Number of collections grew 8% compared to 2023, when 398 donations were made
The Unified Health System (SUS) registered 431 bone marrow stem cells available for transplantation by November 2024, an increase of 8% compared to the 398 collections carried out in 2023. The data are from the Brazilian Registry of Voluntary Marrow Donors Bone().
The number of new donors reached 129 thousand people by November 2024, exceeding the 119 thousand registered in 2022. The registration of recipients also showed significant growth: there were 2,060 registered in the first 11 months of 2024, after reaching 2,201 in 2023.
“In Brazil, 70% to 75% of patients who have a compatible donor identify him in REDOME, while 65% of transplants performed use a Brazilian donor”, said Danielli Oliveira, doctor at the National Cancer Institute (INCA) and technical coordinator of REDOME.
The Brazilian bank, coordinated by INCA and financed by the Ministry of Health, is the 3rd largest registry of voluntary bone marrow donors in the world and the only one with exclusively public financing. Currently, it has more than 5.9 million registrations.
The search for donors follows a specific protocol in the health system. When a patient requires a transplant, the first compatibility check is carried out between family members. If there is no genetic match in the family, a search begins in donor records in Brazil and abroad. The REDOME team uses advanced technology to cross-reference genetic information and identify potential donors, who are then contacted to confirm availability and perform additional tests.
Bone marrow transplantation is essential for the treatment of approximately 80 serious blood and immune system diseases, including leukemias, lymphomas and immunodeficiency syndromes.
