To Your Health: Cancer survivors can donate blood

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Donated blood is a lifesaving gift for some and can help others manage their health conditions to avoid life-threatening complications. According to the American Red Cross, every whole blood donation can impact as many as three lives.

For many cancer patients who required blood transfusions during their own treatment, giving blood becomes a thoughtful way to celebrate their health and give back to the community that helped them in their time of need. Since cancer patients use nearly 25 percent of the national blood supply, many feel compelled to pay it forward when they’re well enough to contribute.

But cancer survivors can hesitate to donate blood because they’re unsure if they can do so safely.

Fortunately, most survivors can be donors, depending on their type of cancer and treatment history.

If you’re a cancer survivor who wishes to donate whole blood or blood products like platelets or plasma, you’ll have to meet one of the following eligibility criteria to keep you and your recipient safe:

• You had a solid tumor cancer and have been in remission for at least 12 months. There’s no evidence of cancer in your body; you completed all necessary treatments like chemotherapy or radiation and fully recovered from the side effects.

• You had a precancerous lesion that’s been successfully treated.

• You had a low-risk cancer, such as squamous or basal cell skin cancer, that’s been completely removed, and you’re healed from surgery.

Some cancer survivors worry that they might give cancer to a recipient through donation, but there is no evidence of cancer spreading to another person through blood transfusions.

Unfortunately, you are not eligible to donate blood and blood products if any of these apply to you:

• You’re in active cancer treatment.

• You’re taking medications to manage or suppress cancer.

• Your cancer has spread, or you have a cancer recurrence following remission.

• You had Kaposi sarcoma.

• You had a blood cancer, such as leukemia, lymphoma (including Hodgkin’s disease) or multiple myeloma.

Even if successfully treated, blood cancer patients can’t donate blood or blood products, since it’s not currently considered safe for the recipient.

If you’ve read these criteria and you’re still unsure whether or not you can donate, discuss your circumstances with your primary care physician or local blood donation center.

There are both benefits and risks for cancer survivors donating blood.

One benefit is a sense of connection to the community and increased sense of well-being through acting selflessly. Another is a free health checkup that includes blood pressure and hemoglobin monitoring to ensure you’re healthy enough to donate. If a hidden health issue is discovered, you can be treated for it.

A potential risk is iron deficiency. Frequent blood donation can lead to decreased iron levels. Iron is vital to the transportation of oxygen through our bodies. The good news is, iron deficiency can be easily managed through diet, supplements and limiting your frequency of donation.

Giving blood is an easy and impactful way to give back to the community and potentially save lives. But regardless of how you get involved, donating to the cancer community in any way can make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and their families

Dr. Alfred Casale, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is chief medical officer for surgical services for Geisinger and chair of the Geisinger Heart and Vascular Institute. Readers may write to him via [email protected].