Possible Side Effects of Stem Cell Transplantation
Blood & Marrow Transplant

The two most common complications of blood and marrow transplants are those related to the blood and those related to other organs of the body. In addition, it is possible for the donor’s blood cells to conflict with the patient’s body, creating a condition called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Blood Problems:
If a patient received high-dose chemotherapy without stem cell infusion, it would take the patient’s body more than six months to produce blood cells again. Because our bodies require constant generation of new blood cells to function properly, no one can afford to wait six months. By infusing the patient’s own (autologous) or a donor’s (allogeneic) stem cells into the patient’s body after high-dose treatment, the period of no-cell production, known as aplasia, is usually one and a half to two weeks. During that time, all blood cell counts go down and the patient will receive blood transfusions with red cells and platelets. The average is between four to ten units of blood. Antibiotics are also given during the period of aplasia to fend off potential infections. Because the blood counts are very low and the patient is susceptible to infection, the patient stays in the Blood and Marrow Transplant program’s controlled hospital unit to minimize potential problems.

Organ Problems:
High-dose chemotherapy can be difficult for body organs to tolerate. Temporary injury to the liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, intestines, and mouth are somewhat common, but rarely fatal. Testing prior to transplant ensures that these organs are working properly. In patients with healthy organs, the chance of irreversible damage is less than 5 percent.

Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD):
Unless the donor is an identical twin, anytime a patient receives stem cells from a donor there is a possibility of a conflict. In organ transplants, the patient’s immune system sometimes rejects the donor’s organ. In stem cell transplants, the donor’s stem cells replace the patient’s immune system and may begin to attack the patient’s body. Either acute or chronic GVHD may develop and is generally treatable using drugs designed to suppress the immune system.

For more information on possible complications and treatments, please see the Online Resources for Blood and Marrow Transplant section of this site.