They are found mainly in the bone marrow, but can also be found circulating in the blood. The reason to have a transplant is so that doctors can administer a very high dose of chemotherapy or radiation. Normally this dose would destroy the bone marrow. Using a transplant following high-dose treatment allows doctors to infuse stem cells or bone marrow to rebuild the bone marrow. High-dose treatment and transplantation require several weeks or months of closely coordinated care.
Patients stay in the hospital for a period of time, usually a few weeks.
There are four main steps to a transplant. Processing or preserving the marrow or stem cells - Stem cells are concentrated by the use of antibodies, then are frozen and stored. Administering therapy - This is usually high dose chemotherapy, sometimes combined with radiation, to eliminate the most resistant cancer cells. But this high- dose treatment also wipes out healthy blood and lymph cells. The type of chemotherapy will depend on the stage of the disease, whether it is a recurrence, the condition of the patient, and the treatment facility's preferences and experience.