- Taking medicines to increase the number of stem cells in the blood. You will be given medicines that will make the stem cells increase in number and come out of the bone marrow into the blood where they can be easily collected.
- Filtration of stem cells from the blood. The machine filters out the stem cells and the rest of the blood is returned to the body. A preservative is added to the stem cells and then frozen and stored for later use.
- Conditioning. During the conditioning process, you will receive high doses of chemotherapy or radiation - or sometimes both treatments - to kill the cancer cells. The treatment you undergo depends on the disease and your specific case.
- Receiving stem cell infusion. The stem cells will be infused into your blood , where they will travel to your bone marrow. Over time, they multiply and begin to produce new, healthy blood cells. It usually takes several weeks before the number of blood cells in the body starts to return to the standard range. In some people, it may take longer.
