Table of contents:
- Why is getting a suitable spinal cord donor so difficult?
- The process of finding donors is complicated
- Indeed, what are the consequences if the patient does not use a suitable bone marrow donor?
Spinal cord donation is one method of cancer treatment that is quite effective and without side effects. Unfortunately, suitable marrow donors are not always easy to find. I wonder why?
Why is getting a suitable spinal cord donor so difficult?
Bone marrow is the soft fatty tissue inside the bones that produces blood cells. Bone marrow donors are needed by some people to replace bone marrow that is damaged or malfunctioning due to a certain disease or medical condition, such as lymphoma cancer, leukemia, to sickle cell anemia, with healthy bone marrow.
However, finding a suitable bone marrow donor is not as easy as getting a blood donor. Not just anyone who can become a donor. Usually, the person who has a spinal cord compatibility is a member of the patient's own family.
Experts claim that the fit for bone marrow will be greater between siblings than between parents and children. The success ratio is 25% between siblings and bone marrow compatibility between parents and children is only about 0.5% percent.
So, what if the patient does not have a family donor or the condition of the prospective family donor makes it impossible to donate? The opportunities come from foreign donors, who are completely unrelated. Even so, the odds were slim. The chances of a patient's bone marrow match with a foreign donor could be about one in millions.
The process of finding donors is complicated
Even after you find someone who has the potential or who is willing to donate his bone marrow, he or she must first go through a series of medical examinations. This aims to determine whether the criteria for bone marrow are the same as your bone marrow sample as a recipient of a donor.
Checking these two bone marrow samples is also not easy. You have to do a complete blood test to a DNA test. Prospective donors must also ensure that they meet any bone marrow donor requirements that have been determined.
All of these checks are not cheap. In Indonesia, there are actually very few health institutions that provide this facility. This is what makes it even more difficult for people to find the right bone marrow donor.
Indeed, what are the consequences if the patient does not use a suitable bone marrow donor?
If forced to accept an unsuitable spinal cord, this creates the risk of other problems that could harm the patient's condition.
For example, although you can use a donor from a parent, it can compromise your immune system because the donor is not completely compatible. Ultimately, your body will produce a rejection response and this can slow down your recovery process. Improper bone marrow donation can even worsen disease conditions, leading to infection and other bodily function disorders.
If your bone marrow donor fails, the cancer cells will not be completely destroyed. You will still have to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy to complement your treatment.
Therefore, bone marrow donation must be done properly and correctly. If you really want to do this, you should first consult your doctor.
