Can I still donate bone marrow?

I wonder if one year past BCG treatments would qualify as one year past "chemo". I've heard tell that once you have BCG treatments, then you may possibly test positive for the TB virus for the rest of your life.

Anyone else heard this rumor???

Ro

That was a good question--and a good thought.

May I tack this on?

I used to donate blood at every opportunity. Up until my diagnosis I had given blood almost sixty times.

Just the the heck of it, I called the blood bank a couple of weeks ago and asked if I still qualified. The answer was yes.

If you are at least a year past your last treatment (in my case chemo), you can donate blood.

So if you can donate, please do. I had an episode eighteen months ago and needed more than ten units of blood. We never know if we--or someone we love--might be next.

Zach

Hello all-

This isn't treatment related but thought this might be the place to ask. And to see if anyone else has run across the same situation.

I had my first tumor removed at the end of last month. The pathology came back as non-invasive, low grade. In thinking about how life has changed since my diagnosis, I thought about whether I am still "safe" to donate bone marrow. I have been registered as a potential donor with the National Marrow Donor Program.


From the National Marrow Donor Program website:

Cancer
If you have a history of pre-cancerous cells, you will be able to register to become a potential volunteer donor. You are able to register is you have any of the following:
•Cured, local skin cancer (basal cell, squamous cell or melanoma in situ).
•Healed in situ cervical cancer.
•Healed in situ breast cancer.
•Healed in situ bladder cancer.

NOTE: In situ cancer is diagnosed at a very early stage and is specifically called “in situ” or Stage 0.

All other forms of cancer, including non-in situ melanoma, are not acceptable — no matter the length of time since treatment or recovery.



I think I can still donate if called upon. My tumor was Ta, low grade which I believe makes it Stage 0. But since I'm still learning the vocabulary of staging/grading/etc. I'm not sure. The mention of "Healed in situ bladder cancer" sounds like general cancer speak but not really bladder specific cancer speak. Not sure if that makes since. Any other thoughts? Just curious if any other Ta low grade people have taken themselves off the registry or not.

And yes, I plan on asking my urologist and maybe contacting the NMDP directly to clarify.

Thanks,
Lynn