Misinformation fuels fear of stem cell donation: ‘One person can offer hope for one life’

False information about stem cell donation is turning a potentially life-saving act into a source of fear, according to Turkish doctors and donor advocates. They say many people believe the procedure involves the spinal cord, severe pain or serious risks.

Çiğdem Kuzucu, president of Bin Gönüllüden Biri Sen Ol Derneği, or BİNSENDER, said the group created its “Bir Silgi Bir Umut” project to challenge fears, prejudices and misconceptions about leukemia and stem cell donation. The project aims to replace misinformation with accurate information, fear with courage and indifference with solidarity.

Kuzucu said the campaign also seeks to make adult patients more visible and encourage informed, committed donors. Becoming a candidate, she stressed, involves more than signing up. A volunteer may be contacted months or years later if tissue compatibility is found with a patient, followed by confirmation tests and medical checks.

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We attach great importance to people making this decision with accurate information and awareness of this responsibility from the beginning of their volunteering.

She said more than 1.231 million active donor candidates were registered in TÜRKÖK as of June 2026. The system had recorded 36,905 patient-donor matches, while stem cells had been collected from 8,500 people. Kuzucu warned that withdrawing after a patient begins preparations for a transplant can have serious consequences. “We attach great importance to people making this decision with accurate information and awareness of this responsibility from the beginning of their volunteering,” she said.

Prof. Dr. Ali İrfan Emre Tekgündüz, a member of BİNSENDER’s scientific board, said the most common misconception is that stem cells must be taken from the spinal cord. “There is a false perception that stem cell donation necessarily involves the spinal cord, a very painful procedure or serious risks,” he said. In many cases, he added, cells can be collected from peripheral blood. Bone marrow collection may be used for some patients, with the method chosen according to the medical condition of both patient and donor. Donor safety, he said, remains the priority.

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There is a false perception that stem cell donation necessarily involves the spinal cord, a very painful procedure or serious risks.