Hospital On World Cancer Day: Signing Up with DKMS to Aid Blood Cancer Patients
Solingen Municipal Hospital is organizing a registration event for potential stem cell donors on World Cancer Day, February 4, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The event, taking place in the hospital cafeteria, Level U2, is happening in cooperation with DKMS.
Every 12 minutes in Germany, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, and every 27 seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with the same life-threatening disease. A stem cell donation can often be the last chance of survival for many patients with blood cancer.
At the event, anyone aged 17 to 55 in good general health can register by providing a quick mouth swab sample. If you are found to be a match for a patient in need, the most common method of stem cell donation (used in about 90% of cases) is peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection, which is similar to giving blood or platelets and typically takes around 4 to 5 hours. In the remaining 10% of cases, donation involves a bone marrow procedure, which is done under general or regional anesthesia.
It is essential to note that the exact donation does not happen at the registration event but follows later if you are identified as a suitable donor. The multiplication of the transplanted cells until the production of a new blood formation system usually takes two to three weeks. The patient receives the stem cells via a central venous catheter, and the type of collection depends on the patient's diagnosis.
The transplant is only viable for up to 72 hours after collection. By registering at the event, you could give someone with blood cancer new hope on World Cancer Day.
References:
[1] DKMS. (n.d.). Register as a stem cell donor. Retrieved from https://www.dkms.org/en/register/
[2] DKMS. (n.d.). Donation process. Retrieved from https://www.dkms.org/en/donate/donation-process/
[3] American Cancer Society. (2021, January 8). Stem cell transplant: Bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/treatment/stem-cell-transplant/stem-cell-transplant-types/bone-marrow-or-peripheral-blood-stem-cells.html
[5] National Marrow Donor Program. (n.d.). How donation works. Retrieved from https://www.marrow.org/for-patients-and-families/treatment/how-donation-works
- Registration events like the one at Solingen Municipal Hospital on World Cancer Day aim to increase the number of potential stem cell donors, as science has shown stem cell donations can be lifesaving for those battling blood cancer – a medical-condition that affects many lives worldwide.
- By registering as a stem cell donor on World Cancer Day and providing a mouth swab sample, you could be a health-and-wellness guardian, offering new hope to someone stricken by cancer – a disease that claims countless lives annually.
