stem cell transplant

A procedure in which a patient receives healthy stem cells (blood-forming cells) to replace their own stem cells that have been destroyed by treatment with radiation or high doses of chemotherapy. The healthy stem cells may come from the blood or bone marrow of the patient or from a related or unrelated donor. A stem cell transplant may be autologous (using a patient’s own stem cells that were collected and saved before treatment), allogeneic (using stem cells from a related or unrelated donor), syngeneic (using stem cells donated by an identical twin), or cord blood (using umbilical cord blood donated after a baby is born).