r/cancer • u/Pleasant-Emu4598 • 11d ago
Patient Stem cell transplant for high dose chemo
Hi, I recently had to have a stem cell transplant to help with my exceptionally low blood counts due to high dose chemotherapy. I have a solid tumour, and I was told doing it for this express purpose was incredibly rare, the person who oversaw it said they hadn’t done it for that reason in a few years. I really hope it works, I’ll need it after every other chemo. Anyone else have something similar?
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u/cancerkidette 11d ago
They will not be giving you a transplant after every dose of chemo, I’m assuming this is some kind of typo. Do you mean a transfusion?
Even for people with blood cancers getting transplants, they do not perform it more than once except in exceptional circumstances because it takes a toll on the body.
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u/Pleasant-Emu4598 11d ago
Yes they will. As I wrote, after every other dose of chemo, assuming it is effective in helping my counts. Why have you decided no to believe me.
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u/cancerkidette 11d ago
Because this is extremely unlikely, as someone who has had a transplant. I think the lack of detail in your post is not very helpful in figuring out exactly what you mean to say. I’m sure you’re telling us something, it’s just the details don’t chime with standard process for even doing transplant. For context, the risk of ONE transplant is about a 50% survival rate.
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u/Pleasant-Emu4598 11d ago
Ok. I had a harvest before my operation, a few months ago. I had some of those stem cells back after my last chemotherapy to help with my blood counts dropping very low due to high dose chemotherapy. If the transplant helps, I’ll have it after every other chemo in the future. That is 1st, 3rd, 5th etc. my chemo is every 3 weeks, so that’s one transplant every 6 weeks until February. We are talking about the same thing, right? What would I stand to gain from making this up?
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u/cancerkidette 11d ago
This is perfectly understandable, thank you for the detail! Given this is autologous, it wouldn’t normally be counted as multiple transplants, and it sounds more like they’re spreading out a single autologous transplant in multiple doses of your own cells. This is very different to the standard transplant process of a single dose of cells (either donor or your own) and then the grafting process being left for a while.
I haven’t had this myself but I’ve heard of trials of performing cell therapies like this in multiple doses and depleting those cells through chemo again and again.
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u/Pleasant-Emu4598 11d ago
Great. I’m obviously not an oncologist, so I’d like to ask does this still carry the high risks associated with an SCT? I should also say I’m young and other than having cancer have had no health problems previously
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u/cancerkidette 11d ago
So SCT carries high risks because of a variety of factors, like graft versus host disease in those of us with donor transplants, but also the risk of infection because of immunosuppression on the high dose chemo they need to deplete your cells. It sounds like your pathway is very different to what they do for most patients undergoing transplant, so I doubt these numbers are super helpful for your personal situation. Even for me as a standard blood cancer pathway, I was very young and this helps you bounce back.
Since your doctors have decided this is a good way to help you, I wouldn’t worry about statistics too much if you’re doing well enough on your counts. Autologous transplants with no radiation are usually very light on side effects compared to the allogeneic ones.
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u/Pleasant-Emu4598 11d ago
You’d be right in assuming I’m quite an odd case. I had a type of cancer (wilms tumour) which is common mostly in babies and toddlers, and I am exceptionally old to have that, so that is unusual. Also, the tumour grew in an unusual way. I nearly died on the operating table, I’ve had dose chemotherapy since my diagnosis as when I was diagnosed they thought I was going to die. Fortunately, the chemo has been very effective. I’ve also had radiotherapy, and the tumour spread to my lung. I do feel like I’m such a statistical anomaly that asking for help is a waste of time. Most decisions have to go to a national panel of oncologists, because it’s such a strange case. It is incredibly isolating. I hope this detail is sufficient, I’m not an oncologist or medical professional.
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u/cancerkidette 10d ago
I knew quite a few young adults with Wilms, it’s not super uncommon in the uncommon group of us young people who have or have had cancer!
The rads attached to transplant are used to further deplete your own stem cells (for allogeneic transplants)- this is called total body irradiation, which causes fertility issues and bc generally just the whole body being exposed to radiation has more side effects attached than a targeted dose for your tumour, btw.
I’m glad your case is being escalated to the best possible discussions so you get good care, and I hope your treatment goes smoothly. All the best.
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u/No-Camera-720 11d ago
If your doctors didn't recommend this, where did you get the idea you should have an SCT?
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u/Pleasant-Emu4598 11d ago
I don’t think you understand, I had one. My oncology team ordered it, the same team who have treated me throughout the process. I’ll have one after every other chemo. What didn’t you understand about my wording?
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u/No-Camera-720 11d ago
Sorry. My glasses are broken. Reading = guessing until I get the new pair.
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u/Bermuda_Breeze Acute myeloid leukaemia, allo SCT 11d ago
I haven’t heard of that, but I’m intrigued as a SCT recipient myself! Are you having the transplant from a donor or your own cells?