For Immediate Release
April 16, 2007

 BUFFALO, NY - With spring comes many signs of new life: flowers bloom, trees bud, many plants and animals begin the renewal of the cycle of life. Please consider saving a life this season by donating the precious gift of blood or platelets to cancer patients at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. RPCI is seeking donors willing to take the time to donate blood or platelets to meet an ever-increasing need.

Platelets are the blood cells in your body that help stop bleeding. Treatments such as chemotherapy and bone and marrow transplantation leave patients with dangerously low levels of platelets. Without platelets and the donors who give them, patients are at increased risk of bleeding even before they can benefit from the treatments. To have a chance at life, platelet transfusions are necessary for the patient’s healthy recovery.

A donation of platelets, called plateletpheresis, is similar to donating whole blood. The simple, safe process takes approximately 90 minutes. Blood is removed from the donor and passed through a machine that separates and collects the platelets. The donor’s body quickly replaces the removed platelets.

The RPCI Donor Center is open six days per week with flexible daily hours of operation. To donate, you must be at least 17 years of age and weigh at least 110 pounds.

By making a commitment to be a donor, you are helping Roswell Park meet the daily needs of its cancer patients. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 845-8275.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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