Save lives: This is how you can become a stem cell donor – get typing now!

Save lives: This is how you can become a stem cell donor – get typing now!

In Austria, more than 330,000 people are registered as potential stem cell donors, but the number of typings is alarmingly low. On the occasion of the upcoming World Blood Cancer Day on May 28th, the Giving for Life – Leukemia Aid Austria association is calling for increased typing. Around 300 people develop blood cancer every year and urgently need a stem cell donation, but around 10 percent of those affected cannot find a compatible donor. The call for typing is aimed primarily at all Austrians between the ages of 17 and 45.

Typing is carried out simply and painlessly using a cheek swab. Those interested can do this either on Austria-wide campaign days or conveniently at home with a free typing set. These kits allow participants to take their swab themselves and send it back to the relevant authorities. Further information about the typing campaigns can be found on the websites of the Giving for Life association ( www.habenfuerleben.at ) and the Austrian Red Cross ( www.stammzelle.at ) available.

Urgent need for donors

In total, around 300 people in Austria wait for a stem cell donation every year. On average, three people are diagnosed with leukemia every day. The chance of finding a compatible donor is only 1 in 500,000. However, transplantation of healthy stem cells can be life-saving and therefore a higher typing rate is of great importance. In Austria, only 3.2 percent of the total population is currently typified, while in Cyprus the typing rate is 22.5 percent and Germany only reaches 12.2 percent.

Last year, 178 people from Austria were actually able to donate stem cells, which shows that despite the high number of registered potential donors, actual donations are rare. The typing itself is usually carried out using a cheek swab, the data of which is entered pseudonymously into a global stem cell registry.

From typing to donation

After typing, the collected data is forwarded to the Central Bone Marrow Donor Register in Germany, where it is stored pseudonymously. If the HLA characteristics match a patient suffering from leukemia, an inquiry is made via the international registry. If the match is confirmed, further preliminary examinations, such as a blood sample, will be carried out by the family doctor. If the selection is successful by the transplant center, the donation can finally be prepared.

The need for more typing and education about stem cell donation is essential. Only through active participation and the courage of the population to register as potential donors can many people with blood cancer be helped.