Bone Marrow Transplant

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Your First Visit

Initial Consultation

Before becoming patients at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), most people who are considering a transplant have a consultation. At your consultation:

  • You will meet with a transplant oncologist who has expertise with your disease. This doctor will review your medical records, talk with you about your treatment options and make recommendations for you and your referring doctor.
  • A transplant nurse will offer you an orientation and tour.
  • You will meet with a representative from Patient Financial Services to talk about treatment costs, your insurance coverage and how to pay for your transplant.
  • We will give you a packet of transplant information to take home.

To schedule a consultation, call (800) 804-8824. If you are from outside the area and you are not sure you can travel here for a consultation, please call us to talk about options.

Transplant Workup

After you decide to have a transplant, we will help you plan ahead and prepare for the transplant process. Right before your transplant occurs, you will come to SCCA for meetings, evaluations and paperwork. During your first day at SCCA, you will have a transplant workup. You will meet your doctor and nurse to discuss your health history and have a physical exam and blood draw. You will also get a tour of the Transplant Clinic, which is on the sixth floor for the SCCA clinic. Your nurse will give you consent forms so you have time to review them before you sit down with your medical team for your arrival conference the next day. You will receive your “Patient & Caregiver Resource Manual,” too.

Arrival Conference

During your arrival conference, on the second day of your visit, you will meet with your doctor and other members of your team to discuss your treatment plan. Every transplant patient at SCCA is cared for by a personal team that includes an oncologist, a fellow or a physician’s assistant, a registered nurse, a pharmacist, a dietitian and a social worker. Your doctor will explain the transplant process, talk with you about the benefits and risks, and answer your questions. Once you feel that you understand the risks and benefits of the treatment plan and you want to continue, you will be asked to sign consent forms giving us permission to treat you. You may bring members of your family, including the donor, to this meeting.

To learn about what comes next, read about the transplant process.