If you have searched the site and the questions and answers on this page and still can't find the answer you are looking for, please contact us using a special on-line form.
Q: How do I sign up to be a volunteer donor?
A: You must be between the ages of 18 and 60
and in general good health. A simple blood test given through an
authorized NMDP Donor
Center or Recruitment
Group is needed to obtain your HLA tissue type so it can be entered
onto the National Registry.
Related Links: Join
the Registry
Q: If there is not an NMDP Donor Center or Recruitment Group in my area, how can I join the NMDP Registry?
A: Call the NMDP Donor Center or Recruitment
Group nearest you. They may have a satellite office near you or a donor
recruitment drive coming up in your area. Also, some Donor Centers will
mail out blood test kits after you fill out consent forms and return
them to the Donor Center.
Related Links: How
to Join
Q: Will it cost anything to be a donor?
A: The cost for HLA tissue typing ranges from
$45 to $96 depending on the Donor Center, the level of testing
performed, and the laboratory that analyzes the test results. Some Donor
Centers can defer the cost of your testing by asking for a donation of
whole blood or blood components. There also may be funding available or
a waiting list through the Donor Center. After the initial testing, all
medical expenses are covered by the recipient or the recipient's
insurance. Please contact your local Donor Center for further
information.
Related Links: The
Cost to Join
Q: Describe the stem cell donation process.
A: When you donate marrow, it is removed with a surgical needle from the back of your pelvic bone. All marrow donors are given either general or regional anesthesia. Usually, four to eight tiny incisions are made in the pelvic area. These incisions are so small that stitches are not necessary. The procedure lasts between 45 and 90 minutes. Marrow is constantly regenerating itself and is replaced within several weeks.
For a donation of peripheral blood stem cells, the donor receives one
injection of Filgrastim each day for four to five days. Filgrastim is a
drug that increases the number of stem cells released from the bone
marrow into the blood stream. The stem cells are collected from the
blood stream through a process called apheresis. During apheresis, which
is done at a blood center or a hospital, your blood is removed through a
sterile needle placed in a vein in one arm and passed through an
apheresis machine that separates out the stem cells. The remaining
blood, minus the stem cells, is returned through a sterile needle placed
in a vein in the other arm.
Related Links: Marrow
Donation PBSC
Donation
Q: What are the risks for the stem cell donor?
A: Bone marrow donation is a surgical procedure. There is minimal risk involved. Serious complications are rare but could include anesthesia reactions, infection, transfusion reactions, or injury at the needle insertion sites. With a marrow donation, donors can expect to feel some soreness in the lower back for several days or longer following the donation.
Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors may experience bone pain,
muscle pain, nausea, insomnia and fatigue while receiving injections of
Filgrastim. Bone pain and headaches have been the two most frequently
reported symptoms. These effects disappear promptly when the collection
is complete. During the apheresis procedure some donors experience a
tingling feeling from the anticoagulant used to keep the cells from
clotting. Others experience chills. These effects are relieved after the
donation is complete.
Related Links: Marrow
Donation PBSC
Donation Monitoring
Donor & Patient Safety
Q: How do I become a donor if I live outside the United States?
A: The NMDP has several International Donor Centers as well as Cooperative Registries throughout the world.
Q: Can I get tested for a specific patient (i.e., family member or friend)?
A: 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 getting tested only for a specific friend or family member, they will need to have the blood test done privately. For private testing, contact the Transplant Center or the patient's transplant physician for suggestions.
Q: I've already been tested for a family member and would like my results added to the NMDP Registry. How can I do this?
A: Obtain a copy of your HLA tissue typing and contact the NMDP Donor Center in your area for information on joining the Registry. The donor center will have you fill out some health history forms and a consent form. The Donor Center will then place your results into the Registry so you will be cross-referenced for any patient searching the Registry for an unrelated stem cell donor.
Q: I am already on the Registry, but have moved. How can I update my contact information?
A: Please see our online Change of Address form.
Q: How can I verify that I am on the Registry?
A: Each year, the NMDP and its Network of
Donor Centers mail out an annual publication, The Marrow Messenger,
to all potential stem cell volunteers registered through the NMDP. If
you received the publication, you are on The NMDP Registry. In addition
to this annual publication, some Donor Centers send newsletters and
mailings throughout the year. If you have never received The Marrow
Messenger, but have moved since you originally joined the Registry,
you may still be listed but would need to contact the NMDP Donor
Center where you were tested in order to verify this.
Related Links: Verification
of Registry Status
Q: Why does a person have to be 18 to be a donor? Can't my parents sign the consent form for me?
A: NMDP standards require that volunteer marrow donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60. This is standard medical practice. The reason an individual must be 18 to donate marrow is because the donation is done through a surgical procedure and the person undergoing the procedure must be able to give his or her informed consent. A guardian or parent is not able to sign a release or give consent because unrelated marrow donation is a voluntary procedure and is not beneficial or lifesaving to the donor. Because the patient's physician may request either donation procedure, a volunteer must be medically eligible for both procedures.
Q: If I'm over 60, why can't I be a donor?A: The NMDP recognizes that chronological age does not necessarily correlate to physiological age. However, the NMDP must rely on chronological age when determining eligibility. In addition, with age comes a small increase in the risk of side effects from anesthesia. And recent NMDP studies reveal that patients receiving stem cell transplants from older donors have a somewhat poorer survival rate. These age guidelines are meant to protect the safety of the donor and provide the best possible cure for the patient. They are not meant to discriminate.
Q: How do I get involved in organizing a recruitment drive and/or ordering NMDP materials (brochures, fliers, t-shirts, etc.)?
A: If you are interested in organizing a drive
to recruit volunteer stem cell donors for the Registry, or in ordering
materials, please contact the NMDP Donor
Center or Recruitment
Group in your area. The Donor Centers have staff to assist you in
setting up a drive. All of the Donor Centers keep a supply of NMDP
materials for public distribution and can reorder if necessary.
Related Links: How
to Help Request
Materials