How are platelets used?
Principally patients with different forms of cancer and leukemia. Chemotherapy helps save lives but it destroys healthy platelets at the same time. Without platelet transfusions, these patients could bleed to death. Patients suffering from leukemia and other cancers of the blood are doubly affected. In addition to the effects of chemotherapy, their disease may crowd out or destroy the bone marrow cells that make healthy platelets. Despite advances in medical technology, there is still no substitute for platelets… they must come from dedicated volunteer donors.
