autologous stem cell transplant

A procedure in which a patient’s healthy stem cells (blood-forming cells) are collected from the blood or bone marrow before treatment, stored, and then given back to the patient after treatment. An autologous stem cell transplant replaces a patient’s stem cells that were destroyed by treatment with radiation or high doses of chemotherapy. An autologous stem cell transplant is most often used to treat blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma.