© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All
rights reserved worldwide. More than 38,000 blood donations are
needed every day, according to the American Red Cross. Many of
these donations are given as blood transfusions to people with
cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from
surgery. Blood transfusion is a procedure in which blood or a
blood component is transferred from one individual (donor) to
another (recipient). A person may choose to donate whole blood
(the most common type of blood donation) or specific parts of
the blood, such as red blood cells or platelets. Why blood is
needed Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to every part of the
body and takes away waste products. Blood cells are produced in
the bone marrow, the spongy, inner mass of bone. Unlike some
other products, blood cannot be artificially manufactured; it
must come from a donor. The parts of the blood that are most
commonly transfused are red blood cells, platelets, plasma, and
cryoprecipitate. Red blood c