Whether you donate blood or not, you should know how essential to donate blood to people with cancer?
In fact, “intensive chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments destroy cancer cells, but also bone marrow cells, which are then no longer able to produce new blood cells in sufficient numbers. During this period, blood cell transfusions red may be needed to fight anemia, or platelet transfusions to prevent the risk of bleeding”.
What are the needs?
- Red blood cells are mainly used in hematology (blood diseases) and cancerology. They are also essential in the event of bleeding (surgery, trauma, childbirth).
- Platelet transfusion helps prevent the risk of life-threatening hemorrhages in patients with leukemia or cancer. It is also necessary in cases of massive bleeding, where it is combined with a transfusion of red blood cells and plasma.
- Plasma, in its labile or medicinal form, is used to treat patients suffering from hemorrhages, coagulation disorders or severe immune deficiency.
10,000 blood donations a day to save 1 million people.
In several countries, nearly a third of blood transfusions are performed in oncology departments, especially for people with lymphoma or leukemia, diseases that directly affect the blood.
And no other product can substitute for the blood of volunteers. “It is therefore important to educate the general public on the essential role of blood donation in the treatment of patients.”
Now that you know how essential is to donate blood to people with cancer, what’s next?
In practice, you must be 18 to 70 years old, weigh more than 50 kg, and be recognized as fit during the interview preceding the donation.
More precisely, men can donate blood up to 6 times a year and women up to 4 times, but there must be a minimum of 8 weeks between two donations.
Contraindications related to acts of care, a state of health, personal or sexual practices, stays abroad or the taking of certain drugs and antibiotics are listed at the donation center.
If a volunteer has a history of malaria, has undergone surgery in the last 4 months, has a blood infection (HIV, viral hepatitis, etc.) has just had a tattoo, has traveled to an area that has had tropical diseases in the past 4 months, or had sex for money or drugs in the past 12 months, he will not be able to donate blood.
All this is to ensure the safety of donors and recipients.
