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In the United Kingdom, does a CML diagnosis preclude a person from leaving his/her body for organ donation or for medical research?

In the United Kingdom, does a CML diagnosis preclude a person from leaving his/her body for organ donation or for medical research?

Great question and I don't know the answer. I suspect the answer is no for organ donation, but yes for research at the moment. It may be in a couple of years that a supplementary of can someone with a historic CML diagnosis but now in TFR become an organ donor causes deeper thought.

Some years ago I was stopped in the street by a young lady outside a Blood Transfusion Service van at a shopping centre, who asked me if I was blood donor. I replied that I had been but didn't any more. She was very keen for to go and sign up, but I explained my CML and she said that would preclude me, as I thought. I just checked Cancer Research UK and their site says Blood Transfusion Service won't accept blood from anyone with a cancer diagnosis, other than in some skin cancers which are resolved.

This page from CRUK talks about donation of organs, or for research https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/dying-with-cancer/m...

Hope that helps

I wouldn't expect CML would preclude it. 

Here's Kings information pack. They don't accept bodies with diseases such as TB, HIV and some others listed. They all seem like communicable diseases, so I expect we probably could. 

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/study/departments/anatomy/lao/donation/lao-boo...

Thank you, Alastair. The link is broken, but I managed to find the underlying article. Regards, Stephen

That is useful, David. Thank you. I will make enquiries at Birmingham. Perhaps, my body may be more useful now for research than for organ donation. I understand that the eyes may still be usable. I read elsewhere that only 700 bodies a year are offered in the UK for teaching purposes. Kind regards, Stephen

I actually made this enquiry some years ago, I’ll have a look if I still have the email. I was told that technically yes, we can still donate as the issue is in the blood, not the tissue, however donations would never be accepted / taken for transplant due to a chance of what if, of course.

So no surprise there. I was amazed that it wasn’t a straight no, which of course it in effect was, if that makes any sense.

Thank you, Nigel. I think, having read these postings, that organ donation is a virtual no-go (save for eyes) for those diagnosed with CML. I loosely used the term "medical research" in the title of my posting when I was thinking of anatomical examination for teaching purposes.  I will make appropriate further enquiries.

 

 

Thank you, Nigel. I have had it confirmed that a person with CML cannot donate his/her organs to others. This is out of the question. However, my consultant sees no reason why a person with CML in remission cannot donate his/her body to a university for use by medical students.

I have written to Birmingham University to make further enquiries.

I have the answers now. I wrote to the University of Birmingham in November, but they failed to reply.

The University of Leicester responded promptly and agreed that CML does not preclude the use of the body for anatomical examination. They sent me the forms. Unfortunately, they will not accept bodies above 80kg for "health and safety reason". At a current 87 kg, I am out of range.

I rather feel that the availability of bodies exceeds demand.

Oh well, I did try to do the right thing.