What is ablative chemotherapy?
Ablative chemotherapy refers to high-dose chemotherapy given before a stem cell transplant. The goal is to completely destroy (ablate) both cancer cells and normal blood-forming cells in your bone marrow.
This intensive treatment creates space for new, healthy stem cells from a donor to grow Show Full Answer
What is ablative chemotherapy?
Ablative chemotherapy refers to high-dose chemotherapy given before a stem cell transplant. The goal is to completely destroy (ablate) both cancer cells and normal blood-forming cells in your bone marrow.
This intensive treatment creates space for new, healthy stem cells from a donor to grow and produce normal blood cells. After receiving ablative chemotherapy, you'll be given the donor stem cells to rebuild your blood and immune system.
This approach is used for some people with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) as part of their treatment plan. The high doses make it very effective at eliminating leukemia cells, but it also requires careful medical support during recovery since your immune system will be temporarily weakened.
February 1
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