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Corel Medical Series: Cancer
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p14.dxr
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00037_Field_SRC.p14.A.1.txt
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1997-01-28
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724b
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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