Commonly Asked Questions About The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and Stem Cell Donation

Registering with the NMDP

Do I have to give marrow to be tested for the marrow Donor Program?
No, a simple cheek cell swab is all that is required for the Registry. Volunteers must be between 18 and 60 years of age and in good general health. Volunteers will remain on the registry until their 61st birthday, or until they request to be removed from the registry.

Can I take myself off of the registry at any time?
Yes, a potential donor can remove  himself or herself from the Registry at any time. We encourage potential donors, however, not to register with the NMDP until they are informed about all aspects of stem cell donation and have all questions they might have answered completely.

Does it cost anything to be tested for the registry?
Yes, it does cost for the tissue antigen test that is required to be entered into the registry. However, this cost is usually covered in part by grants.  The potential donor may be asked to contribute part of this fee (check with the donor center staff to see if grants are available.)  Once a potential donor is matched with a patient needing a transplant, that patient is responsible for all costs of the marrow donation except for any time the donor misses from work.

Can I get tested for a specific patient (i.e., family member or friend)?
The NMDP maintains a registry of unrelated potential donors willing to help any patient that they might match.  Individuals can be tested through the NMDP and ask for a copy of their results at the time of testing.  If they are interested in only getting tested for a specific person, they will need to have this done privately through the patient's transplant center or physician.

Matching

Why is it so difficult to find a match?
There are six tissue antigens that must match very closely, if not exactly.  These antigens occur in our population in different frequencies.  Therefore, if a patient has a more common "tissue type", it is easier to find a match than if a patient has a combination of one or more rare antigens.

Why is ethnicity and race important?
The characteristics of stem cells are inheritied in the same way as hair and eye color.  The best chance, therefore, of finding a donor match is from someone of the same racial or ethnic background.

Does blood type have anything to do with marrow or stem cell type?
No, a person's blood type (a typing of the red blood cells) does not have any bearing on a person's HLA, or tissue type (a typing of the white blood cells and tissue cells.)  In fact, the only way a person's blood type can change is to receive a stem cell transplant.

The Donation Process --------

Does it hurt to donate marrow?
No, the marrow is collected under anesthesia, so it should not be painful.  However, the donor usually experiences soreness in the lower back for several days or more.

Is it dangerous to donate stem cells by marrow collection?
No, the marrow replenishes itself in a few weeks and there are no negative health effects.

Can I be a stem cell donor more than one time?
Yes. Currently a person can be a stem cell donor through the NMDP three times.

If I am a donor, will I get to meet the recipient of my stem cells?
Although the donation is made anonymously, you have the option of communicating with the recipient through letters and can meet at a later date if you both agree and if it has been one year past your donation.

Back to Top