BC and organ donors

rayne_23
rayne_23 Member Posts: 47
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

forgive the fact i'm not sure which forum this would be appropriate, so i'm just posting it here:

My question is; someone who is or has been Dx with BC, can they still give blood? how about giving bone marrow or being an organ donor?

Jordana has been giving blood on a regular basis (mind you, hasn't done so in the past year)
she now wonders if she now automatically doesn't qualify to be a donor.

i understand completely that blood containing meds that she's on probably wouldn't be safe to transfuse, but even after BC, is it possible to remain an organ donor or is it really not such a good idea at all?

thanks for the input.

-Rayne

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  • otter
    otter Member Posts: 6,099
    edited July 2008

    Rayne, I just googled "blood donor" x "cancer", and discovered that the answer to your question is not as simple as I had hoped it would be.

    On the American Red Cross website, I found the ARC blood donor eligibility criteria:  http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html#can

    Here's what they say about a cancer diagnosis:

    "Cancer
    Eligibility depends on the type of cancer and treatment history. If you had leukemia or lymphoma, including Hodgkin’s Disease and other cancers of the blood, you are not eligible to donate. Other types of cancer are acceptable if the cancer has been treated successfully and it has been more than 12 months since treatment was completed and there has been no cancer recurrence in this time. Lower risk in-situ cancers including squamous or basal cell cancers of the skin that have been completely removed do not require a 12 month waiting period.

    Precancerous conditions of the uterine cervix do not disqualify you from donation if the abnormality has been treated successfully. You should discuss your particular situation with the health historian at the time of donation."

    +++++++

    The information on the ARC site was last updated 5/08/08.

    In complete contrast to what I found on the ARC website, here's what the American Cancer Society website says about donating blood and organs: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_4x_Donation_by_Cancer_Survivors.asp

    That's a really long web link--I might have to edit this post and delete it.  If I can't post the web link, just google with the keywords I noted above, and you'll find the site high on the list of hits.  Here's the text from the ACS site regarding blood donations:

    "Different blood collection centers may have slightly different standards for allowing cancer survivors to donate. For example, the American Red Cross guidelines allow people who have had cancer to donate if the cancer was treated with surgery or radiation at least 5 years ago and there has been no recurrence. Potential donors who have had only low-risk skin cancers that were removed or destroyed (and therefore have little risk of cancerous cells entering the bloodstream) may not have to wait that long. People who were treated for cancer with chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or immunotherapy cannot donate blood. Nor can anyone who has had leukemia or lymphoma."

    +++++++++++

    Note the last sentence about chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and immunotherapy resulting in a permanent deferral by the American Red Cross.  The information on the ACS site was last revised on 3/08/2008.  The ACS site also has information about organ donation.

    Probably the best thing is to call the American Red Cross or whichever agency collects blood in your area, and ask them.  There is a central organ donation agency in the U.S. called UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing).  They're supposed to be the ones who make the rules about donor eligibility.  They have a website, but it's impossibly complicated and unhelpful, IMHO:  http://www.unos.org/

    You've asked a very good question!

    otter

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  • az8n
    az8n Member Posts: 78
    edited March 2009

    I called CORE - Center for Organ Recovery and Education.

    I was told that nothing disqualifies anyone from being an organ donor.  However, at the time of the donor's passing, the medical history/records will be evaluated and a decision will be made at that point.  This is for Pennsylvania. 

    For other states, this is the url: http://donatelife.net/

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  • Roya
    Roya Member Posts: 346
    edited March 2009

    Years ago when I lived in Californina, any cancer diagnosis meant automatic disqualification from donorship in that state. I remember being at the bedside of a dying friend, accident victim, and the docs came in and asked the family about organ donation.  One of the first questions that they asked was whether  she'd had a history of cancer.  There had been a history of cancer  so my friend was automatically disqualified from donation.  The docs at that time said that they did not need to know where the cancer had been or what kind it was because no history of cancer was acceptable. This was about 10 years ago and I sincerely hope that they have the same precautionary measures in place today.

    Now I live in France and to the best of my knowledge, after asking around, they have the same rules here.

    Rayne, you specifically asked about donating after BC. My own personal opinion is this: Once you have had cancer, there is always the possiblility of there being even one tiny cell left after treatment, that is why some people get a reoccurance.  There is always the possiblity that it may be lurking somewhere else besides the primary site.....even after treatment.  There is no way of knowing whether it is gone after 12 months or any number of months past treatment, which is why our docs prefer to follow people for 5 or more years after treatment.  In my opinion, there is always the possiblity of passing it on and placing someone else at risk.  I would not want to risk putting anyone else through what I have been through!  I hope that I am not sounding too harsh.

    If it were me on the receiving end, I would like to be advised so that I could at least make a choice as to whether or not to accept an organ or blood from a cancer survivor.  I would definitly decline it!  I would never even donate to any of my family members now that I am a survivor.  I just would not be able to take that responsibility. I never ever want to go through this again and I will never ever knowingly put anyone else at risk! 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2009

    I guess that means next time I renew my driver's license I should take off the mark that says I am a donor?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2009

    I was told NO about blood donor and organ donor... but I need to verify it with Illinois law/statutes. But honestly... I was so hurt... although I do understand... it was sad, because I felt "diseased/dirty"... I was always a proponent for both - but especially for organ donation...

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  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 2,017
    edited March 2009

    Laura, I too was rejected to donate blood and or organs.  My Dh gives blood  religiously, but my blood was rejected.  Quite simply, they do not know enough about BC to allow blood or organ exchanges among people.  I too felt hurt, yet soon enough recognized that I have a serious disease that will probably be a lifelong struggle for me. There is no cure for this sucker and the medical people do not totally understand how it works, so we are not able to donate blood/organs.

    It is just another wake-up call that we have BC.

    We can, however, donate so much in terms of time and love.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2009

    Zap - you are so right! When I was told I could not be a donor... that's when I decided to become a CASA... when one door closes... another door opens... I will never let any door stop me. Luv ya!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2009

    Rayne - Sorry - I should have addressed you first, since you were the one who started this thread... I am so glad you did... this is a very sensative issue... one that I have thought about many times over the last year or so... maybe some day - science will be able to predict which cancers are NOT accepted for organ donation AND which ones ARE... that would be great... my friend died, at the age of 24, waiting for a heart... gawd... I will never be able to understand why EVERYONE who is eligible... would NOT want to save a life...

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited March 2009

    Well, of course the recipient of the blood would not want cancer.

    But I don't know if cancer could be transmitted via the blood.  The cancer cells that would be transmitted to the patient would be FOREIGN cells. Would the recipient be able to kill these cells? If they were immunocomprimised, would that be a concern?  Maybe they don't know.

    I agree with Laura - if I can be a recipient, I'd sure want to be one.  I certainly won't need my body anymore when I die. 

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  • Roya
    Roya Member Posts: 346
    edited March 2009

    I agree with Zap in terms of donating time and love.  Sure it hurts the ego to have our  offers of blood etc rejected.  But wouldn't it hurt even more to be the cause of someone else getting cancer because there was a cell or 2 lurking in the blood or organs that you donated to them?

    Better safe than sorry when it comes to the possibility of risking other peoples lives.  Given the fact that with BC there may be reoccurance, and also the fact that we are not even cleared for 5 or more years, why would anyone want to even consider donating blood or ogans to someone else when there may be cancer cells lurking?  Does this seem inconsiderate or am I missing something that is being said in this forum? 

    If post cancer patients feel that they just have to donate, then perhaps the recipients could be advised or forwarned so as to be able to make a decision as to whether they really wanted it.  That would eliminate a lot of liability concerns.

    I would not need my body after death either but I would rather donate it to science so as to help seek cures than to donate parts of it to another human, thus possibly causing their death as well.

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  • Brenda_R
    Brenda_R Member Posts: 509
    edited March 2009

    I asked my Oncology nurse when I was still in treatment and she told me no. No blood, no organ donations. I asked so I'd know when I got my DL renewed, I didn't sign the donor part this time.

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  • 07rescue
    07rescue Member Posts: 168
    edited March 2009

    While blood and organ donation will likely continue to be too risky, there are really wonderful alternative donations we can all make. Medical schools ALWAYS need cadaveric donations for medical students to learn anatomy from, our donations are critical for future doctors' education. Surgical procedures can be taught to budding surgeons, so that living patients will have the best trained doctors available to safely perform procedures on them.

    There are many research opportunities that cannot be pursued using living humans, especially in the fields of brain and mental illness studies, where consent is either difficult or impossible to obtain, or is ethically uncertain, where cadaveric tissues can be used with some success. Whole brain donations are the only means by which many treatments for schizophrenia and many other major mental illnesses will ever be discovered.

    Simple donations like these are very often not made simply because surviving family members don't know their loved one's wishes, and the idea of cadaveric donations can feel uncomfortable to them.

    I have made my wishes known to my entire family and in a living will, so they will be very comfortable knowing for certain that I want my remains to be used for the betterment of the field of medicine and future patients.

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  • Roya
    Roya Member Posts: 346
    edited March 2009

    07rescue, thank you for what you wrote in your post .  You are sooooo right!  There are many many other ways that we as BC survivors can donate our organs and bodies in a beneficial way so as to help future generations.  We do not have to donate our blood and organs to other living human beings!  It is just too risky to even consider.   The thought of it is almost inconcievable.

    I would be very angry if one of my friends and or family members received a blood or organ donation from a cancer survivor then actually came down with cancer.  I believe that we should do unto others as we would want done to ourselves. 

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  • Janet0527
    Janet0527 Member Posts: 141
    edited March 2009

    I have a friend who for years has known that he would eventually need a kidney transplant, and I have always planned on getting tested for compatibility.  In a strange twist of timing, he reached the point where the transplant was recommended as the next step for him just as I was being diagnosed with cancer.  Four days after my mastectomy was his appointment where he brought friends and family to be tested, and I wasn't able to participate.  I looked for factors that disqualify someone from being able to donate a kidney, and breast cancer was on the list.  Chances are I wouldn't have matched him anyhow and his family is the best bet (he's still waiting for results), but I felt useless and disappointed and just plain pissed off at my body.  Aside from all that, the point is that breast cancer was definitely on the list of things that will prevent someone from donating a kidney, and I would expect it to be the same for other organs.

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  • Marple
    Marple Member Posts: 19,143
    edited March 2009

    I just recently sent in the form and have donated my body to our local university with a medical program.  At least it's something I can offer.

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  • denise1962
    denise1962 Member Posts: 193
    edited March 2009

    I was in the process of donating a lobe of my liver to my twin brother had gone through all of the testing  and had a surgery date schduled when on a chest ct they found enlarged lymph nodes This was on a tues I schduled a mammo for that friday came back postive had biobsy done and got the results sat morning cancer. Went to the hosp still thinking I could donate and had the liver biobsy. Boy way the doc made when he found out I had cancer after doing the liver biobsy. So no organ or blood donation. My twin did get a liver about 3 mos later and is doing well. I thank him all the time for saving my life as I had no symptoms of bc. I felt like I was going to lose him but everything turned out well. On and my other brother who passed in Oct 08 was diagnoised with kidney cancer 6 weeks after me. Cancer of all kinds run in my family. I too want to donate to a medical program.

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