Stem cells are a recently discovered cell that have the potential to create large impacts in the field of cancer treatment. They are harvested from the three blood cells produced in your body, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. When these blood cells are young, they are known as hematopoietic stem cells, and can mature into any type of blood cell, depending on what the body needs. Most stem cells are gathered from bone marrow, where these premature blood cells are produced. Our bodies need blood cells to stay alive; this is why they are so important when using them to treat patients affected by cancer.
Specific cancers that affect the production of blood cells are leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Stems cells are crucial when treating patients, as once injected they kill the cancer cells and replace them with new healthy cells. While chemotherapy kills most of the cancer cells in the body, it may also kill the functioning stem cells as well. This is where stem cell transplants can impact a person’s life by improving and rescuing their bone marrow, to produce more blood cells and also preserving the living cells. Donated stem cells work just as well or even better against cancer by finding and killing cancer cells more efficiently than immune cells of the patient.
Depending on one’s diagnosis, it is up to the patient that wants to have a stem cell transplant. With all transplants there are always risks and benefits that must be weighed and calculated before making a decision. Based on your type of cancer you can view the success rate and base your verdict of that. In addition these transplants coast a-lot, which some might take into consideration, based on your financial situation. It is crucial to find out what insurances support stem cell transplants before you consider one.
Overall, stem cells are a new method of treating patients with cancer and should gain more recognition for its significance to the treatment of cancer.
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