatment or may be donated by another person. Cancer A term for more than 100 diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control.
Cancer cells can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.
Clear margins An area of normal tissue that surrounds cancerous tissue, as seen during examination under a microscope. Clinical trials Research studies that involve patients. Each study is designed to answer scientific questions and to find better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose or treat cancer. Colony-stimulating factors Substances that stimulate the production of blood cells. Treatment with colony-stimulating factors can help cells in the bone marrow recover from the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.