Blood Transfusions and Cancer Treatment 

Herbert A. Perkins, MD
 
Blood is a complex living tissue . It is made up of
three kinds of cells that are manufactured in the
blood cell "factory"—the marrow cavity of our
bones. All these cells are suspended in a liquid
called plasma, and each cell plays a critical
role in keeping us alive.
• Red blood cells carry oxygen to our tissues.
• White blood cells—leukocytes—help us
  fight off infections.
• Platelets are necessary to form the blood
  clots that stop bleeding.
    Blood transfusions play a crucial role
in cancer treatment. The disease can reduce
the marrow's ability to produce blood cells,
sometimes so severely that the cells have to