Blood Donations after PCa?

    Hey Everyone,  I used to be a regular blood donor before my PCa experience.  I was wondering if any of you were also?  Have you checked with your local blood bank to see how long the restriction for PCa is? I believe our blood bank is still holding PCa guys to a 5 year waiting period.  I will check on this tomorrow to make sure and will let you all know.

KW, use to be in the "Gallon Club" years ago, but my blood hasnt been wanted since my first of four bouts of cancer, including the PC since 1999. It's a shame, I liked doing it.

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Age 56, 56 at DX, PSA 7/7 5.8, 7/8 12.3

http://www.newenglandblood.org/giving/word-table-eligibility-system14-recruiters-ver20080519.pdf

According to the Red Cross guidelines you can donate again 1 year after the last treatment.

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Age - 55
2004 PSA 2.7
2008 PSA 5.8
Sept 2008 PSA 5.66
Oct 2008 PSA 6.67
Biopsy on 11/25/2008 cancer found in 10% of one core , gleason 3+3=6
open RRP done on 1/14/2008. Pathology showed 20% of prostate cancerous, gleason 3+3=6, contained in capsule
First post op PSA 2/10/09 - 0.07
As of 2/11/09 down to one or two pads per day

Post Edited (klondiker) : 2/15/2009 8:03:47 PM (GMT-7)

Thanx for that info K ... was a Gallon Club member also ...

(I see the guideline says nothing about cured or low PSA .. just one year after diag or treatment???

Very strange.

Of course when I gave blood in November before biopsy -- i had PCa .. no doubt thousands of
people donate blood when they have undiagnosed PCa and who knows what else.

jim

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Age 58, 57 at DX, PSA Aug2008 7 4 ... June2007 4.7 (BPH + LUTS)
Biopsy Nov2008 1 Positive of 12 cores 5%, Gleason 3+3 - Sona showed 140+ ml prostate size.
Prostate way too big for any Rad treatment or even trying to shrink.
open RP surgery 02/03/9, Nerve sparing, 2 days hospital, cath due out on 2/19/9
Post-surgery Pathlogy Report -- none yet -- Doc said all went well. Visit 2/12/9.

There have been some recent studies trying to see if there is a relationship between cancer transmission and blood transfusions. All have been inconclusive so far.

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Age - 55
2004 PSA 2.7
2008 PSA 5.8
Sept 2008 PSA 5.66
Oct 2008 PSA 6.67
Biopsy on 11/25/2008 cancer found in 10% of one core , gleason 3+3=6
open RRP done on 1/14/2008. Pathology showed 20% of prostate cancerous, gleason 3+3=6, contained in capsule
First post op PSA 2/10/09 - 0.07
As of 2/11/09 down to one or two pads per day

Post Edited (klondiker) : 2/15/2009 9:59:52 PM (GMT-7)

If I remember correctly this has been discussed before. I believe you fellas in the U.S. can recommence donations after 1 year for non-blood cancers once you have been given the all clear following treatment. I think the 5 year period still applies to cancers of the blood. Unfortunately for us here in Australia the blanket 5 year prohibition still applies. It is a long stretch of the bow, but it is for instance, theoretically possible for a woman having had a transplant (from a male) and taking immuno-suppressant drugs to develop PCa bone metastases.
Bill

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1/05 PSA----2.9 3/06-----3.2 3/07-------4.1 5/07------3.9 All negative DREs
Aged 59 when diagnosed
Biopsy 6/07
4 of 10 cores positive for Adenocarcinoma-------bummer!
Core 1 <5%, core 2----50%, core 3----60%, core 4----50%
Biopsy Pathologist's comment:
Gleason 4+3=7 (80% grade 4) Stage T2c
Neither extracapsular nor perineural invasion is identified
CT scan and Bone scan show no evidence of metastases
Da Vinci RP Aug 10th 2007
Post-op pathology:
Positive for perineural invasion and 1 small focal extension
Negative at surgical margins, negative node and negative vesicle involvement
Some 4+4=8 identified ........upgraded to Gleason 8
PSA Oct 07 <0.1 undetectable
PSA Jan 08 <0.1 undetectable
PSA April 08 <0.001 undetectable (disregarded due to lab "misreporting")
PSA August 08 <0.001 undetectable (disregarded due to lab "misreporting")
Post-op pathology rechecked by new lab:
Gleason downgraded to 4+3=7
Focal extension comprised of grade 3 cells
PSA September 08 <0.01 (new lab)

The last discussion was approx October the 9th, 2008 and I'll be darn if I can find it..I emailed a local Carter Blood Care and the ARC American Red Cross about the different waiting periods...Here is a reply from the ARC:

Dear Mr. Jones:

I am replying to your e-mail sent to us earlier this afternoon in which you asked for an explanation for the different deferral periods you were being told in regards to deferring a donor with a history of cancer.

Actually, the FDA does not mandate anything about cancer-related deferral periods per se.  Therefore, it is up to the individual blood centers or systems [like the American Red Cross Blood Services (ARCBS)] to set its own guidance.  Given no documented cases (in the medical literature) of transfusion-transmitted cancer, the ARCBS recently decided that the deferral period for non-hematologic* types of cancer could be reduced—to one year, a change from the prior 5-year deferral period.  Both deferral periods are arbitrary, but the thinking is that a one-year deferral would at least ensure that the donor (with history of cancer) has had the chance to regain his/her previous level of health.  We always have to keep in mind the safety of the blood we collect in terms of the patient, as well as in regards to the donor—we have to ensure that in collecting a unit of blood, we are not compromising the health of a volunteer blood donor!  As for the blood center that still defers a donor for 5 years, it might be in the process of changing to one year deferrals, too. 

Mei-chien H. Fucci, M.D. Medical Officer, Southwest Region-Oklahoma

Chief Medical Officer, Central Plains Region

 

What a timely post. I donated in Oct. and have to wait 16 weeks to donate again because I do the double red cell donation. This post reminded me that it was close to the 16 weeks so i checked my paperwork and sure enough today is the day that I'm able to donate again.

I donated for years before the RP. The blood center continued to call after and each time I'd tell them of my circumstance and my desire to donate again, they said they would get back to me but never did. Finally last Oct. I was given the green light after a few e-mails and phone calls.

Ken

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Age 54 (2006)
PSA: 2005 - 3.2, 2006 - 3.7
Biopsy 8/06, Gleason 6 (3+3), T1c
Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy 11/3/06
Memorial Hospital, Pawtucket, RI
Post-Op Biopsy, Gleason 6 (3+3), T2c,
right apical margin positive
CT Scan 1/07, tumor discovered on right
kidney (unrelated to PCa)
Partial Nephrectomy 3/9/07
R.I. Hospital, Providence, RI
IMRT (37 Treatments) 4/23/07 - 6/14/07
PSA: 11/08 - 0.03

I used to be a regular blood donor (3 times a year) but had to stop since my PCa. I was told that you have to be cancer free for 7 years before you can donate blood again.

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Age: 67
5ft 10 inches 182 lbs
Retired in 2001 and living in Austin TX.
Dx 12/30/08
Robotic surgery performed on Feb 9th
Surgeon: Dr. Randy Fagin, Austin TX.
12 sections tested 2 with cancer
Left Medial Apex 4.0 mm. Gleason score 9 (4+5)
Left Lateral Apex. 2.0 mm Gleason score 8 (4+4)
Negative CT scan and bone scan done on 1/16
PSA 3.5

Hi everyone, I too was a regular blood donor, but after dx with Pca they told me I could not donate, I guess they have to be careful, but I miss going there.

Regards Mal.

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age 67 PSA 5.8 DRE slightly firm Rt

    Hey Everyone,  I call the Oklahoma Blood Institute today and was told that the differal for PCa was one year.  I do not recall if that was from diagnosis or date of first clear check up from the Doctor?  Anyway, I guess I'm back on track to start donating agian.  Good thing, cause I'm needing more T-shirts to wear out in the yard.  Yeah, we get a t-shirt for each donation.  Also, being a Gov't Bean Counter we get 4 hours paid leave for rest and recouperation to donate blood! 

    Good Luck Everyone,  KW

From the Canadian Blood Services.

Here is their web page about who can donate. Having cancer is not listed... so I called.

http://www.bloodservices.ca/centreapps/internet/uw_v502_mainengine.nsf/page/E_Can_I_Donate

In Canada you have an infefinite deferral.... ie no donating blood.

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Kelly,
I will wait a few years and donte blood for money. Just tell me where I should send you...:-P

Tony

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Age 46 (44 when Dx)