Transplantation von blutstammzellen heute - Indikationen, komplikationen und aktuelle entwicklungen

Being able to transplant stem cells, has revolutionized modem hematology and oncology. Diseases which were universally fatal 20 years ago, can now be cured. A well known example is chronic myelocytic leukaemia, which when transplanted early in a young patient, can now be cured in approximately 50% of cases. The survival of patients with multiple myeloma has improved by months or years by performing autologous transplantation. For patients with solid tumors, transplantation is still an area of controversy and should not be performed out of controlled clinical trials. Despite these advances, not all complications of stem cell transplantation can be controlled satisfactorily. An example are severe graft-versus host-reactions which contribute to the morbidity and mortality of allogenic transplants. In earlier years, stem cells for transplantation were harvested only from the bone marrow. Nowadays, an increasing number of centers perform peripheral blood transplantations. Stem cell transplantations need special knowledge and know-how, therefore specialized centers are being licensed to perform such transplants.