7Conditioning & Stem Cell Transplant
The next step in a stem cell transplant is conditioning. It involves the injecting of high-dose chemotherapy via a catheter in a chest’s vein. In certain circumstances, radiation therapy can be given as well. The main goal at this phase is to get rid of cancerous cells in the bone marrow. It usually takes around 1 or 2 weeks. There may be several side effects of conditioning caused by the use of radiation and chemotherapy medications.[7]
Around 1 or 2 days after conditioning, stem cells will be transplanted to the body through the catheter in your chest’s vein. During this procedure, you will be awake. It typically a painless process that takes several hours to complete. Once inside the body, transplanted cells may develop into various forms of blood cells to replace damaged ones. As a result, cancerous cells will be removed and healthy cells are restored in the blood.[8]
