Immune Cell Treatment
Some blood cancer patients, especially those with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), who have a relapse after stem cell transplantation or for whom transplantation isn't successful may benefit from an immune cell treatment called donor lymphocyte infusion.
During this procedure, doctors transfer lymphocytes (a type of white cell) from the original stem cell donor's blood to the patient. The infusion's goal is to attack or suppress leukemia cells by inducing an intense immune reaction against the patient's cancer cells. This is called a graft versus tumor (GVT) effect.
Donor lymphocyte infusion has been helpful in treating relapsed CML after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. It may also be a helpful treatment for patients with relapsed myeloma after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
