What is an "autologous" transplant?

What is an "autologous" transplant?

Noam Z. Drazin (Hematologist & Oncologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group) gives expert video advice on: Can my leukemia be treated with surgery?; Can leukemia be treated with a bone marrow transplant?; How can I keep my leukemia from coming back? and more...

An autologous transplant is a transplant of either stem cells or bone marrow from yourself. It's almost a misnomer to talk about it as a transplant, and I like to define it as a stem cell rescue. A lot of transplants are done in order to provide you back with stem cells to repopulate your bone marrow after a chemotherapy insult. Sometimes there are certain cancers out there that require such a high degree or dose of chemotherapy that if not given your stem cells back or someone else's stem cells back you'd be without the ability to make or produce red cells, white cells, or platelets. This is why these procedures are done. To define an autologous transplant: it's one in which the stem cells that we use are from your own body after a significant degree of chemotherapy is given to you.