The annual report of the National Transplant Organization (ONT), published by the Ministry of Health this Thursday, reveals that since the launch of the National Bone Marrow Plan (PNMO) in 2012, TPH has increased by 42 percent in Spain.
"We all make enormous efforts to ensure patients’ access to these types of transplants, mainly used for the treatment of hematologic diseases, such as leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma," stated ONT’s Director General, Beatriz Domínguez-Gil, emphasizing that the report brings "good news".
The report details that of the total bone marrow transplants performed last year, 2,246 (58%) were autologous transplants using the patient’s own cells, while the remaining 1,598 (42%) were allogeneic transplants using donor cells. The allogeneic TPH rate was 32.8 pmp, double the European average of 14.8 pmp in 2023 according to the European Bone Marrow Transplant Registry (EBMT).
Among allogeneic TPH, 850 were related donors, and 749 were unrelated voluntary donors. The latter have seen the highest percentage increase, rising by 62 percent since the PNMO was launched in 2012.
The success of these transplants relies on voluntary donations from individuals registered in the Worldwide Marrow Donor Registry (WMDA), which includes data from 41 million registered donors worldwide and over 768,000 stored umbilical cord blood units.
The WMDA comprises 103 donor registries from 56 countries, including Spain through the Spanish Bone Marrow Donor Registry (REDMO), ranking fifth in Europe and thirteenth globally in donor volume.
Navarra led in transplant rates, followed by Cantabria and Murcia. Conversely, La Rioja, Extremadura, and Aragón had the lowest transplant rates. Indications for TPH included treatments for various leukemias, multiple myeloma, lymphomas, solid tumors, and other disorders.
Eight percent of TPH were performed in children, primarily for tumor and non-malignant disease treatment. The ONT report also noted a 44.7 percent increase in cellular therapy procedures related to TPH in Spain last year.
In 2024, the REDMO surpassed the goal of 500,000 registered donors set by the PNMO, adding 30,010 new donors, a 27 percent growth from 2023. This increase was driven by continuous donor promotion activities, including the ‘Un match x una vida’ campaign.
The average age of REDMO donors is 41, with over half under 40. While females dominate the registry at 64 percent, there is a need for more male donors to enhance transplant effectiveness.
The initiative ‘Ready to Ship’ (R2S) was launched to optimize the use of stored umbilical cord blood units in Spain, resulting in 3,001 characterized R2S units at REDMO. This project has shown a 3.6 times higher release rate for R2S units compared to non-program units.
Spain, with 61,214 umbilical cord blood units, constitutes eight percent of the global inventory. In 2024, 68 Spanish units were used for TPH, with 19 transplants using units from public banks in Spain.
The efforts of scientific societies, patient associations, autonomous communities, and the solidarity of Spanish society were highlighted by Beatriz Domínguez-Gil, urging continued support for those in need of bone marrow transplants. Spain ranks third globally in umbilical cord blood units.