How does the search for a blood stem cell donor work?

Looking for a matching stem cell donor is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Four in ten patients in the UK and four in ten patients worldwide still do not find a matching donor. That is why we need as many people as possible to register as a blood stem cell donor.

When a blood cancer or blood disorder patient depends on a blood stem cell transplant to survive, they need a donor whose tissue characteristics are a 100 percent match, if possible. Search requests are sent to the National Registry, and if a potential donor match is found on the DKMS database, we will be informed and contact the donor immediately.