[hopeful27]

Can you harvest stem cells later?

by hopeful27 on Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:45 pm

If my mom decides to transplant later, should she harvest cells now? Can this be done later? Sorry this is probably a repeat question, but we are unsure.

[NStewart]

Re: Can you harvest stem cells later?

by NStewart on Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:58 pm

It is recommended that you harvest the stem cells sooner after induction therapy than later. You want to do it when there is a better probability of harvesting the stem cells. Later, with more extensive treatment, it may be too difficult to harvest enough healthy stem cells for possible use later.

Revlimid seems to have an effect on the production of stem cells for collection after a longer use. Although after 8 rounds of treatment with Revlimid I didn't have any difficulty in producing enough stem cells for collection in one day for 2 transplants.

Nancy in Phila

[arven]

Re: Can you harvest stem cells later?

by arven on Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:01 pm

My wife was diagnosed in 2011, did the initial treatment, which got her into a complete re­mis­sion, then stem cells were harvested at the Cleveland Clinic. She only was there one day for stem cell collection and was told enough were collected for 2 transplants.

Now she has relapsed and gone through the PACE treatment [cisplatin, doxorubicin, cyclo­phos­pha­mide, etoposide]. At the doctor's last week, she was told that Cleveland Clinic had used all the stem cells and she had none in storage there.

If she gets back to a complete remission or close, can stem cells be collected? She had refused Revlimid in the past as any treatment.