Can I receive stem cell therapy if I have a history of cancer?

Patients with a current cancer diagnosis, or with a remission period of less than five years, are not considered candidates for our stem cell treatments at this time. If you have a history of cancer, share your full medical history from the beginning, including pathology and oncology reports, so our medical team can review your case carefully.

Many people who have survived cancer later develop other conditions, such as arthritis, back pain or fatigue, and wonder whether regenerative treatment is an option for them. It is an important question, and our answer is guided first by safety. This guide explains our policy, why it exists, what documents we ask for and how the review works.

Our policy

This policy applies to stem cell therapy and to exosome therapy. In the answers we give to our patients, we explain it with full transparency: our safety is the priority, and we follow responsible medical and ethical standards before reconsidering candidacy for these therapies.

Why we have this policy

What mesenchymal stem cells do

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from Wharton's jelly act largely through the signals they release: growth factors, cytokines and extracellular vesicles that help regulate inflammation and the immune response and support the repair of tissues. These are the properties that make them useful in regenerative medicine. In a patient with active cancer, or with a recent cancer, our medical team does not apply therapies designed to stimulate repair and modulate the immune system.

Stem cell therapy is not a cancer treatment

Our clinic does not position stem cell therapy as a treatment or cure for cancer. Cancer cases are highly complex and require specialized oncological evaluation and treatment. We encourage patients with active cancer to continue with their oncology team.

What the safety research shows

Large systematic reviews and meta-analyses of MSCs given into the bloodstream, published in EClinicalMedicine in 2020 and in Stem Cells Translational Medicine in 2026, pooled clinical trials with thousands of patients and reported that this type of administration continues to appear safe. These trials, like our protocols, screen patients carefully before treatment, and excluding people with active cancer is a common safety criterion in regenerative medicine. Our five-year remission requirement follows this same principle of careful selection.

What "documented remission" means

Remission means that tests and examinations show no evidence of active cancer. To evaluate your case, the doctor needs documentation, not only a verbal history:

• Oncology follow-up notes from your oncologist, showing your diagnosis, treatment and current status.
• Imaging reports from your follow-up, such as CT scans, MRI or PET scans, showing no evidence of disease.
• Pathology reports of any tumor that was removed.
• The dates of your diagnosis and of the end of your treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or other therapies.
• Recent blood work, including any tumor markers your oncologist monitors.

With these documents, the doctor can confirm how long you have been in remission and review your case.

How the review works

1. Share your history early. Mention your cancer history in your medical questionnaire or first call.
2. Send your documents to your advisor, by email or through a file-sharing link.
3. Medical review: our medical team reviews your documents and your current condition.
4. Our answer: your advisor explains the result clearly. If you are a candidate, you receive a treatment plan. If not, we explain why.
5. Arrival-day screening: if you are a candidate, your arrival-day laboratory tests include tumor markers as an additional safety step.

Tumor markers on your arrival day

All our patients have routine blood work on arrival, including tumor markers such as CEA, CA-125 and CA 19-9, together with a complete blood count, a metabolic panel and a urinalysis. According to the National Cancer Institute, tumor markers can provide information related to cancer, but levels can also rise for reasons other than cancer. If a value is high, the doctor reviews it with you before going ahead and may recommend further evaluation with your own physician first.

Example scenarios

Scenario 1: seven years after breast cancer. A patient finished treatment seven years ago and has yearly follow-up with her oncologist. She now has knee arthritis. She sends her oncology notes, her latest imaging reports and her knee MRI. The medical team reviews the documents, confirms more than five years of documented remission and prepares a treatment plan for her knee.

Scenario 2: two years after colon cancer. A patient with back pain had colon cancer surgery two years ago and is in remission. Because his remission is shorter than five years, he is not a candidate at this time. The team explains the reason, and he continues his oncology follow-up, with the option to contact us again when he reaches five years.

Scenario 3: a new diagnosis. A patient interested in treatment for fatigue mentions a recent cancer diagnosis. The team explains that patients with a recent or current diagnosis are not candidates and encourages her to continue with her oncology team.

These examples show how the policy works in practice: the decision depends on documented remission time, reviewed by our medical team.

If you are not a candidate yet

Hearing that you are not a candidate can be disappointing, especially if you are dealing with pain or other symptoms. Here is what you can do:

• Continue with your oncology follow-up, which remains the priority.
• Ask your physician about other options for your current condition, such as physical therapy or other treatments.
• Keep your documents up to date. When you reach five years of documented remission, you can contact us again, and the medical team will review your case.

Special situations

Skin cancers: some minor skin cancers are treated differently from other cancers. Share the details and pathology report, and the doctor will review your case.

Precancerous findings: findings such as polyps or abnormal cells found in screening are reviewed individually. Send the reports.

Family history of cancer: a family history alone does not exclude you. Tell the doctor, since it is part of your medical profile.

Benign tumors: non-cancerous tumors are reviewed individually with the pathology report.

Why honesty helps you

Sharing your full history protects you, even if you think a past diagnosis is no longer relevant. It allows the doctor to make a safe decision before you travel, avoids surprises on your arrival day and ensures that, if you are treated, your plan is appropriate for you. All your information is handled confidentially and is used only to evaluate your case and plan your care.

Common questions

I finished treatment six years ago and I have no evidence of disease. Can I be treated? You can be evaluated. Send your oncology notes and imaging reports, and the medical team will review your case.

I am in remission for three years. Can I receive only exosomes? No. The five-year remission requirement applies to both stem cell and exosome therapy.

Can I receive PRP instead? Ask your advisor. Other treatments, such as PRP, are evaluated individually by the doctor based on your history and documents.

Will stem cells prevent my cancer from coming back? No. Stem cell therapy is not a cancer treatment and should not be used for that purpose.

What if my tumor markers are high on arrival? The doctor reviews the result with you. An elevated marker does not mean you have cancer, but the doctor may recommend further evaluation before treatment.

Questions to ask your advisor

• Which documents do you need to review my case?
• How long does the medical review take?
• If I am not a candidate now, when can I contact you again?
• What tests will be done on my arrival day?

Bottom line

For your safety, we require at least five years of documented cancer remission, supported by imaging reports and oncology follow-up notes, before considering stem cell or exosome therapy. Patients with active cancer or a recent diagnosis are not candidates, and stem cell therapy is not a treatment for cancer. Share your full history and documents early so our medical team can review your case. A medical evaluation can help determine whether this type of regenerative treatment is appropriate for your condition, goals and medical history.