By Kandis R. Fuller
More than 18,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or other blood disorders yearly that could be cured or treated with a blood stem cell transplant. For many patients, including those with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, and certain metabolic disorders, the only chance of survival is finding a matching blood stem cell donor as quickly as possible. November is National Marrow Awareness Month, and Univera Healthcare is highlighting the importance of joining the Blood Stem Cell Donor Registry for bone marrow transplants.
According to Be The Match, a global bone marrow transplantation and research nonprofit,
family members are the most likely candidates to be a donor match; however, matches with family members are only found in about 30% of cases. Expanding participation in the Be The Match nationwide donor registry is crucial to increasing the pool of potential donor matches beyond blood relatives. Donor matches are especially challenging for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The chance of finding a match for African Americans is 30%, for Hispanic Americans 50%, and for white people 80%.
“A more diverse registry is crucial since you’re more likely to find a donor match with someone of the same ethnic background,” says Lorna Fitzpatrick, MD, vice president of medical affairs and senior medical director at Univera Healthcare. “We encourage everyone who is eligible to join the movement and help grow the registry.”
In the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) residents between the ages of 18 and 40 who meet Be The Match medical guidelines can join the registry. There is no cost to join. Learn more and join at https://bethematch.org.
Kandis R. Fuller, APR, is communications manager at Univera Healthcare.
