Skip the secondary navigation if you do not want to read it as the next section.
| Do you want to meet other people with cancer? Join our What Now? community >> |
Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Skip the location trail if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Bone marrow is a spongy material that is found inside the bones (particularly the pelvic bones). Stem cells are blood cells at the earliest stage of development in the bone marrow. Within the bone marrow, stem cells develop into the different blood cells described below. When the cells are fully mature they are released into the bloodstream.
Like a factory, bone marrow produces the cells which develop into the three different types of blood cells:
Normally, most of the stem cells in the body are in the bone marrow and there are only very small numbers in the bloodstream. However, it is possible to stimulate the stem cells to move into the bloodstream, by using low doses of certain chemotherapy drugs or injections of growth factors. Stem cells can be collected from the bloodstream or from the bone marrow.
A transplant using stem cells collected from the bone marrow is sometimes called a bone marrow transplant, when in fact it is really a transplant of stem cells.
Cancerbackup is a national charity and we rely on voluntary donations. To donate, please call 020 7696 9003 and tell us you have visited our website. Thank you.
