Definition

A type of donor stem cell transplant in which a patient receives lower doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy than in a standard transplant. The lower doses of anticancer therapy do not kill all of the blood-forming stem cells or all of the cancer cells in the patient’s bone marrow. However, the anticancer therapy is still strong enough to suppress the patient’s immune system and prevent rejection of the donor stem cells. The patient’s stem cells and those from the donor both live in the patient’s body for a time after a mini-transplant. Once the cells from the donor begin to grow and divide in the bone marrow, they replace the patient’s own bone marrow cells and destroy the remaining cancer cells. A mini-transplant may be an option for certain people who are older or who are not healthy enough to receive a standard donor stem cell transplant with high-dose chemotherapy. Also called non-myeloablative transplant and reduced-intensity transplant.