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Medical Guidelines: When You Match a Patient

We’re in the business of saving lives. To do so, we need to protect the health of potential donors and transplant patients. Our medical guidelines help us do this.

When you joined the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry, you answered a series of questions about your health. That may have been several years ago and your responses may have changed. If you are selected as the best available donor for a patient, we will review your health history and a doctor will examine you to make sure it is safe — for both you and the patient — to donate.

See the guidelines below for some of the factors that may make you medically ineligible to donate. (Note: The guidelines below do not include every possible situation that could make you ineligible to donate.)

Age

You will remain on the Registry until your 61st birthday unless you request to be removed. Age guidelines are not meant to discriminate. They are meant to protect the safety of the donor and provide the best possible outcome for the patient. There is a small increase in the risk of side effects from anesthesia in older donors.

AIDS/HIV

If you have been diagnosed with HIV (AIDS) you cannot donate. If you are at risk for the HIV virus, your current medical status will be carefully evaluated and you may not be able to donate for a period of time.

More information about HIV/AIDS and how it is transmitted may be found at the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faqs.htm.

Allergies

If you suffer from common allergies to animals, the environment, or medications, etc., you may be able to donate. If you have serious or life-threatening allergies to medications or latex, your health condition and allergies will need to be carefully evaluated.
See Asthma.

Arthritis

In general, if you have mild to moderate osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis, you may be able to donate. Mild to moderate arthritis is defined as having little impact on daily activities, and is relieved by taking occasional medications. If you have arthritis affecting the spine, your condition will need to be carefully evaluated. If you have severe medical arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid, reactive, psoriatic and advanced stages of other types of arthritis, you will not be allowed to donate.

Asthma

If you have asthma that is exercise-induced or is well-controlled using an inhaler, and have had no attacks requiring oral or intravenous steroids or emergency care in the past five years, you may be able to donate. If you have asthma requiring regular/daily use of oral steroids, you will not be allowed to donate.

Autoimmune Diseases

Most diseases which may be defined as auto-immune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, will prevent you from donating marrow or blood-forming cells. However, if you have a condition such as Hashimoto's or Graves' disease, you may be allowed to donate as long as the disease has been successfully treated and you are medically stable.

Back, Neck, Hip, and Spine

Common back problems such as sprains, strains and aches should not interfere with a marrow donation. However, if you have any of the following conditions, you will not be able to donate:

Back surgery in the past 5 years
Herniated, bulging or slipped disc anywhere along your spine
History of a spine fracture
Chronic back pain requiring ongoing medical treatment (including chiropractic care) and/or daily pain medication
Placement of rods for scoliosis
History of a hip fracture and/or repair

If you have significant back problems and/or any questions regarding your medical condition, contact your local donor center.

Blood Pressure

If you have elevated blood pressure (hypertension), you may donate if your condition is well-controlled by medication or diet and if there is no associated heart disease.
See Heart Disease, if applicable.

Cancer

If you have a history of pre-cancerous cells, you are able to donate. If you have had cured, local skin cancer (basal cell or squamous cell), you may also be able to donate. If you have healed cervical cancer in situ, breast cancer in situ, or bladder cancer in situ you also will be able to donate. (In situ cancer is diagnosed at a very early stage and is specifically called "in situ.") If you have had any other form of cancer, including melanoma, you will not be able to donate — no matter the length of time since treatment or recovery.

Cold/Flu

If you are called to donate marrow or blood-forming cells, you may not be able to donate if you show signs of a serious cold or flu at the time of donation.

Depression

If you have a history of depression that is stable and well-controlled, you may be able to donate. Contact your local donor center to discuss any other mental health conditions.

Diabetes

If your diabetes is well-controlled, you may be allowed to donate after careful evaluation of your current health status. In general, if your diabetes is well-controlled by either diet or oral medications, you may be able to donate. If you require insulin or if you have diabetes-related serious health issues such as kidney, heart or eye disease, you are not able to donate. If you have questions regarding your diabetes, contact your local donor center.

Epilepsy

You may donate if you have well-controlled epilepsy and have had no seizures in the past year.

Heart Disease

In general, if you have heart disease you may not donate. This includes a prior heart attack, any history of angioplasty, bypass surgery, heart valve replacement surgery or pacemakers. However, some heart conditions such as well-controlled irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), or mitral valve prolapse that does not require medication or restrictions, do not prevent donation.

Hepatitis

You may donate if you have a history of fully-recovered documented Hepatitis A. If you have received a vaccine to prevent hepatitis, you will also be permitted to donate.

If you have any of the following, you would be carefully evaluated to determine if you can donate:

history of or at risk for hepatitis B or C
history of hepatitis or yellow jaundice (on or after age 11) without a known cause
close or intimate contact with someone with active hepatitis in the past year

If you have questions regarding hepatitis and donation, contact your local donor center.

More information about hepatitis and how it is transmitted may be found at the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/.

Immunizations

If you have received a common immunization you may donate. Receiving an investigational vaccine in the past year, however, must be evaluated. Some immunizations (such as smallpox) will require assessment if you are selected as a potential donor.

Lyme Disease

If you have fully recovered from Lyme disease you will be able to donate. If you have chronic Lyme disease you will not be able to donate.

Medications

Treatment with some medications may impact that person's suitability to donate. Most often it is not the actual drug itself but the condition requiring the medication that would determine your suitability. If you are currently taking medication(s), you may want to contact your local donor center to discuss the medication(s) and/or underlying condition.

Organ or Tissue Transplant

If you have received human tissues, such as bone (including bone powder for dental procedures), ligaments, tendons, skin and corneas, you may be allowed to donate, depending on the reason for the procedure.

If you received any of the following types of transplants you will not be able to donate:

human organs such as heart, lung, liver or kidney
marrow or blood-forming cells
dura mater
xenotransplant (live tissues from animals)

Piercing (Body, Skin, Ear)

If you have had ear or body piercing in the past year you may be able to donate if non-shared instruments were used. The use of shared instruments would require evaluation and may prevent donation for 12 months from the date of the piercing.

Pregnancy

Marrow or blood-forming cells cannot be collected at any time during pregnancy. If you are pregnant (or attempting to become pregnant) you must be temporarily deferred until fully recovered from the delivery.

If you are currently pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, you may want to consider donating umbilical cord blood after your baby is born. To see if this is an option at your hospital, see Where to Donate Cord Blood.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

If you have or have had a sexually transmitted disease such as herpes, HPV, chlamydia or syphilis you may be able to donate. Your case will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Tattoos

If you received a tattoo in the past year, evaluation will be necessary. You may not be able to donate for 12 months from the date of the tattoo application.

Travel

You may be able to donate regardless of where you have traveled. If you are selected as a potential donor, recent travel to areas at risk for infections such as malaria or mad-cow disease will be evaluated.

Tuberculosis (TB)

You may be able to donate if you have completed treatment for TB, if it has been more than 2 years, and you have a clear chest x-ray. You may also donate if you have a history of a positive Mantoux (PPD). If you have had active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) within the last two years, your current health status would require careful evaluation.

Weight

A formula that measures body fat — called Body Mass Index (BMI) — is used to evaluate weight when determining donor suitability. You may not be able to donate if your BMI (both underweight and overweight) presents a risk to your safety. See Donor Weight Guidelines for more information.