WHY BLOOD DONATION IS IMPORTANT FOR CANCER PATIENTS
Cancer patients are the leading recipients of donated blood in this country, yet less than 5% of Americans donate blood. In our area, less than 2% of those eligible to donate do so.
The Cancer Resource Center of the Hudson Valley is committed to raising awareness of the importance of blood donation, educating young adults to become life long blood donors and helping to coordinate as many blood drives it takes to meet the needs of patients in our local hospitals. Often times, a cancer of the bone marrow, such as leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma or a cancer that has spread to the bone marrow can be effectively treated with a bone marrow transplant. However, these transplants require transfusions for weeks, sometimes months, until the donated tissue engrafts. It is not uncommon for a leukemia patient to need 8 units of platelets daily for 2 to 4 weeks. New targeted therapies and standard chemotherapy are toxic treatments that affect cells in the bone marrow. When the cells are damaged, it can result in low levels of white blood cells. Transfusions help to decrease the risk of life threatening infections or bleeding.
Here are some blood facts:
One pint of blood can SAVE three lives.
One of every 3 people will need a blood transfusion during their lifetime and someone needs a transfusion every 3 Seconds in this country.
Your body has between 8 to 12 pints of blood and can easily part with one. Within 24 hours, your blood volume has been regenerated.
During a bone marrow transplant a cancer patient may require platelets from 100 donors and red blood cells from 20 donors.
You can donate platelets every 3 days or up to 24 times a year
You can donate blood every 8 weeks
Blood Has Expiration Dates
- Donated red cells last 42 days
- Donated platelets last 5 days
- Plasma can be frozen for one year
There is NO substitute for human blood
|