More African-American Bone Marrow Needed

Stem cell transplant self-donation and relative-donation rates differ between whites and blacks, says a U.S. study.

Stem cell transplant — also known as blood and marrow transplant — is used to treat diseases of the blood and several types of cancer, says Dr. Mary Horowitz, chief scientific director for the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Patients who are candidates for stem cell transplants are most likely to find a matching donor in someone of their own ethnicity. However, African-Americans have a greater variation of human leukocyte antigens — the genes that must match between donor and recipient — so it is estimated that three times as many African-American donors are needed to equal the chance of obtaining a Caucasian match, according to the National Cord Blood Program.

Among the potential reasons for less self-donation and relative-donation of whites and blacks are:

— Differences in insurance coverage for stem cell transplants.

— Cultural attitudes toward the medical system.

— Physicians attitudes toward minorities.

— Bias among doctors and patients.