Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is similar to bone marrow transplantation. In the PBSCT procedure, healthy immature cells (stem cells) are removed from the patient's peripheral blood, instead of the bone marrow, and stored temporarily. The patient then receives high-dose chemotherapy and possibly radiation therapy to destroy leukemia cells, following which the stem cells are returned to the patient, where they can produce new blood cells to replace the cells destroyed by treatment.