FAQs

Finding a match is based on a type of tissue, specifically human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue, found on most of the cells in your body. And because it's inherited, you’re most likely to match with a patient who shares your ethnic background.

It depends. If your recipient's transplant center is in the U.S., your donor center may be able to give you a brief update about your recipient's condition six to nine months after transplant. Direct contact may be allowed one to two years after transplant. You can also connect with your recipient anonymously.

For more information, please ask your donor center coordinator.

It’s difficult to predict because every situation is different. The most important thing you can do as a registry member is stay informed and committed so that if you're selected as the best match, you're ready to move forward.

It's free. All medical costs for the procedure are covered by Be The Match. We never bill your insurance. Travel expenses and other non-medical costs, including lost wages, are also covered.

It varies. The process is spread out over a four-to-six-week period, not including travel time. Most donors are asked to travel during the process.

PBSC (90% of donations): A non-surgical procedure done in an outpatient clinic. PBSC donors receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim or an FDA-approved similar for five days leading up to donation to increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream. Then, through a process called apheresis, a donor's blood is removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells. The remaining blood is returned to the donor through the other arm.

Marrow (10% of donations): A surgical procedure done under general anesthesia in a hospital. Doctors use needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of the pelvic bone.

PBSC donation: Donors may experience headaches or bone and muscle pain, similar to a cold or the flu, for several days before collection. These are side effects of the injections of filgrastim or its FDA-approved similars and disappear shortly after donation. Other common side effects are nausea, trouble sleeping and fatigue. Less than one percent (0.6%) of donors experience serious side effects from filgrastim.

During donation, some donors experience tingling around the mouth, fingers and toes and mild muscle cramps. This is caused by the anticoagulant (blood thinner) used in the apheresis procedure. These symptoms are easily treated with calcium replacement or by slowing down the procedure. Other common side effects include bruising at the needle site, chills and a decrease in blood platelet count. Platelets will return to normal and the body regenerates marrow within about six weeks.

Marrow donation: The donor experiences no pain during the collection procedure while under general anesthesia.

Most marrow donors experience some side effects after donation, which commonly include:

• Back or hip pain
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Bruising at the incision site

PBSC donation: Fewer than 1% of PBSC donors experience a serious side effect from the donation process.

PBSC donation may require placement of a central line if you don't have suitable arm veins. A central venous line is a sterile tube that's inserted into one of the larger veins, the femoral vein, internal jugular vein or subclavian vein.

Another potential risk is associated with filgrastim injections, though no donors from the registry have reported any long-term complications.

Marrow donation: A small percentage (2.4%) of donors experience a serious complication due to anesthesia or damage to bone, nerve or muscle in their hip region.

The risk of side effects of anesthesia during marrow donation is similar to that during other surgical procedures. Serious side effects of anesthesia are rare. Common side effects of general anesthesia include sore throat (caused by the breathing tube) or mild nausea and vomiting. Common side effects of anesthesia are a decrease in blood pressure and a headache after the procedure.

PBSC donation: Recovery is a little different for every donor. Some feel sore or more tired than usual for about a week after donating. Most say they're back to their regular lives within just a few days.

Marrow donation: It's a little different for everyone. It takes around 20 days to fully recover, but most people return to life as usual about a week after the procedure.

No, donating isn't linked to any long-term side effects. It doesn’t weaken your body or immune system, or impact fertility.