The short answer
NMDP, known for years as Be The Match, operates the national registry of potential marrow donors and cord blood units under federal contracts, as part of the federally authorized C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program. It does not perform your transplant or choose your treatment plan.
NMDP (formerly Be The Match) operates the national donor registry under federal contracts, as part of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program.
The registry lists potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units.
NMDP does not perform transplants. Your transplant center and doctor do.
Ask your transplant team about donor search options and about patient support and financial help, and confirm details directly.
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A familiar name with a new one
If you have heard of Be The Match, NMDP is the name that group now uses. Check nmdp.org for current details.
What NMDP does
The registry of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program is a list of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units. HRSA, the federal health agency, says the registry is operated under federal contracts by NMDP (the National Marrow Donor Program). Your transplant center uses this registry when it looks for an unrelated donor.
What NMDP cannot do
It does not perform your transplant. That happens at your transplant center, with your own medical team.
It does not decide whether a transplant is right for you. That is a decision between you and your transplant doctor.
It is not your insurance company, and we could not confirm any financial help details in an approved source.
Where to start
Talk with your transplant team first. Ask how the donor search will work and what the options are if a fully matched donor is not found. Ask the social worker about support and cost help. Then check nmdp.org for the current list of services, because details change.
What we could not confirm
This page used to describe other NMDP programs, such as navigators, clinical trial search support and caregiver resources. Those details came from NMDP's own site. We could not confirm them in an approved source, so they were removed.
Sources
- HRSA, C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program. The HRSA pages were blocked when opened; the registry statement above comes from an HRSA search result and should be re-checked.
Common questions
Is NMDP the same organization as Be The Match?
NMDP is the name Be The Match now uses. Before relying on that, confirm the current name and services at nmdp.org.
Does NMDP find my donor directly?
NMDP operates the registry of potential marrow donors and cord blood units. Your transplant center works with that registry and runs the donor search for you.
Does NMDP offer financial help?
We could not confirm financial assistance details in an approved source. Ask your transplant center's social worker, and check with NMDP directly.
Can NMDP tell me if I need a transplant?
No. That decision is made with your own transplant doctor.
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Editorial review complete — This page completed Cancer Explained's editorial checks (sources, safety, plain language, duplication). It has not been reviewed by a physician or other healthcare professional.
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