Copy of `National Bone Marrow Transplant UK - Marrow terms`

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National Bone Marrow Transplant UK - Marrow terms Category: Health and Medicine Date & country: 04/10/2013, UK Words: 66

Allogeneic transplant
The person donating the bone marrow or stem cells is a closely matched family member, usually a brother or sister. Or the person donating the bone marrow is a closely matched unrelated donor.

Alopecia
A partial or complete hair loss, usually a temporary side effect of the chemotherapy.

Anemia
A condition that occurs when the body

Antibody
A protein produced by the white blood cells (leukocytes) to battle foreign substances that enter the body, such as bacteria.

Antigen
A foreign substance that induces the production of antibodies.

Apheresis
The peripheral blood stem cell collection process in which blood is taken from a patient and circulated through a machine that separates out stem cells. The remaining cells are returned to the patient.

Appeal
Application for review of records, medical history, insurance claim.

Autologous transplant
The patient donates his/her own bone marrow or stem cells prior to treatment for reinfusion later after high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation.

Bone marrow
The spongy tissue found in the cavities of the body

Bone marrow harvest
The procedure of collecting stem cells from the bone marrow.

Bone marrow transplant (BMT)
A procedure developed to treat some forms of cancer and other diseases. There are several types of BMT

Cancer cells
Uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer cells can grow, divide, and invade normal tissue in the body.

Cell
The basic building block of life. In your blood, you will find many different types of these.

Chemotherapy
Treatment with one or more anticancer drugs to try to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells.

Clinical trials
Long-term research studies that test cancer treatment.

Colony stimulating factor
The drug given to autologous stem cell transplant patients before and during the harvest to increase the number of stem cells in the blood. It is also given to allogeneic donors to increase the number of cells in the circulating blood so they can be collected for transplant. Also called growth factor.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A blood test done in a laboratory to find out the number of red blood cells (RBC

Conditioning
A phase in the bone marrow/stem cell transplant process designed to destroy cancer cells more chemotherapy. Conditioning involves combining high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation.

Cord blood
Blood found in the umbilical cord.

Cord blood transplant
A procedure where umbilical blood stem cells are used in a stem cell transplant.

CT (Confirmatory Typing)
This test confirms the HLA compatibility of the donor and the patient and is performed on all potential family or unrelated donors. DNA

Engraftment
Process in which transplanted stem cells begin to grow in the recipient

Erythrocytes
Red blood cells that carry oxygen.

Genes
Found in the nucleus of the cell. They contain the hereditary information that is passed on from cell to cell. Graft failure

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
A condition where transplanted stem cells may react against the patient

Growth factor
(see Colony stimulating factor)

Harvest
(see Stem cell retrieval)

Hematocrit
The proportion of the blood that consists of packed red blood cells.

Hematologist
A doctor who specializes in the diseases of the blood.

Hematopoietic stem cells
Cells that mature into one of three types of blood cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets.

Hemoglobin
The part of the red blood cell which carries oxygen.

HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen)
Antigens found on a person

HLA typing
The identification of a person

Immune compromised
A condition in which the patient has a much higher risk of infection due to a weak immune system.

Immune system
The group of organs and cells in the body that fight infection and other diseases.

Immunosuppressed
Lowered resistance to disease. It may be a temporary condition caused by a lowered white blood cell count or a side effect of receiving chemotherapy.

Informed consent
Hospital form, signed by the patient, which documents an understanding of medical procedures.

Infusion
Slow introduction of fluid into a vein referred to as an IV (intravenous).

Intravenous
Within a vein; into the vein.

Leukocytes
White blood cells that fight infection.

Lymphocytes
A type of white blood cell that is part of the immune system.

Metastasis
The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another.

Mobilization
Moving more stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood stream through chemotherapy and/or a growth factor.

MUD
Matched unrelated donor.

Oncologist
A doctor who specializes in the study and treatment of cancer.

Patient advocate
A person who acts in the best interest of the patient or serves the patient

Peripheral Blood Stem Cells (PBSC)
Stem cells that circulate in the blood.

Platelets
Blood cells that act as clotting agents to prevent bleeding.

Prognosis
The predicted or likely outcome.

Protocol
A specifically designed treatment plan.

Purging
The process of removing certain types of cells from the stem cell product before transplanting it to a patient. In autologous transplants, marrow may be purged of lingering cancer cells.

Radiation
Treatment to kill cancer cells using high-energy rays from x-rays, electron beams, or radioactive isotopes.

Red blood cells (RBC)
Cells carrying oxygen to all parts of the body (erythrocytes).

Reimbursement
Refund, being paid back for monies used out of pocket.

Reinfusion
The return of healthy stem cells into the transplant recipient

Relapse
The return of cancer after a period of being cancer-free.

Remission
Complete or partial disappearance of cancer cells and symptoms.

Rescue process
Another term for a stem cell transplant. The re-infusion of healthy stem cells following high doses of chemotherapy or radiation.

Staging
The process of determining and describing the extent of the cancer.

Stem cell
The

Stem cell retrieval
The process of collecting stem cells from the circulating blood stream following administration of growth factors to increase their numbers. (Also called harvest).

Stem cell transplant
(see Peripheral blood stem cell transplant).

Syngeneic transplant
The person donating the bone marrow or stem cells is an identical twin.

Thrombocytopenia
Low platelet count.

Transfusion
The transferring of blood or blood products directly into a vein or artery.

White blood cells (WBC)
Cells that help fight infection and disease (leukocytes).