According to Canadian Blood Services they are looking to fill over 150,000 appointments across the country for blood and plasma donations. You must be at least 17 to donate.
Someone with cancer may need a blood transfusion for different reasons.
Cancers that involve the bone marrow, such as leukemia, can affect how blood cells are made and mature. This can lead to low blood cell counts.
Other cancers, such as digestive tract cancers, can cause bleeding that can lead to anemia.
Cancers that affect organs that help maintain blood levels, such as the kidney or spleen, can also affect blood counts.
Cancer treatments, including many chemotherapy drugs, can affect blood cells in the bone marrow and cause low blood cell counts. Radiation therapy given to a large part of the skeleton or to the pelvic bones can affect the bone marrow and lead to lower blood cell counts.
People who have a stem cell transplant receive large doses of chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both. These treatments destroy the blood making cells in the bone marrow. These people commonly have very low blood cell counts for 10-20 days after the transplant and may need transfusions of blood products.
Blood transfusion may also be used to treat -
- a sudden loss of blood during or after surgery
- a low hemoglobin level before, during or after surgery
- sever heart or lung disease
- diseases that affect blood cell production suck as sickle cell anemia and aplastic anemia
If you are between the ages of 17-35 and are in good health, you can also register as a stem cell donor.
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