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Plasma donation associated with risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

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Frequent blood donation is not linked to an increased or decreased risk of cancer overall, but may be associated with risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to recent data published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

To determine the effects of blood donation on cancer risk and iron loss, researchers from Sweden, Denmark and the United States conducted a nested case-controlled study in blood donors diagnosed with a malignancy between their first donation and study termination (n=10,866). The researchers compared these participants with age-matched and gender-matched controls (n=107,140).

Researchers did not find an association between donation frequency and overall cancer risk. However, they did find an inverse association between iron loss and risk of liver, lung, colon, stomach and esophagus cancers (P<.001). Risk appeared to decrease between the lowest (<0.75 g) and highest (>2.7 g) categories of estimated iron loss. This trend existed only in men and those with a latency of three to seven years, according to the researchers.

Frequent plasma donors appeared to have a higher risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (>25 vs. 0 donations, OR 2.14). The researchers concluded that this finding warrants additional examination. – by Stacey L. Adams

J Natl Cancer Inst.2008;100:1-8.

The bottom line of this study is that they could not confirm either an increased or decreased risk of cancer overall. What was also interesting is something that is more applicable to the plasma fractionation industry. Paid donors who donate their plasma for further manufacturing to separate and isolate selective proteins (eg, albumin and immunoglobulin) may have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Of course there is no reason for that definitively, but regular plasma donors do donate large amounts of their natural humoral immunoglobulins.

So, could there be a potential humoral antibody deficiency? Why frequent plasma donation shows a positive trend to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma susceptibility is unknown and, as these authors suggest, deserves further study. It is intriguing because non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is seen in individuals with immunodeficiency disorders; of course not in those patients only, but particularly in people with immunodeficiencies.

– Ronald Sacher, MD

HemOnc Today Editorial Board member