bone marrow transplantation

(bone MAYR-oh tranz-plan-TAY-shun) A procedure to replace bone marrow that has been destroyed by treatment with high doses of anticancer drugs or radiation. Transplantation may be autologous (an individual's own marrow saved before treatment), allogeneic (marrow donated by someone else), or syngeneic (marrow donated by an identical twin).

A medical procedure to replenish the soft tissue within bones that produces new blood cells. Bone marrow transplants are necessary when marrow has been destroyed by drug or radiation therapy for cancer, often leukemia. A bone marrow donor is usually a close relative of the patient. See also cancer, leukemia, mutation