This is done to improve the chances of curing the Hodgkin's disease. High dose chemotherapy is normally considered if your Hodgkin's disease has not responded completely to standard chemotherapy or if it comes back after you have had standard chemotherapy. Your doctor will discuss with you whether this treatment is necessary, and possible, in your case. If this is to be done, you will need a stem cell transplant .
Stem cells are the basic blood cells from which other cells develop.
They can be collected directly from the blood or from the bone marrow. The bone marrow is the substance in the inner part of the bone which produces our blood cells. Although this treatment is often called a transplant it is better described as stem cell support. This is because it is your own cells that are being collected and then returned to you. After chemotherapy, injections of growth factor are given.