New information on stem cell transplants

Published on: 18 November 2022

Read our updated information, sign up to a Special Focus Online Support Meeting and listen to our latest podcast. 

Illustrated cycle of a stem cell transplant. Shows blood going out of the body. Stem cells are separated from the blood, frozen and stored. Blood goes back into the body.

We have just revised our information on stem cell transplants. Stem cell transplants using your own stem cells (autologous) and those from a donor (allogeneic) are intensive forms of treatment that can be used to treat some types of lymphoma. Whether or not you need a stem cell transplant depends on lots of factors, including the type of lymphoma you have, how your lymphoma has responded to treatment and how well you are.

In general, stem cell transplants might be used if:

  • your medical team thinks your lymphoma is very likely to come back (relapse) after treatment
  • your lymphoma hasn’t responded to treatment (refractory lymphoma)
  • your lymphoma has relapsed after treatment.

In these circumstances, a stem cell transplant might increase your chance of having a longer-lasting remission from lymphoma.

Find out more about stem cell transplant in our revised information which provides:

Our information is evidence-based and up-to-date and we would like to thank Sunita Khanal, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Lymphoma and Stem Cell Transplantation at Barts Health NHS Trust for reviewing this information. We would also like to thank members of our Reader Panel who review our information to ensure it is easy to understand and covers everything people need to know.

Have you had a stem cell transplant or have you been told you might have one? Our January Special Focus Online Support Meeting will focus on stem cell transplants and is an opportunity to share experiences and access support. 

Published: 18th November 2022

Talking about stem cell transplants podcast

You may find our latest Lymphoma Voices podcast a helpful resource. John Murray, Nurse Clinician in Bone Marrow Transplant and Angie Leather, Lead Nurse for Transplant and Haematology CNS talk to Lymphoma Action's Anne Hook. They discuss the role of stem cell transplants in the treatment of lymphoma, when they are used, and the important differences between allogeneic (donor) and autologous (self) transplants. They also cover the challenges in deciding between these two different treatment options. This podcast includes discussions around this often very difficult subject, and contains information on side effects and treatment outcomes that may be distressing.