Hi @pefishback Back when I had my MUD (matched unrelated donor) transplant, (6+ years) cord stem cells were generally reserved for patients where a suitable HLA donor match wasn’t available. The cord registry (with preserved cells) has grown exponentially over the last decade, making cord cell donations more readily available. This would be a good discussion to have with your transplant team doctor as to which option would be the better for you.

While you’re waiting for other members to reply about their experience with cord stem cells there might be a book you’d enjoy reading by a gentleman who had a double cord transplant in 2016. His name is Steve Buechler. I have his book and remember chatting with him briefly many years ago. Really funny guy who found some humor in all of this AML/transplant stuff. Here’s his website. The book is available on Amazon too.
How Steve Became Ralph: A Cancer/Stem Cell Odyssey (with Jokes).
https://stevebuechlerauthor.com/
If you haven’t read this yet, here’s a link to a paper in Pub Med.
Is There Any Reason to Prefer Cord Blood Instead of Adult Donors for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants?
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4707249/
With the newer protocol of preemptive treatments presented in some transplant centers, the risk of serious or chronic GVHD has diminished over the years. Larger, research/teaching hospitals such as Mayo are the better options for positive outcomes. Larger facilities also have deeper benches of specialists who can be utilized should there be any unexpected issues. Long term follow-up care post transplant is also vital, not just for the first year.

It’s also important for you to trust your BMT team. They will initiate the donor search and your doctor will then compare your DNA panel against that of potential donors for the best paring. Usually that decision isn’t left with the patient. There are so many factors, besides HLA matching that can lead to a positive outcome in this quest for a 2nd chance at life after AML.

Have you talked with your transplant doctor about a potential match? What’s the timeline for your transplant?