Leukemia More people bone marrow donors

Leukemia: More bone marrow donors after Westerwelle's shock message

06/24/2014

After it became known that the former Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is suffering from leukemia, the number of potential bone marrow donors has increased significantly. However, the FDP politician should not be donors according to the guidelines.

More potential bone marrow donors after shock message
After the news of the acute leukemia disease of former Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (FDP) became public, the number of potential bone marrow donors has increased significantly. Information of the „world“ according to the announcement of the disease on Friday already about 1,980 people at the German Bone Marrow Donor (DKMS) requested a registration set. This is 600 more than typically over a comparable period. On demand, a quarter indicated to have become friends about the charitable society. About 530 had come across social networks on the DKMS, where many users call in connection with Westerwelle disease to register as a bone marrow donor.

Exclusion criteria for donors
After registering online, you will receive a set of cotton swabs that will smear the cheek mucosa. The sample is then sent back. Also in some clinics one could deliver a sample. It may vary according to the „world“ Although in principle all people living in Germany between 18 and 55 years register, but there are also exclusion criteria. These include, for example, diseases of the cardiovascular system such as myocardial infarction, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, thrombosis, diseases of the lung such as severe bronchial asthma, cancer or severe kidney disease.

Westerwelle should not become a foreign donor itself
In addition, people who live gay, not as a donor in question. Currently, critics of this regulation in the social networks with the reference to draw attention that Westerwelle itself not as „foreign donors“ Donate bone marrow is likely. The „world“ according to the guidelines of the German Medical Association „to obtain blood and blood components and to use blood products.“ A DKMS spokeswoman told the newspaper: „Unfortunately we have to stick to the guidelines.“ It was also said: „This is definitely not the opinion of the DKMS.“ However, one would still be forced to reject donors if they explicitly called themselves homosexual.

Every 16 minutes, a person becomes ill with blood cancer
For acute leukemia, there are very diverse symptoms. Diseases such as severe paleness, weakness and fatigue, increased susceptibility to fever infections, bleeding, loss of appetite, weight loss, impaired performance, lymphadenopathy, dizziness or palpitations are common in people with diseased skin. According to the DKMS, every 16 minutes a person in Germany becomes ill with blood cancer. According to the Cancer Information Service, there are about 11,500 people in Germany each year. Only one-third of patients find a suitable donor within the family, and the probability of finding a third-party donor is one in 20,000 to one in several million. Every fifth patient who needed a donation was waiting in vain. The willingness to register as a bone marrow donor has generally increased. To date, 160,000 donors have registered online with DKMS this year. This is more than in the whole year 2013. (ad)