Organ Donation and Breast Cancer

Public Archive
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For years and years, I’ve carried an organ donor card. I recently received a leaflet about registering as a donor online and was just about to go ahead when it suddenly occured to me - can people who have or have had breast cancer donate organs? Anyone know?

Yvonne

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Hi Yvonne

I think you can still be considered but it is ultimatlely a clinical decision

check this web site

uktransplant.org.uk/ukt/how_to_become_a_donor/questions/answers/answers_7.jsp#q19

Linda

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Yvonne

I know that you can’t give blood so I would have thought that organ donation was unlikely. I have secondaries and decided that I could, at least, donate my body to medical science - it was refused!! How is that for feeling like a second-class citizen - I can’t even give my body away!!

Blondie

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Corneas are the only thing they will consider accepting.

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Hi
As this was covered in another thread I’ve cut and pasted the reply I got from the organ transplant folk when asking the very same question I hope it helps:

Cancer is one of the diseases that can be passed from the donor to the recipient. The reason for this is that it is possible to transmit infections and other diseases from the donor to the recipient and this risk is made greater by the drugs taken by the transplant patient to stop their body rejecting the new organ. However, the risk that this will happen depends to some extent on the type of cancer, the treatment that has been received and the length of time since the disease was diagnosed and treated. In general, organs would not normally be used for transplants from people who have developed cancer a relatively short time before they died. Corneas, however, can always be used, as the risk of transmitting the disease with the cornea is virtually zero. When people have had successful treatment for cancer many years ago, organ donation may be more realistic.

In every case where someone is identified as a potential donor, specialist healthcare professionals, taking account of past and current medical history, will make a decision about whether some or all organs or tissues are suitable for transplant. Therefore, I see no reason why your name should not be on the Register.

Love Gill x