In autologous bone marrow transplants, cells are taken from the patient through a process called apheresis. In apheresis, the patient's blood is passed through a machine that removes the stem cells (immature cells from which all blood cells develop); the blood is then returned to the body. The process takes several hours. Autologous transplants are performed for:

• Neuroblastoma
• Brain tumors
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma