Your Medical Opinion on Cord Blood?

Question

I had a dual cord blood stem cell transplant last year for leukemia. I have a couple of questions about cord blood that I am interested in (this is not really in relation to my medical case)

1. If a person has the transplant using their own cord blood, is that still considered an auto transplant? Obviously I didnt have my own cord blood, but I almost did an auto peripheral blood stem cell transplant instead. I was given the opinion that ultimatly it would only be a time lengthening proceedure and that chances were high the leukemia would come back. Maybe that was specific to my case (aml, m1, 2nd diagnosis), but would that still be the same if you were to use your own cord blood?

2. Should you be allowed to privatly bank and/or sell cord blood? Everyone I talk to is for private banking, and a lot of people seem to be for selling cord blood.

Both of my units came from the public bank. If I had had to have paid for it, buy it from someone else, I would never have gotten it. I wouldnt have the money to bank cord blood if I were to have a child.

Because of my experience, I view cord blood as an organ. Organs cant be bought or sold, and I am not sure cord blood should be either (or privatly banked) for the same reason. Its no longer a fair game based on medical need. Its all about who can the most for it.

What do you think?

Answer 1

I am not medical professional, but I am the mother of a child who went through a CBT and a Cord Blood Donation advocate.

1. Using your own cord blood would most likely have been the same as using your own peripheral blood stem cells.

I actually met a child at the Ronald McDonald House where we were staying who had one form of Leukemia, had a Cord Blood Transplant, and then was diagnosed a year later with a DIFFERENT type of Leukemia... it turned out that the little girl whose cord blood was donated had the leukemia cells in her blood from birth, they were just inactive in her. (They said this was the 2nd time it had ever happened anywhere in the world.) But it tells me that if you have leukemia, wouldn't have been able to use your own cord blood no matter what (although a sibling could if they needed at CBT)

2. I don't think you should be allowed to bank/sell stem cells or cord blood. Cord blood storage companies have convinced so many people that this could be a life saver, when our doctors told us that very, very, few children who get sick are able to use their own cord blood for transplant. My daughter wouldn't have been able to, as the DNA defect she had was also in her cord blood.

People who do pay to privately bank it, will most likely NEVER find a buyer. It would be like winning the lottery.  That's one expensive lottery ticket.

Answer 2

I believe in stem cell research and I think that parents should have the right to store their baby's cord blood in case of an emergency.  I'm not however, in favor of selling cord blood.  I view cord blood banking in the same category as egg fertilization for artificial insemination.  The remaining eggs are the property of the two parents involved in the process.

Answer 3

You certainly have endured much here but I think that this venue for this type of question will not be as "good" as you would like. Please let me refer you to another site (allexperts.com) there you will find the expert that will be able to answer your questions. God bless.

Answer 4

I so glad the stem cell procedure seems to have worked--congrats.

I think your own cord blood would provide the best outcome, but of course that's not available to most of us.  I agree that cord blood should be classified as an organ for transplant purposes.  It would be much easier to get mothers to donate their cords as well, and this could really give many people a longer life.  

Thank you for your interesting question.  

Answer 5

congratulations for the success of the procedure.

yes autotranslant is by using own cord blood.

i don't agree for selling cord blood.It should be free volunteer donation