Glossary of BMT and Related Terms

Below is a short list of basic terms and acronyms about BMT, along with references to more comprehensive resources.

Allogeneic: transplant using cells from another person who is not a patient’s twin

ABMDR: American Bone Marrow Donor Registry

ACOR: Association of Cancer Online Resources

Antigen: a substance, usually a protein, that causes the body to produce antibodies

Autologous: “self” transplant using one’s own cells

BMDW: Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide

BMT: blood and marrow transplant; bone marrow transplant

CHRMC: Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center

CB or UCB: cord blood, umbilical cord blood

Conditioning: high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation administered to rid the patient of their diseased immune system immediately prior to HCT

CRIR: Caitlin Raymond International Registry

DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid, a substance found in the cells of all living things, which carries the genetic code for that organism, which determines its function, growth, and features, such as color of eyes, hair, skin, etc.

Donor: the person whose blood-forming cells are transplanted into the patient

FHCRC: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

GVHD: Graft Versus Host Disease

Haplotype: a group of human leukocyte antigens

Hematological: “of the blood”; a hematolgist is a physician who treats diseases of the blood

Hematopoietic: “blood forming”

HCT: hematopoietic cell transplant, refers to all types of cell sources

HLA: Human Leukocyte Antigen, refers to proteins located at certain sites (on chromosome 6) on the surface of white blood cells that control the body’s immune response, determining if a rejection reaction will occur between cells of the immune system of 2 people, i.e., between donor and recipient

HLA typing: (also called tissue typing) testing of DNA to determine similarity or difference, and the degree thereof, between the HLA antigens of a patient and of a potential donor

MUD: Matched Unrelated Donor, now commonly called URD

NMDP: National Marrow Donor Program

OPA: Office of Patient Advocacy of the NMDP

PBSCT: peripheral blood stem cell transplant

Recipient: the patient who receives the transplant

SCCA: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, formed of FHCRC, CHRMC, and UWMC

SCT: stem cell transplant

Stem cells: blood-forming cells found in bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood; not to be confused with embryonic stem cells

Syngeneic: refers to transplant from an identical twin donor

Tissue typing: same as HLA typing

URD: Unrelated Donor, same as MUD

UWMC: University of Washington Medical Center

WMDA: World Marrow Donor Association

BMT Glossary Resources

National Marrow Donor Program Glossary

Mayo Clinic Glossary of Terms Related to Bone Marrow Transplant

UCSF Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program: Glossary