4th Edition

NMDP Publishes Medical Professional's Guide to Transplants

The National Marrow Donor Program^® (NMDP) has published the fourth edition of A Medical Professional's Guide to Unrelated Donor Stem Cell Transplants.

The guide is a basic resource for oncologists, hematologists, immunologists, geneticists and other medical professionals, providing information about stem cell transplants and explaining the process and timeline associated with finding an unrelated marrow donor, blood stem cell donor or umbilical cord blood unit.

"The primary focus of this guide is to provide physicians with information they can use when referring patients to transplants centers," said Chatchada Karanes, M.D., medical director of the NMDP. "The guide provides information about the appropriate timing of referrals and the transplant process."

Physicians and medical professionals can call the NMDP's Office of Patient Advocacy at (888) 999-6743 for more information about the Medical Professional's Guide or with any questions related to unrelated donor stem cell transplantation.

You may order a printed copy using this online order form.

The National Marrow Donor Program is a nonprofit organization that is committed to its mission to extend and improve life through innovative stem cell therapies. The NMDP has facilitated more than 15,000 transplants throughout the world for patients with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia, as well as certain immune system and genetic disorders.

The NMDP offers searching patients who do not have suitable family donors a single point of access for all three types of stem cells used in transplantation: marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood. Through its extensive U.S. and international network, the NMDP manages the largest and most diverse Registry of volunteer donors, including more than 27,000 cord blood units (as of January 2003). Matching donors to patients is only part of NMDP's life-saving mission. The NMDP also provides support for patients and physicians and conducts research studies aimed at increasing opportunities for and improving the outcomes of stem cell transplants.

For more information about the NMDP, call (800) MARROW-2.