Can't give blood ever again as I've had cancer

[iwouldgoouttonight]

I've recently been diagnosed with a malignant melanoma, just waiting for a date to have a wider area removed to check its clear of cancerous cells. I had an appointment to give blood so phoned to say I couldn't make it and asked how soon I could donate again. They said if you've ever had a melanoma you can never donate again.

It surprised me a bit, I thought once you'd been treated for cancer and then been signed off (after the requisite amount of years) you had the same risk of having cancer as anyone else.

Does anyone know why they don't let you donate ever again?

weebarra that does sound really difficult - one of those moments when you just feel deprived of normality.

I had 18 units after a massive accident, most of it in ITU. It's just slightly less than I'd donated!

DH is strong as an ox and has great veins and is utterly needlephobic. I struggle to respect it.

OP I really hope your excision proves to be complete and you remain well.

New research is finding that cancer stem cells ( not the original tumor cells) can circulate in the blood stream. It makes sense to err on the safe side.

Best wishes to all posters with health challenges!

I can't due to be underweight. I'd have to put on about 1st 3/4 I think. Wish I could!

I can't donate blood or organs because I have RA so I urge everyone else I know to. I often feel guilty but know that mines no use. DS has been on the organ donor Register since we got his last passport.

I believe that many cancers are caused by viruses. Maybe there is a concern of spreading a cancer causing virus, even if the person who had the cancer is in remission. There is also the donor's health to take into consideration. Some people need their blood more than others. (Hence the ban on under weight people or pregnant women giving blood)

I hope the op remains free of cancer.

My girlfriend donates after melanoma. She had to be clear 5 years first.

But that's australian Red Cross. Our restrictions are probably different.

Hpv (cervical cancer) is not spread by blood.

I did double check my donor status when I was diagnosed with a cancer gene. It didn't matter.

Even if most organs can't be used after death, you can usually still donate corneas so someone can see again.

Offering to babysit while a friend gives blood could be really helpful - lots of parents with preschoolers might appreciate it.

As long as there are enough donors, it's best to err on the side of caution - anyone taking newish medication is likely to be ruled out too.

Blood transfusion and long term anaemia rules me out, so I focus on recruiting others instead. My dissertation this year was about whether a piece of theatre I wrote could encourage more donors. Nine months and ten new regular donors later and I have to conclude that yes, it worked

I'm on the Anthony Nolan register and the organ register :)

Good luck with your wide local excision OP, hope it all comes back clear.

From what I understand, melanoma is a bit of a pesky one because it doesn't spread in such a predictable way as other types of cancer, so it could, in theory, be lurking in your blood cells after you've got the all-clear (not to worry you).

I think in some instances, it's not always the recipient of the blood that they're worried about - they also want to avoid harm to the donor, too.

I can't donate in Australia because of living in the UK in the 90s. It's really annoying.

I know it's not the same as you,OP, but I'd really like to help.

I can never give blood, and my organ can not be used for transplant because I have ME.

Thanks all for your comments and good wishes. I'm not very good at the waiting part of things and I know once I've had the wide local excision it'll be another month before the results are back (possibly a bit longer with it being Christmas).

I didn't know that melanoma could still be in blood cells - that would make sense why they wouldn't want me to donate. I knew you couldn't donate if you're under a certain weight - I remember them once asking me how much I weighed because they thought I might not be heavy enough. I'm 10 and a half stone I'm definitely wearing those trousers again, they were clearly very flattering or the nurse's eyesight was very bad

I'm on the organ donation register, and good idea about looking after other people's children while they donate. I'm trying to persuade DP to donate as he's healthy but he won't. But that's a whole other thread.

weebarra, that's funny

Iwould, the blood donor guidelines don't impact your prognosis! The blood service can't finetune for different cancers, diagnoses, treatments, etc. It's just a blanket ban.

I know a man who had serious cancer (leg amputated) 40 years ago. Obviously he was completely cured - it's been 40 years! He still can't donate blood.

I am surprised that ME prevents someone from being an organ donor. ME is not as serious as cancer. I suppose the biggest problem is that no one knows what causes ME. ME is nasty and debilitating , but it's not usually fatal. My uncle had ME and my impression is that his suffering was on a par with my mother's recurring shingles.

Very few adults go through life with 100% perfect health.

Oh, give me shingles instead!
The severity of ME varies from person to person, and can get much worse if the sufferer overexerts or has too many stimuli - eg, being on a noisy bus on a bright day on a bad road.
About 25% ME sufferers are housebound, many having to lie in bed in a darkened room, even unable to sit up, speak, feed themselves.
Interestingly, trials of Rituximab (or some such jumble of letters), a cancer drug, are showing good rates of success against ME

I was 10 months old when I needed a blood transfusion, so they don't want mine. On the other hand, after I recovered from the illness, my dad signed up as a blood donor. His blood type is universal donor, which is always wanted, and he's donated several times a year since then. So a little over 40 years.

Nice one, dad.

TheExMotherLaw
With all respect I don't think you know what severe shingles is. ME is not the only unpleasant condition in the world. People on the organ transplant list will take their chances with either ME or shingles because the alternative is death. There aren't that many organs so doctors cannot be that picky.

Blood transfusion and organ donation are different things. With blood donation the health of both the donor and the reciepent needs to be considered.

whoknewitcouldbeso Really? You quit giving blood just because they ask s lot of questions to ensure healthy donations? Sometimes that means you can't donate like a year after a tattoo for example. What a shame you gave up. Let's hope you ever need any blood that everyone else hasn't got fed up and stopped bothering too.

If everyone in the uk gave blood once in their lives there would not be a shortage. I used to give blood, but I had anti d with both my pregnancies so I am not sure if the fact that I have recieved a blood product stops me donating blood. Before I was pregnant I gave blood on five occasions.

I feel that ex donors should not feel guilty if they choose not to donate blood anymore for whatever reason. Most people never donate blood at any point in their life and they are the people who chillycurtains should criticise.

I'm not allowed to for multiple reasons.

One being I'm severely underweight.

I cant donate because of blood transfusions im under height/weight anyway it must be frustrating for you if you always donated.

In regards to ME they were banned from donating in 2010/11? Due to the fact it may be caused by a retrovirus so obv may be passed via blood components

I can't donate because of inflammatory bowel disease. I tend to keep quiet about it so it was a bit awkward when there was a blood drive at work and we were all being 'encouraged' to go along. Prior to that I was too small / light, but I doubt that would disqualify me now.

Maybe some people don't know how bad ME is.
I gave blood for many years - I even used to be a volunteer recruiter, back in the 70s