Clamor for Canadian Cord Blood Bank

Canadian medical professionals would like to see an increase in the availability of umbilical cord blood to aid in treatment, but there is a growing belief that will only happen if the nation moves forward to create a national cord blood bank, according to an article at Today's Family News.

The article quotes Dr. Stephen Couban of the Canadian Bone Marrow Transplant Group as stating “There are simply not enough marrow or cord donors in Canada at this time.” Many feel that the only remedy is a national bank, as private storage options are expensive and limit access to the umbilical cord blood.

The bank, advocates claim, could help many additional patients. The article notes that, "Last year, according to CBS figures, Canadian hospitals treated 45 patients with stem cells from cord blood. Almost all the donors were from outside Canada. A further 400 or so patients could benefit from cord blood stem cell therapy."