Search Process
1. Your doctor requests a free preliminary search
2. Preliminary search results are interpreted
3. Your doctor refers you to an NMDP transplant center
4. Your transplant doctor starts a formal search
5. Your transplant doctor identifies a donor or cord blood unit
6. Cells are collected and transported to the transplant center
1. Your doctor requests a free preliminary search
Any doctor can ask for a preliminary search of the NMDP Registry. A preliminary search is a one-time snapshot of potential donors and cord blood units on the NMDP Registry that may match you. Your primary doctor can do a preliminary search early while planning your treatment. If you have already been referred to a transplant center, your transplant doctor will do the preliminary search.
When your doctor submits a preliminary search request to the NMDP, he or she will include your human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type. The HLA tissue type is used to match you to potential donors or cord blood units.
A preliminary search of the NMDP Registry is free. Your doctor can submit this request through this Web site. A preliminary search for an unrelated donor can be done while your family is being tested as possible donors for you.
2. Preliminary search results are interpreted
The NMDP sends preliminary search results to your doctor within one working day after he or she has submitted the request. The results show a list of donors and cord blood units that may be a suitable match for you. These early results may show many or few potential matches. Further testing is needed to find out which, if any, of the potential donors or cord blood units are suitable for you.
If your primary doctor does the preliminary search, it is important for him or her to review the results with a transplant doctor who has experience in the donor search process. Your doctor can also talk to HLA experts at a transplant center or the NMDP for help interpreting the search results.
3. Your doctor refers you to an NMDP transplant center
A transplant doctor does the next steps of the search process. If your primary doctor has not already referred you to a transplant doctor, he or she will do so now. If you need an unrelated donor or cord blood unit from the NMDP Registry, you will need to go to a transplant center in the NMDP Network. NMDP transplant centers are required to meet NMDP standards for quality and transplant experience.
The transplant team will evaluate your health, disease stage and other factors to decide if transplant is a good treatment option for you. The transplant team will also tell you more about the transplant process, including how they will search for your donor or cord blood unit and the costs involved. Most transplant centers require approval from your insurance company before starting a formal search. Most transplant centers also require you to identify a caregiver who will help care for you during your transplant and recovery.
4. Your transplant doctor starts a formal search
Further testing is needed to find out whether potential donors or cord blood units listed on the preliminary search results are suitable matches for you. This testing is done through a formal search. NMDP transplant centers can do a formal search by requesting further testing of potential donors or cord blood units on the NMDP Registry. The decision to do a formal search is a formal agreement between you and the transplant center. Because donors may be contacted and lab tests done, there are costs for a formal search.
Some insurance companies cover some or all search costs and others cover none. The transplant costs your insurance covers may depend on your disease, treatment plan and other factors.
A transplant center will test several potential donors or cord blood units to find the best one for you. If an adult donor appears to be a good match, he or she must be contacted to be sure he or she is healthy, able and willing to donate. If one or more cord blood units are suitable match for you, your doctor will also look at the number of blood-forming cells in the cord blood units. The number of blood-forming cells in a transplant needs to be suitable for the size of the patient — larger patients need more cells.
It is your transplant center's job to find a donor or cord blood unit for you. Finding a donor is not your responsibility. Your transplant team will use their experience and research findings to select potential donors to test further. The goal is to find the best donor or cord blood unit for you in the shortest amount of time. It can take as little as a few weeks to as long as two months or more to find a donor or cord blood unit. Sometimes no suitable donor or cord blood unit can be found. If that happens, your doctor will look at other treatment options. These options might include using a partly matched family member (haploidentical donor).
Your treatment during the search
Usually while your transplant center searches for your donor or cord blood unit, you will return to your primary doctor for care. You and your primary doctor and transplant doctor need to keep in contact with each other. If your health or disease changes while you are waiting for a donor to be found or your transplant to take place, you and your primary doctor should tell your transplant center. Your doctors may decide it is in your best interest to delay the transplant. It is important for you to be as healthy as possible when you have your transplant.
5. Your transplant doctor identifies a donor or cord blood unit
When your transplant doctor selects a suitable adult donor, your transplant center will retest the donor's HLA typing to confirm that it matches yours. The selected donor will have more blood tests and a physical exam to ensure that he or she does not have an infection or disease that could be passed on to you through the transplant. The tests also make sure donating will not be too risky for the donor.
Your transplant doctor will also choose whether to ask for marrow or peripheral (circulating) blood cells (also called PBSC) from the donor. Doctors are still trying to find out more about whether one source of cells leads to better transplant results than the other.
The NMDP will explain the donation process to the donor. The donor must understand what is involved before he or she agrees to donate.
If your transplant doctor chooses cord blood as the best source of cells for you, your transplant center will test a sample of blood stored with the cord blood unit to confirm that it matches you. Screening for infectious diseases and other medical problems is done before the cord blood units are stored.
6. Cells are collected and transported to the transplant center
For adult donors, the NMDP works with your transplant center and your donor's donor center to schedule a collection date. The date depends on your health and when you will be ready for transplant as well as on the donor's schedule. On the scheduled date, the marrow or blood cells are collected. A trained courier brings them to your transplant center within 24-48 hours after they have been collected, and you receive your new cells.
If your transplant doctor chooses cord blood for your transplant, the transplant center will ask for the cord blood unit to be shipped. Cord blood is stored frozen and can be delivered to your transplant center within 24 hours. The NMDP will arrange the shipment of the cord blood to your transplant center. When you have finished your pre-transplant treatment (preparative regimen) and are ready for transplant, the cord blood is thawed and you receive your new cells.
Patient and donor confidentiality
You will not know who your donor is at the time of your transplant. The NMDP follows strict confidentiality standards to protect the privacy of both you and your donor. According to these standards, you and your donor cannot learn each other's identities for at least one year after your transplant. Some centers do not ever allow you and your donor to learn each other's identities. If you have a cord blood transplant, you will never learn who donated the cord blood.
2. Preliminary search results are interpreted
3. Your doctor refers you to an NMDP transplant center
4. Your transplant doctor starts a formal search
5. Your transplant doctor identifies a donor or cord blood unit
6. Cells are collected and transported to the transplant center
1. Your doctor requests a free preliminary search
Any doctor can ask for a preliminary search of the NMDP Registry. A preliminary search is a one-time snapshot of potential donors and cord blood units on the NMDP Registry that may match you. Your primary doctor can do a preliminary search early while planning your treatment. If you have already been referred to a transplant center, your transplant doctor will do the preliminary search.
When your doctor submits a preliminary search request to the NMDP, he or she will include your human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type. The HLA tissue type is used to match you to potential donors or cord blood units.
A preliminary search of the NMDP Registry is free. Your doctor can submit this request through this Web site. A preliminary search for an unrelated donor can be done while your family is being tested as possible donors for you.
2. Preliminary search results are interpreted
The NMDP sends preliminary search results to your doctor within one working day after he or she has submitted the request. The results show a list of donors and cord blood units that may be a suitable match for you. These early results may show many or few potential matches. Further testing is needed to find out which, if any, of the potential donors or cord blood units are suitable for you.
If your primary doctor does the preliminary search, it is important for him or her to review the results with a transplant doctor who has experience in the donor search process. Your doctor can also talk to HLA experts at a transplant center or the NMDP for help interpreting the search results.
3. Your doctor refers you to an NMDP transplant center
A transplant doctor does the next steps of the search process. If your primary doctor has not already referred you to a transplant doctor, he or she will do so now. If you need an unrelated donor or cord blood unit from the NMDP Registry, you will need to go to a transplant center in the NMDP Network. NMDP transplant centers are required to meet NMDP standards for quality and transplant experience.
The transplant team will evaluate your health, disease stage and other factors to decide if transplant is a good treatment option for you. The transplant team will also tell you more about the transplant process, including how they will search for your donor or cord blood unit and the costs involved. Most transplant centers require approval from your insurance company before starting a formal search. Most transplant centers also require you to identify a caregiver who will help care for you during your transplant and recovery.
4. Your transplant doctor starts a formal search
Further testing is needed to find out whether potential donors or cord blood units listed on the preliminary search results are suitable matches for you. This testing is done through a formal search. NMDP transplant centers can do a formal search by requesting further testing of potential donors or cord blood units on the NMDP Registry. The decision to do a formal search is a formal agreement between you and the transplant center. Because donors may be contacted and lab tests done, there are costs for a formal search.
Some insurance companies cover some or all search costs and others cover none. The transplant costs your insurance covers may depend on your disease, treatment plan and other factors.
A transplant center will test several potential donors or cord blood units to find the best one for you. If an adult donor appears to be a good match, he or she must be contacted to be sure he or she is healthy, able and willing to donate. If one or more cord blood units are suitable match for you, your doctor will also look at the number of blood-forming cells in the cord blood units. The number of blood-forming cells in a transplant needs to be suitable for the size of the patient — larger patients need more cells.
It is your transplant center's job to find a donor or cord blood unit for you. Finding a donor is not your responsibility. Your transplant team will use their experience and research findings to select potential donors to test further. The goal is to find the best donor or cord blood unit for you in the shortest amount of time. It can take as little as a few weeks to as long as two months or more to find a donor or cord blood unit. Sometimes no suitable donor or cord blood unit can be found. If that happens, your doctor will look at other treatment options. These options might include using a partly matched family member (haploidentical donor).
Your treatment during the search
Usually while your transplant center searches for your donor or cord blood unit, you will return to your primary doctor for care. You and your primary doctor and transplant doctor need to keep in contact with each other. If your health or disease changes while you are waiting for a donor to be found or your transplant to take place, you and your primary doctor should tell your transplant center. Your doctors may decide it is in your best interest to delay the transplant. It is important for you to be as healthy as possible when you have your transplant.
5. Your transplant doctor identifies a donor or cord blood unit
When your transplant doctor selects a suitable adult donor, your transplant center will retest the donor's HLA typing to confirm that it matches yours. The selected donor will have more blood tests and a physical exam to ensure that he or she does not have an infection or disease that could be passed on to you through the transplant. The tests also make sure donating will not be too risky for the donor.
Your transplant doctor will also choose whether to ask for marrow or peripheral (circulating) blood cells (also called PBSC) from the donor. Doctors are still trying to find out more about whether one source of cells leads to better transplant results than the other.
The NMDP will explain the donation process to the donor. The donor must understand what is involved before he or she agrees to donate.
If your transplant doctor chooses cord blood as the best source of cells for you, your transplant center will test a sample of blood stored with the cord blood unit to confirm that it matches you. Screening for infectious diseases and other medical problems is done before the cord blood units are stored.
6. Cells are collected and transported to the transplant center
For adult donors, the NMDP works with your transplant center and your donor's donor center to schedule a collection date. The date depends on your health and when you will be ready for transplant as well as on the donor's schedule. On the scheduled date, the marrow or blood cells are collected. A trained courier brings them to your transplant center within 24-48 hours after they have been collected, and you receive your new cells.
If your transplant doctor chooses cord blood for your transplant, the transplant center will ask for the cord blood unit to be shipped. Cord blood is stored frozen and can be delivered to your transplant center within 24 hours. The NMDP will arrange the shipment of the cord blood to your transplant center. When you have finished your pre-transplant treatment (preparative regimen) and are ready for transplant, the cord blood is thawed and you receive your new cells.
Patient and donor confidentiality
You will not know who your donor is at the time of your transplant. The NMDP follows strict confidentiality standards to protect the privacy of both you and your donor. According to these standards, you and your donor cannot learn each other's identities for at least one year after your transplant. Some centers do not ever allow you and your donor to learn each other's identities. If you have a cord blood transplant, you will never learn who donated the cord blood.