Worldwide Web of bone marrow donors.

The first successful Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) was performed in the 1960s. Initially, patients had to have a sibling donor which limited BMT to approximately 30% of patients. The development of regional donor registries and subsequently the establishment of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) in 1986 has expanded the availability of BMT so that the majority of patients in need of a BMT have access to a donor. Physicians need to be aware of the donor registry to encourage their patients to be donors and to know when to refer a patient for consideration for BMT.