Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Leukaemia?

Many people think of leukaemia as cancer of the blood. It is, in fact, cancer of the bone marrow.  Leukaemia occurs when your body begins to accumulate abnormal white blood cells.  These cells do not mature properly and this inability to mature is the fundamental defect in leukaemia.  These immature cells accumulate in the body and eventually crowd out all the normal blood cells and platelets.

2. What is Bone Marrow?

 Bone marrow is the soft jelly-like tissue that is found in the cavities of certain bones .It is the factory where our blood cells are produced. In a healthy person the bone marrow which is the home of stem cells, produces most of the three types of blood cells. These are:

  • The red blood cells- which carry oxygen
  • The white blood cells- which fight off infections
  • The platelets- which stop bleeding

3. Who might need a bone marrow transplant?

Bone marrow transplants are necessary when the bone marrow becomes diseased or damaged so that it cannot function properly. This means that the bone marrow is no longer able to produce stem cells that are needed for the production of blood. Bone Marrow transplants are considered as treatment for a variety of diseases such as leukaemia, congenital metabolic disorders, haematological malignancies and immune-deficiency illnesses.

4. What is a bone marrow transplant?

In a bone marrow transplant the diseased marrow is replaced with marrow from a donor and is infused into a patients vein like a blood transfusion. This healthy bone marrow travels to the cavities of the bones and if the engraftment is successful, results in the production of normal red and white blood cells in the patient.

5. Why do we need donors from all ethnic groups?

In order for a bone marrow transplant to be successful, it is very important that the tissue type of the donor and patient match. Your tissue type is determined by your genes and there is a greater chance that a patient will find a matching donor from people who share a similar genetic history as them.

6. How is bone marrow collected?

There are two ways of collection:

Bone Marrow Harvest

This is the more traditional method. The donor is admitted into a specialist hospital usually the day before the procedure and stays overnight. A light, general anaesthesia is given and marrow is extracted from the pelvic bone by special sterile needles. The procedure takes about an hour.  You may be required to stay in hospital for a second night.

Peripheral blood stem cell collection (pbsc)

This is a more current and increasingly used method. The donor is given a daily injection of GCSF for 5 consecutive days. These injections stimulate your bone marrow to overproduce stem cells which are released into your blood. These stem cells are then collected or harvested by removing blood from a vein in your arm, passing it through a filter system which collects the stem cells and returning the remaining blood to the donor into a vein in the other arm.

7. What are the risks or side effects of donating?

  1. Marrow Harvest- The main risk although minimal is the anaesthetic. There may be some soreness in the lower back and tiredness whilst the marrow rebuilds which may take about a week or two.
  2. Peripheral blood stem cell collection. Donors may experience some flu like symptoms, slight bone pain and fatigue while receiving the injections. These effects disappear soon after collection.

This will all be discussed with you in detail.

8. Who can become a marrow/stem cell donor?

Anyone between the ages of 18-40 and in general good health may join the register. You must weigh over 8 stone/51 kg although this measurement may be lowered to 7.5 stone for donors from some ethnic groups.

9. How do I become a donor?

You have already taken the first step by learning about bone marrow transplant. You now need to sign on to a bone marrow register.

The two main bone marrow registries in the UK are The British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR) and the Anthony Nolan Trust.

When you go to donate blood at the National Blood Service, you can also register to become a bone marrow donor. Alternatively you can register with the Anthony Nolan Trust, which is the UKs largest stem cell register. Details of these can be found on www.blood.co.uk & www.anthonynolan.com

10. What does registration involve?

At the time of registration, you will be given details of what Bone Marrow donation involves. If you decide to go ahead then a simple blood test is all it takes. Your tissue type is identified and your details are held on a confidential, computerised register.

11. What happens if I am a match?

If you are a match for a patient then you will be contacted by the trust. Some more blood samples may be taken for extra checks on tissue compatibility. If these are successful, a transplant can be scheduled after counselling and a thorough physical examination.

12. Who pays for these tests?

The registries are UK charities making it possible for donors to be tested for free and no costs are incurred by you.

13. I am already a blood donor and a registered organ donor. How is being a bone marrow donor different?

You can only be a bone marrow donor for someone who has the same tissue type as you. The chances of finding a match vary widely depending on the rarity of your tissue type. This means that many volunteers may never be called. If however you are identified as a match for a patient, you may be the only person who can potentially save his or her life.

If you give blood or carry a donor card, it does not mean that you are registered as a bone marrow/stem cell donor. You have to be specifically registered on the Bone Marrow Registry.

14. Do the donor and the recipient get to meet?

Strict anonymity is maintained prior to the transplant. After the transplant, unsealed, anonymous cards or letters may be exchanged via the registry. After a year or two, some countries allow direct communication between donors and recipients.

15. Can I be tested just for one patient?

No. If you are on the register you must be prepared to help any patient who might be a potential match.

16. How are you linked with existing organisations such as the Anthony Nolan Trust?

Find The Time is a community cased charity whose particular focus is to increase awareness of Bone Marrow Donation particularly within the Asian community as it is the least represented community on the National Registries. We use the testing facilities of the Anthony Nolan trust and aim to increase the number the number of donors on their registers.

17. How can I get involved in organising a donor clinic?

We are always looking for people eager to help others in need, to help people who are fighting a deadly disease. If you feel you can arrange a clinic at your place of worship or work and get at least 30 donors then please do contact us on.. We will be happy to provide you with further information and details. There are a lot of people waiting for a bone marrow donation and for a lot of them time is running out. We need all the help we can get.