How can a cancer patient's blood disappear after a transfusion?!
Question:
How can a cancer patient's blood disappear after a transfusion?
Answers:
Blood cells have a short life. They die off naturally and need to be replaced. The blood always needs a constant supply of fresh cells. Just like your hair is always growing, your blood is always growing, too.
Normally the bone marrow produces the cells. In cancer patients on chemotherapy, the marrow is suppressed and doesn't make cells for a while after the chemo. So they sometimes receive transfusions.
The red cells will last for a few weeks, the platelets will last for just a few days. White cells die off so quickly that it is usually not worthwhile to transfuse them.
Sometimes patients will be given medicines to stimulate the marrow to produce more cells (procrit for red cells, neupogen for white cells) and that can help to avoid transfusions and infections.