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Treatment

Pediatric Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplantation

The Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) at Children’s National Hospital is a leader in providing allogeneic blood and marrow transplantations for children with a variety of disorders. The first allogeneic BMT was performed at Children’s National in 1988. Since then, the BMT transplantation team has performed nearly 500 allogeneic blood and marrow transplantations. Children’s National patients have access to cutting-edge treatments through several clinical trials for allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation.

In addition, the Patient and Family Support Program provides comprehensive mental and psychosocial services and helpful resources for all patients treated in Children’s National's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, as well as patients’ parents and siblings.

Although Children’s National oncologists refer many patients for allogeneic transplant, the Children’s National transplant team also works with subspecialists at other hospitals in the region and across the country to provide the transplant-related portion of a patient's treatment. Once that part of the treatment is complete, patients return to the care of their subspecialist for either further treatment or follow-up. The transplant doctors at Children’s National remain available to treat, or help the subspecialist treat, any transplant-related complications.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Allogeneic Transplantation

What is allogeneic transplantation?

What are the conditions treated with allogeneic transplantation?

Pediatric cancers treated with allogeneic transplantation

Hematologic diseases and hemoglobinopathies treated with allogeneic transplantation

Primary immune deficiencies in children treated with allogeneic transplantations

Treatment

Identifying a bone marrow/blood stem cell donor for a child

Stem cell collection

Preparing for transplantation for a child

Transplanting stem cells for a child

Engraftment for a child

Complications or risks of transplantation in children

  1. Hematopoietic Stem Cells: Cells with the ability to make other stem cells (self-renew) and divide and differentiate into mature white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets
  2. Cord Blood: The blood of newborns found in the umbilical cord and placenta. It contains large numbers of blood stem cells important for transplantation. For this reason, stem cells from the placenta and umbilical cord are collected after birth, then frozen and stored
  3. Remission: The disappearance of cancer cells following treatment. Also, the period during which the reduction or disappearance of symptoms occurs
  4. Relapse: The recurrence of leukemia or other underlying disease after treatment
  5. Virus: A type of germ that causes infections, most of which are not effectively treated with antibiotics. Examples: cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes, varicella (chickenpox), adenovirus, hepatitis
  6. Rejection: The body’s refusal to accept the transplanted marrow
  7. Veno-Occlusive Disease: A rare condition which may occur in the first few weeks after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT); caused by obstruction in the liver veins due to damage from chemotherapy and radiation
  8. Red Blood Cell: A type of blood cell made in the bone marrow that carries oxygen to all parts of the body
  9. Platelet: A component of the blood important in clotting. Inadequate amounts of platelets will lead to bleeding and bruising easily

View full glossary

Meet the Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplantation Providers

Departments that Offer Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplantation

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    Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

    Whether your child needs a simple blood test or more advanced laboratory procedure, we understand it can be a frightening experience for a child and difficult for parents.

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