A bone marrow donation is a fairly painless and relatively straightforward medical procedure that can be used to treat (and often cure) many serious, life-threatening conditions. For example, a bone marrow donation may be used to treat:
- acute leukaemia - cancer of the blood cells
- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - cancer of the lymphatic system (part of the body’s natural defence system)
- aplastic anaemia - a genetic disorder where the bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the soft, jelly-like tissue that is found in the hollow centre of all large bones. It contains stem cells which produce red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body, white blood cells that fight infection, and platelets that help stop bleeding.
All of the different types of blood cells that are produced by the stem cells are released into the blood stream through the veins and thin tissue surrounding the bone. Without bone marrow and stem cells, blood cannot be produced, making it impossible to survive.
The need for donors
There are a number of conditions where either the bone marrow does not work properly, or it becomes damaged or diseased. Treatments such as high-dose radiotherapy can damage bone marrow.
Bone marrow that is damaged or diseased can be replaced by donated bone marrow. After the donation, provided that the transplant is successful, the new bone marrow will begin to make healthy blood cells and you will start to get better.
Ideally, bone marrow should be donated from a close family member, such as a brother or sister, because there needs to be a close match between tissue types. However, the problem is that only 30% of people have a close relative with a matching tissue type.
Bone marrow registers
As not everyone who needs to have a bone marrow transplant has a relative with a matching tissue type, a number of bone marrow registers have been set up.
A bone marrow register is a list of people who have said that they are willing to donate bone marrow if required, along with information about their tissue type. When a donation is required, doctors will search the bone marrow register to try to find a donor with a matching tissue type.
Currently, the need for bone marrow donations is by far higher than the number of available donors. The Anthony Nolan Trust estimates that, in the UK, they manage to save two lives a day by finding suitable donors. However, for every two lives that are saved, another two people will be unable to find a suitable donor, and many will unfortunately die.
If you would like to apply to join the British Bone Marrow Register, you can do so the next time you donate blood. Alternatively, you can apply to join The Anthony Nolan Trust register through their website.