By Sarah Ladd
Kentucky Lantern
Kentuckians who have finished treatment for organ cancers and melanoma, among others, no longer need to wait more than a year to donate blood at the Kentucky Blood Center, the organization announced Wednesday.
According to the American Cancer Society, people who have had Kaposi sarcoma or a blood cancer like leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma will never be able to donate blood.
People who have had “most other” cancers can usually donate if treatment has been completed for 12 months and during that 12 months, there were no signs of recurrence, according to the American Cancer Society.
Dr. Dennis Williams, the medical director at Kentucky Blood Center, said in a press release that there is “no evidence that cancers are transmitted by blood transfusion.”
“While there are certain cancers and treatments that will still impact donation, we are excited to offer a wider opportunity for those who wish to give blood to do so,” Williams said.
It’s difficult to determine how many newly eligible donors this could apply to, according to center spokesman Eric Lindsey.
Several hundred people who were in the system on deferral because of their cancer status have been notified that they are now eligible, he said. Many more could be now eligible and were never in the system.
