Blood Cancer and Power of Stem Cell Donation

• Cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma affect how the body forms blood cells. These cancers often begin in the bone marrow. That is where blood cells are formed. When blood cells fail, the immune system grows weak. The body does not stop bleeding or fights back as it should.
• Many blood cancer patients need stem cell transplants to live. Donor cells restore immune function and target cancer cells. Roughly one-third find a match within their family. Most depend on unrelated donors from registries.
• But the odds of finding a match vary by ancestry. In the US, people of European descent have a 70 to 80 percent chance of finding a match. For people of Asian, Black, Latino, Indigenous, or mixed ancestry, the odds drop sharply. In India, the match rate is even lower due to the vast genetic diversity and limited donor base. More registered donors from all backgrounds are needed. Without them, thousands are left waiting. What Donation Looks Like Joining a stem cell registry is simple. You provide a cheek swab to test your HLA type. If your tissue type is similar as that of a patient’s, you may be requested to donate.

What You Can Do :

• Joining the registry is easy. Donors provide a cheek swab to identify their matching tissue type, and if it matches, you can be called to donate the stem cells using one of the following two methods:
  • Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation (PBSC): An outpatient procedure that takes 4–6 hours, and the stem cells are collected from blood as part of a non-surgical procedure.
  • Bone Marrow Donation: It is a surgical procedure that lasts 1 to 2 hours and is performed under anesthesia. During this process, bone marrow is collected from the donor’s pelvic bone using a syringe.
• Both methods are safe. Donors are not expected to pay for the procedure. These costs are usually taken care of by the registry or patient’s healthcare provider. You Could Be the Match Every few minutes, someone in the world is told they have blood cancer. Many of them need a stem cell transplant to survive.
• Whether you live in Mumbai, New York, London, or Nairobi, you could be the person who saves a life.

You can register through organizations like:

• Be The Match® (US and global)
• DATRI (India)
• DKMS (US, Germany, India, UK, Poland, and more)
• Anthony Nolan (UK)
• Canadian Blood Services

Each new donor brings hope. Especially for patients with rare or mixed ancestry. A Small Step. A Second Chance. It starts with a swab. It could end with a life saved. If you are between 18 and 50, healthy, and willing to help, register today. Your match may be waiting.