What are the side effects of a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant?
According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant may cause side effects. The high-dose conditioning treatment given beforehand can cause bleeding, an increased risk of infection, and fatigue, plus short-term effects such as nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, hair loss, and skin reactions. Longer-term problems may include infertility, cataracts, new secondary cancers, and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs, or heart. With an allogeneic (donor) transplant, you might develop graft-versus-host disease, in which donor white blood cells attack your body and damage the skin, liver, intestines, and other organs. This is general information, not personal medical advice.
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