What Function Do Stem Cells Play in Cancer Treatment? | Dr. David Greene Arizona

What Function Do Stem Cells Play in Cancer Treatment?

Dr. David Greene Arizona

What are stem cells?

Stem cells mostly live in the bone marrow (the spongy center of certain bones). This is where they divide to make new blood cells. Once blood cells mature, they leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream

Why stem cells are so important

Stem cells make red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. We need all of these types of blood cells to keep us alive. For these blood cells to do their jobs, you need to have enough of each of them in your blood

Red blood cells (RBCs) Red blood cells carry oxygen away from the lungs to all of the cells in the body. They bring carbon dioxide from the cells back to the lungs to be exhaled. A blood test called a hematocrit shows how much of your blood is made up of RBCs

White blood cells (WBCs) White blood cells help fight infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. There are different types of WBCs • Neutrophils • Lymphocytes

Platelets (thrombocytes) Platelets are pieces of cells that seal damaged blood vessels and help blood to clot, both of which are important in stopping bleeding. A normal platelet count is usually between 150,000/cubic mm and 450,000/cubic mm, depending on the lab that does the test

Where stem cells for transplants come from Depending on the type of transplant that’s being done, there are 3 possible sources of stem cells to use for transplants:

• Bone marrow (from you or someone els • The bloodstream (peripheral blood – from you or someone else) • Umbilical cord blood from newborns

Cancers that affect the bone marrow

Some cancers start in the bone marrow and others can spread to it. Cancer attacks the bone marrow, causing it to make too many of some cells that crowd out others, or causing it to make cells that aren’t healthy and don't work like they should. For these cancers to stop growing, they need bone marrow cells to work properly and start making new, healthy cells

How a stem cell transplant works to treat cancer Stem cell transplants are used to replace bone marrow cells that have been destroyed by cancer or destroyed by the chemo and/or radiation used to treat the cancer.There are different kinds of stem cell transplants. They all use very high doses of chemo (sometimes along with radiation) to kill cancer cells. But the high doses can also kill all the stem cells a person has and can cause the bone marrow to completely stop making blood cells for a period of time

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