The American Red Cross requires that you wait 5 years before being able to donate blood after chemotherapy treatments. Does anyone know why this is? The answer that they gave me was that radiation from the chemo is still in your system. I didn't think chemo had radiation in it or was radioactive. Did this guy not know what he was talking about, maybe confusing chemo with raditation? Either way, they let people who get x-rays donate blood and it really isn't much different other than the levels. But why not let someone donate that is a year out from chemo?
2006-12-26 12:42:09 · 4 answers · asked by Jenna 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
Cancergirl, Cancer is not contagious so I don't think that is the reason why.
2006-12-26 13:58:39 · update #1
You are correct, there is not radiation in chemotherapy. Generally, chemotherapy drugs are out of your system in 24-48 hours. The effects of the chemotherapy continue for some time, depending on the drug/drugs used because they affect cells during different stages of the cell cycle. Radiation treatments are immediate - you are exposed to the radiation and the "treatment" from that comes from the damage that is done to the cells from the exposure. The radiation does not remain in your body....unless....for certain types of cancer, they implant little radioactive "seeds" to the area where the cancer is.
I think they want people to be fully recovered from the effects of the chemotherapy before giving blood. It can take up to a year after treatments are completed for people to regain all their strength and feel "normal" again. They don't want to be taking blood from someone who really may need it for themselves! 5 years seems like a long time, but I suppose that's what they chose since cancer prognosis is often in terms of "5 year survival rates" Probably better safe than sorry...they're just being conservative.
2006-12-26 14:24:34 · answer #1 · answered by yakimaniacs 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In most cases, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service accepts people who remain free of cancer five years after the completion of treatment. The five year deferral is to protect the donor's health by ensuring as far as possible that the cancer is gone and will not recur. Five years is the period most often used by cancer doctors to define a presumed cure.
However, people with a history of cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma that involve the blood production system directly, are permanently excluded from donating for the benefit of their own health.
I realise this is from the australian site but imagine its the same as the US seeing as its 5 years too.
2006-12-26 21:06:23 · answer #2 · answered by lividuva 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would guess they want that long a wait because with alot of cancers after 5 years you would be considered cured,with no relapses in between..chemo drugs are toxic so they don't want that stuff in their blood supply,would be my reasoning..and maybe for the donors overall health they want the wait,
2006-12-26 13:03:07 · answer #3 · answered by charmel5496 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be to make sure that the cancer cells don't come back. If you're clean after five years, you probably won't pass the cancer on to someone.
2006-12-26 13:01:58 · answer #4 · answered by musicgirl31♫ 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋