The Stem Cell Transplant Process – Covenant Health

Stem cell transplantis used to facilitate high-dose chemotherapy. Stem cell therapy does not fight cancer. It helps the body recover after the high-dose chemotherapy which is used to treat cancers including multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and relapsed testicular cancer.

Standard chemotherapy Before high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation are used, medical oncologists administer multiple cycles of standard chemotherapy over several months. The standard chemotherapy is used to either reduce residual cancer cells or to determine if the patient will benefit from high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation.

Evaluation The first step in the high-dose chemotherapy/stem cell transplant process is a thorough evaluation to determine the patient's likelihood of benefiting from the treatment.

Medical records The patient's medical records are reviewed. Previous chemotherapy results, scans and other factors are considered to determine if the patient is likely to benefit from high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. At this time the doctor will order other tests to establish whether the patient is physically able to go through the high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant process.

MUGA scan or echocardiogram These tests measure how well the patient's heart pumps blood.

A MUGA (MUltiple Gated Acquisition) scan uses a radioactive substance injected into the patient's bloodstream and a gamma camera to produce a moving image of the heart as it beats.

An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to produce a moving image of the heart. It is similar to sonograms used to form images of babies in the womb.

Electrocardiogram (EKG) Electrocardiograms use sensors placed on various parts of the body to chart the heart's electrical activity.

CT or PET scan CT (computed tomography) makes multiple x-rays scans and assembles them together to form very accurate images of structures within the body. Sometimes a contrast dye is injected to enhance clarity and definition. CT scans can determine location of tumors precisely.

PET (positron emission tomography) uses a radioactive material injected into the body and a gamma camera to detect the metabolic activity of cells. PET scans are not as precise at determining tumor location, but are extremely accurate at establishing tumor activity.

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The Stem Cell Transplant Process - Covenant Health