You have thought about registering in the bone marrow and stem cell donor database many times, but you are not sure if you meet the criteria? We have good news for you – the vast majority of us can join the ranks of donors and save SOMEONE’s life …
List of contraindications …
As a general rule, any healthy person aged 18-55 with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or less can become a bone marrow donor. 15 years of age, preferred are young people between 18 and 30 years of age. What is very important – the decision to donate bone marrow should be made consciously and responsibly.
Medical contraindications that prevent us from registering in the Bone Marrow Donors Center of the DKMS Foundation were defined by the Regulation of the Minister of Health of March 12, 2010 and the guidelines of the World Bone Marrow Donors Organization (WMDA). What conditions absolutely exclude the possibility of becoming a donor and are there any exceptions that require medical consultation? Let’s check …
- Neoplastic disease – both active and previous. The exception that requires consultation with a consultant physician is cervical cancer in situ, treated locally.
- Cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia, past thrombosis and aortic aneurysm. Hypertension does not preclude registration in the database, as long as it is well-regulated with medications and is not accompanied by other diseases: cardiovascular, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney failure or others. Also, valve defects or arrhythmias require consultation with a doctor consultant of the DKMS Foundation.
- Infectious diseases including HIV, HTLV, hepatitis B and C viruses.
- Autoimmune diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, psoriatic arthritis, Graves-Basedov’s disease, autoimmune haemolytic anemia, connective tissue diseases. When it comes to psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, they are relative contraindications and require consultation with a consultant doctor.
- Endocrine diseases – hyperthyroidism, diabetes, Cushing’s disease. Also, registration of a person with active Graves’ disease, i.e. requiring treatment, is not possible due to the too high risk of potential complications in the event of a possible donation of stem cells. As for hypothyroidism, it is not a contraindication to registration, as long as hormone therapy is carried out correctly. Also in the case of Hashimoto’s disease, you can register with the bone marrow and stem cell donor database, provided that you do not have another autoimmune disease. Women with diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) require additional consultation with a consultant doctor.
- Nervous system diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, neuromuscular junction disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), epilepsy. The exceptions that require medical consultation are peripheral neuropathies, surgery / serious head injuries.
- Blood and bone marrow diseases – thalassemia, spherocytosis, aplastic anemia, haemophilia and blood clotting disorders (e.g. thrombophilia). Moderate disturbances in blood counts require additional consultation with a consultant doctor.
- Mental disorders – schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and behavioral disorders in adults, depression requiring pharmacological treatment.
- Other diseases – polycystic kidney disease, glaucoma, osteoporosis, numerous extensive surgical procedures, especially under general anesthesia (more than 3), except for caesarean sections, multi-organ injuries. The exceptions that require medical consultation include: bronchial asthma, allergies, discopathy, degeneration of the spine.
Contraindications that make it impossible to donate bone marrow are also transplant procedures (including the use of biological materials), taking certain medications (e.g. immunosuppressants, cytostatics) and addiction to alcohol, drugs and medications. The exception is the long-term period of permanent abstinence without diagnosis of organ complications resulting from a history of addiction.
Although the list of medical contraindications for becoming a bone marrow donor mainly includes serious diseases, many Poles do not decide to register in the database of potential donors due to their health condition. This is evidenced by the results of the study “Blood cancer and the idea of bone marrow donation of bone marrow and stem cells donation in the eyes of Poles”, conducted by CBR Biostat in 2021. Almost 1/3 of respondents (32%), not registered as potential donors, indicated that the reason their decision was inadequately good health. An equally large percentage of responses (29,8%) related to concerns related to the donation of bone marrow and stem cells. As the psychologist Marlena Stradomska explains, one of the most common barriers in transplantation medicine in Poland is insufficient knowledge and stereotypes lingering in society.
Issues that are unknown and misunderstood often evoke anxiety, stress and difficult emotions in a person. The same is true when we can donate bone marrow or stem cells. Before we make a decision that “it’s not for us”, it is worth considering that anyone – our neighbor, friend, relative, ourselves – can be in a similar situation … After all, anyone and at any age can fall ill with cancer. Therefore, the issue of helping others is an extremely important issue. Sometimes we do not help because we do not have adequate financial resources – and here you only need a little time and will. It may also be difficult to believe that the donor is required to be available and that bone marrow harvesting is a painful, time-consuming and complicated procedure. That’s not true. It is worth considering whether it is a fact or our opinion or heard from others. In case of any doubts, we can always ask qualified persons about the exact procedure or share doubts. It is perfectly normal to be afraid of something, not to know something. The question is whether our anxiety, fear or other psychological aspects are specific obstacles to saving someone’s health or life? – comments the psychologist.