11 Facts about Bone Marrow Donation

11 Facts about Bone Marrow Donation

 

1. A bone marrow transplant can save the lives of people battling leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers.

2. 70% of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant do not have a matching donor in their family.

3. Leukemia kills more children every year than any other cancer.

4. To register as a bone marrow donor, a person swabs the inside of his or her cheek in order to provide the DNA needed to identify if he or she is a bone marrow match for someone.

5. 6 out of 10 patients never receive the unrelated transplant (a transplant from a non-family member) that they need.

6. Donating bone marrow can occur in one of two ways:
- Blood is taken out of a donor's arm. That blood is put in a machine, and stem cells are separated and the blood is returned through the other arm.
- A donor has marrow cells extracted from the hip bone.

A doctor will determine which donation process is necessary.

7. A patient's likelihood of finding a donor that will give them bone marrow ranges from 66%-93%, depending on race or ethnicity. The likelihood of finding a donor is estimated at:
66% for African American patients
72% for Hispanic or Latino patients
73% for Asian and Pacific Islander patients
82% for American Indian and Alaska Native patients
93% for White patients

8. After donation, bone marrow replaces itself within four to six weeks.

9. To be a bone marrow donor in America, a person should be between 18 and 60 years old and in good health.

10. Donors giving from their hip bones are put under anesthesia, and therefore they do not feel pain during the collection procedure.

11. Young people 18-24 years old are the bone marrow donors needed most.

For more information or to register as a done, click here: http://bit.ly/19iqSNn

Image: Bone Research Society, UK