Can Cancer Survivors Donate Blood?

Hi Robin:

I saw my medical oncologist yesterday and I asked her the same question. She said that her response would be no but to check with
the American Red Cross just to be absolutely certain. There's a questionnarie one must fill out before donating but I can't recall
if it asks about cancer.

I usually donate twice a year but haven't in
the past year due to my diagnosis and treatment. It's something I always felt good
about and was hoping I could continue donating. My doctor said that if there are even a few cancer cells circulating in your blood and you donate, the chance exists that
you can pass on those cells. I guess that makes sense but it's a bit of a disappointment to me.

I think the reasoning is probably that once
you've definitely had cancer, then the chance
of your body harboring cancer cells is higher
than it would be for the average population?
Also, it can, according to my doctors, take
up to a year before our bodies completely
recover from the effects of the chemo and if
our counts are still a bit low, then we need
all the blood we have for our bodies to function properly. My own counts are back to
normal, so I guess that theory doesn't apply to all of us, all the time.

I plan to contact the Red Cross and get specifics about it tomorrow and will post here what they tell me. If I positively can no longer donate, then I need to let them know as they keep sending me reminders in the mail.

I also asked about getting a flu shot and was
told that it's a good idea. So no restrictions there.

Hope you're feeling well!

Love, light and laughter,
Inkblot

ktinkey said:

Robin,

I haven't donated blood in a few years, so I don't know if the restrictions have changed. I tried to donate blood 5 years after I had been cancer free and they called me and told me they were throwing my blood away, because the new rules say you have to be cancer free for 10 years with breast cancer. Now this was a local blood bank in Richmond, VA. It was a good thing they disposed of my blood, since I did have a recurrence after that. I did not have chemo and was not on any medication the first time. The question concerning cancer is on the questionnaire. Check with them before donating and double check, since I got different answers the last time I donated.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

God Bless,
Kathy

Found this on the web:

"Who can never donate? Those who are HIV positive or have AIDS; those with high-risk behavior associated with AIDS; male homosexuals who have had sex since 1977; those who have ever used a needle, even once, to take illegal drugs or steroids; those who have taken clotting factor concentrates for a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia; those who have been given money or drugs for sex since 1977; those who were born in, or have lived for more than a year in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger or Nigeria since 1977; or anyone who has had sex with anyone who was born or lived in any of these countries since 1977; those who had hepatitis after the age of 11; and those who have cancer or who have ever received chemotherapy. Exceptions are healed skin cancer; those who have been cancer-free for five years; were treated with radiation therapy or surgery (no chemo), and did not have breast cancer or leukemia or lymphoma.

There are many temporary deferrals, including pregnancy (six weeks after delivery); tattoo/skin piercing(12 months); blood transfusion (12 months); and heart attack or heart disease (requires letter from approved physician that you're medically stable).

The American Red Cross Web site describes the eligibility guidelines in greater detail:

www.redcross.org/services/biomed/blood/learn/eligibl.html

Contact the American Red Cross to donate blood: 1-800-GIVE-LIFE; to donate money, call 1-800-HELP-NOW. "



October 1, 2001