High dose chemotherapy, which is often used to treat multiple myeloma, also harms healthy cells that produce new blood and other tissues. This can leave the patient at risk for developing an infection or bleeding. A blood stem cell transplant is used as a rescue after high dose chemotherapy, which ensures that the patient will be able to produce healthy blood and immune cells after treatment. Blood stem cells can come from a healthy donor (allogeneic stem cells) or the patient (autologous stem cells).

Blood stem cell transplantation is performed in two phases. Phase One involves the collection of the blood stem cells. Blood stem cells are collected by passing the patient's blood through a special machine. SVCCC has an Apheresis (stem cell collection) Unit, a processing lab and storage facilities on-site so there is no need for the patient to travel elsewhere for the procedure.

Phase Two is the transplantation of the collected stem cells back to the patient.