The short answer
Transplant preparation covers the type of transplant, conditioning chemotherapy, fertility questions, and practical questions about caregivers and housing that each transplant center answers differently.
Autologous transplant uses your own stem cells; allogeneic uses donor cells that must match closely enough that your immune system does not see them as foreign.
Conditioning is high-dose chemotherapy and maybe radiation therapy, lasting a week or two (NCI).
Allogeneic transplant can cause graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which can affect the skin, liver, intestines, and other organs.
Infertility is listed by NCI as a possible long-term problem, so ask about fertility before treatment starts.
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This page is for people getting ready for a stem cell transplant, and for the family members who will help them. It covers the two main types of transplant, fertility, conditioning, practical questions about caregivers and housing, and graft-versus-host disease. Details differ by center and by person, so use this page to prepare questions for your transplant team.
Two different transplants under one name
Autologous transplant uses your own stem cells. They are collected from your blood by a machine, in a procedure called apheresis. After high-dose chemotherapy, they go back in. NCI notes the transplanted cells will match, with a small risk that cancer cells will be transplanted.
Allogeneic transplant uses cells from someone else. The donor is tested for HLAs, sets of proteins or markers on cells. The more HLAs you and the donor share, the better the chance your body will accept the donor's cells. Donor cells can attack cancer cells that remain in your body. NCI calls this graft-versus-tumor or graft-versus-leukemia. Donor cells can also attack your own tissues. That is graft-versus-host disease.
NCI says full immune system recovery can take several months after an autologous transplant, and 1 to 2 years after an allogeneic transplant.
Knowing which one you are having reshapes almost every practical question below.
Tests beforehand
Your transplant team will tell you which tests you need before the transplant, and when. Ask for the list and the dates, and ask what each test is for. Ask whether you need a dental check, since infection risk matters during treatment.
Fertility, before anything else is scheduled
NCI lists infertility among the possible long-term problems after transplant. If having children is a possibility for you, or you are unsure, raise it at the first transplant appointment. Do not wait to be asked. Ask what your regimen is likely to do to fertility, what preservation options exist, and whether preserving fertility could affect your schedule. These choices need to be made before treatment starts.
Conditioning
Before the transplant you get conditioning treatment: high doses of chemotherapy, and maybe radiation therapy. NCI says this goes on for a week or two. The transplant itself can take a few months to complete.
NCI lists mouth sores among short-term side effects. Ask your team what other side effects to expect and what to do about them.
Fever and other warning signs. Ask your team in advance which symptoms mean you should call right away, and what number to call at night and on weekends. If you have a fever of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher, or any emergency sign such as trouble breathing, call your care team right away or call 911.
Caregivers and living near the center
NCI does not set caregiver or housing rules, but many centers have their own. Ask early:
- Does the center require a named caregiver, for how long, and what will that person need to do?
- How close to the center do I need to stay after leaving the hospital, and for how long?
- What housing, travel, or financial help is available?
- Who is the backup caregiver if the first one gets sick or worn out?
Ask the social worker about caregiver support, work leave for your caregiver, and respite options. Then work out school, pets, rent and income for that period.
GVHD, if you are having donor cells
NCI says acute GVHD occurs within the first 3 months after transplant, and chronic GVHD 3 months after a transplant or later. It can affect the skin, liver, intestines, and many other organs. Treatment is with steroids or other drugs that suppress your immune system.
Ask what your GVHD prevention plan is. Ask which symptoms to report at once, and how long you will be on immunosuppression.
Sources
Common questions
What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic transplant?
In an autologous transplant the stem cells come from you. NCI notes the cells will match, with a small risk that cancer cells will be transplanted. In an allogeneic transplant the cells come from someone else and must match closely enough that your immune system does not see them as foreign. Donor cells can also attack cancer cells that remain (graft-versus-tumor), and can cause graft-versus-host disease.
Do I need a caregiver, and how long do I have to stay near the transplant center?
NCI does not set caregiver or housing rules. Each transplant center sets its own, so ask your team early what they require, for how long, and what help with housing or travel exists.
How long does recovery of the immune system take?
NCI says full immune system recovery can take several months after an autologous transplant and 1 to 2 years after an allogeneic or syngeneic transplant.
What should I ask about fertility?
NCI lists infertility among possible long-term problems. Ask your team before treatment starts what your regimen is likely to do to fertility, what preservation options exist, and whether preserving fertility would affect your treatment schedule.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Written by: Cancer ExplainedSources last checked: 2026-10-16 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-16Next planned review: 2027-01-30
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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