weird question

[juanita]

Don't knnow what my rbc is, but just wondered if someone whose had bc can donate blood? Or can we be organ donors? What can we donate anymore?

[Susan]

I was told I couldn't give blood for 5 years after chemo. But I don't know what the rules are on the other drugs I'm taking. I still have 3 years to go, and I'll ask again. I don't know about the organ donation.

[StillHere]

Whatever the regulation might be, I would never feel comfortable donating my blood/tissue to anyone from now on. Who knows what is microscopicly floating around in our blood. Would hate to be the cause of someone else being diagnosed w/ cancer.

[Becky]

I know that with the chemo drugs, it is 5 years. However, I don't know how Herceptin fits into the picture (or organ donation).

[tousled1]

I remember reading that once you have cancer you can no longer be an organ donor. Something about mircroscobic cancer cells that may be in any organ of the body.

[mts]

I found the answers to this question to varied to not find out more... The blood mobile was outside my office a couple of weeks ago and they told me TWO years after last treatment. Here is some data from Sloan-Kettering regarding blood donations:


http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/12233.cfm


maria

[Believe51]

I am unsure of where I had come across this poor woman, but it was either here or the Komen site that I pop into every now and again. Her husband had recieved a liver transplant and come to find out, he had developed breast cancer from that liver. Her questions to us were desperate because he would not be able to have any form of chemo and the doctor was not so positive about even giving him Herceptin since the drugs he had to take not to reject the kidney were harsh to begin with.

It gave my husband much sadness to change his license from being an organ donor, but he did so because that was all the proof we had. I am still unsure of the certainty of these claims.>>Believe51

[Becky]

I believe (from remembering that situation) was that the man developed breast cancer but it wasn't because of the liver transplant. It WAS because of the liver transplant that he could not receive therapy however.

[Becky]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/07/1972516.htm
http://www.newstarget.com/021376.html

Here is an brief article that pretty much states that getting a transplant suppresses the immune system and that can cause a cancer that the body would have suppressed otherwise. People who get non-self transplants have to take anti-rejection drugs that suppress the immune system enough to "let" a cancer form or cause a precancer to turn the edge. However, a transplanted organ does NOT cause cancer but the drugs given afterwards could "help" the body not be able to get rid of it.

[Believe51]

Ooops, I really had to think of her situation before replying but I could not all recall the details. I was kinda sad with myself because I take great pride in remembering journeys and did not remember correctly. Forgive me.

And I shall look into the organ donation thing to redeem myself. LOL

Love you all>>Believe51