Eligibility to donate blood after receiving radiation treatment depends on the type, purpose, and source of the exposure. Screening is designed to protect both the donor’s health and the safety of the blood recipient. Regulations established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and organizations like the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) govern the criteria, focusing on the underlying medical condition and the potential for a substance to be transferred through the blood supply.
Radiation from Routine Diagnostic Procedures
Radiation exposure from common diagnostic procedures does not result in a deferral from blood donation. These low-level exposures, such as those from standard X-rays, CT scans, dental imaging, or mammograms, are localized and deliver a negligible dose of radiation. The procedures themselves do not introduce any transmissible agent or substance into the bloodstream that would pose a risk to a transfusion recipient.
Blood donation eligibility criteria primarily focus on transmissible diseases, medications, and underlying health conditions, none of which are affected by diagnostic radiation. Therefore, a person who has recently undergone a diagnostic scan remains fully eligible to donate blood, provided they meet all other general health and eligibility requirements.
Deferral Based on Therapeutic Radiation Sources
Therapeutic radiation, which is used to treat diseases like cancer, may result in a deferral period, but the reason for the deferral varies based on the method of delivery. External beam radiation therapy, which directs high doses of radiation at a specific area, typically does not cause a deferral due to the radiation itself. Instead, the temporary or permanent ineligibility is usually a result of the underlying condition being treated, such as a malignancy.
A specific deferral is often required following internal radiation therapy, which involves the use of radioisotopes. This includes procedures like radioactive iodine (I-131) treatment for hyperthyroidism or thyroid cancer. Since these isotopes are administered internally and circulate within the body, the donated blood could contain trace amounts of the radioisotope, posing a theoretical risk to the recipient. The deferral period is necessary until the radioisotope has cleared the donor’s system, a time frame determined by the half-life of the isotope and the specific blood center’s policy.
Eligibility Criteria Following Cancer Treatment
Since therapeutic radiation is most commonly associated with cancer treatment, eligibility rules are strongly tied to the donor’s history of malignancy. For most types of solid tumor cancers, a person may become eligible to donate blood after completing treatment and demonstrating a period of remission. The standard waiting period is typically 12 months from the completion of therapy, with no recurrence of the cancer during that time.
This 12-month deferral ensures the donor is healthy and that any systemic effects of the cancer or its treatment, including radiation or chemotherapy, have resolved. Certain low-risk cancers, such as basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers that have been completely removed and healed, do not usually require this long waiting period. Conversely, a history of blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, or Kaposi’s sarcoma, results in a permanent deferral from blood donation due to the potential for cancer cells to be present in the circulating blood. Anyone with a history of cancer treatment, including radiation therapy, should consult with their local blood center to verify their eligibility based on their specific diagnosis and treatment regimen.