Medical Health Encyclopedia

Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, mouth sores, and loss of appetite.

The procedures themselves are fairly dangerous and carry a small risk for death. When it was first used, transplantation procedures had 10 - 25% morality rates. Now mortality rates are below 5%.

Infection resulting from a weakened immune system is the most common side effect and can persist for several months after the transplant. Because the stem cell procedure is done more swiftly, the risk period is shorter than with bone marrow transplantation. Many patients develop severe herpes zoster virus infections (shingles) or have a recurrence of herpes simplex virus infections (cold sores and genital herpes). Pneumonia, cytomegalovirus, aspergillus (a type of fungus), and Pneumocystis carinii (a protozoan) are among the most important life-threatening infections.

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Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious attack by the patient's immune system triggered by the donated new marrow in allogeneic transplants. Acute GVHD occurs in over half of allogeneic transplants, usually within 90 days. Its severity ranges from very mild symptoms to a life-threatening condition (more often in older patients). In some cases, it can become chronic, which usually develops after the third month following the transplant but may not develop for a year or more. GVHD can causes gastrointestinal problems, severe skin reactions, hair loss, mouth and throat ulcers, and liver damage. Careful matching of the donor and preventive immunosuppressive drugs, such as corticosteroids, methotrexate, and cyclosporine (Sandimmune), may reduce the risk. T-lymphocyte depletion is another approach for preventing GVHD, which involved reducing the number T cells infused with the stem cells.

Secondary cancers. There is a small long-term risk for leukemia after transplantation in young people. Use of newer chemotherapeutic drugs, however, may not pose as high a danger as older treatments.

Other potentially serious complications include:

• Bleeding because of reduced platelets (highest risk within the first 4 weeks)
• Infertility
• Organ complications to the liver, heart, kidney, or lungs
• Failure of the transplant 
• Muscle problems including stiffness, cramps, and joint pain
• Frequent urination and bladder control problems
• Older patients should be screened for osteoporosis and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)