The Leukemia Foundation is urging Australians to help in addressing a critical shortage of registered stem cell donors ahead of World Marrow Donor Day tomorrow.
The Foundation, alongside the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), is calling on all Australians between the ages of 18 and 35 to sign up to become a stem cell donor.
Stem cell transplants are a vital component of treating blood cancers – at any one moment, 1,000 Australians are waiting for a suitable living donor match to provide life-saving treatment.
Australians interested in doing their part to end deaths from blood cancer can sign up here at the Strength to Give website – the donation procedure is simple with minimal discomfort, and necessary only when a match is found.
Eliminating deaths from blood cancers
“More than 19,500 Australians will be diagnosed with blood cancer this year, and around 20% of those will need a stem cell transplant to survive their diagnosis,” Leukaemia Foundation CEO Chris Tanti said.
According to Tanti, the Australian donor pool is too limited to meet local patient needs, directly compromising their chances of survival.
“With a significant lack of local donors in Australia from diverse cultural backgrounds, Australian patients are increasingly dependent on overseas donors to meet demand,” he said.
“Some Australian patients are waiting for a suitable donor match for over a year, which can compromise their chances of beating an often-deadly disease like blood cancer.”
Donors urgently needed
As it currently stands, eight out of 10 patients who require bone marrow or stem cell transplants rely on overseas donors.
“Australian patients that need a transplant expect and deserve the highest standards of care,” said ABMDR CEO Lisa Smith.
“This standard cannot be met while some patients miss out on finding a donor simply because of their ancestry.
“While the Australian registry reflects the diversity of the Australian population reasonably well, there are simply not enough young donors to meet the needs of Australian patients.
“There is a critical need to widen the donor pool in this country and ensure more donors are available to find the best possible match for each patient requiring a transplant.”
Straightforward donation procedure
The initial registration to the stem cell registry requires only a cheek swab, which will enter your particular stem cell profile into the registry to await a match.
Matches are rare, based on genetic compatibility, and the stem cell collection procedure is simple and involves minimal discomfort.
“We often hear of suitable donors that are resistant to signing up to the registry as they worry the stem cell collection procedure could be painful. However, in most cases it isn’t,” Smith said.
“Most stem cell donations generally involve a process similar to donating plasma, which comprises of taking blood from one arm, collecting the stem cells, and returning the blood through the other arm.”
Leukaemia Foundation CEO Chris Tanti added: “This simple procedure can save a life, and we strongly encourage all eligible Australians to sign up to the stem cell donor registry today.
“More donors mean more matches and more hope for Australians living with blood cancer.”