Archive · 14 Aug 2026
World Organ Donation Day: Cancer, diabetes patients not automatically disqualified
Every year, people around the world celebrate World Organ Donation Day to remind us that donating organs can save lives.
Organs are special parts of our body, like the heart and kidneys, that doctors can give to very sick people to help them live.
Some people think that if they have a sickness like cancer, diabetes, or high blood pressure, they can never donate.
But a doctor named Dr Pranam Hathwar says that is not always true.
Doctors look at each person carefully and decide if their organs are healthy enough to give.
People who have had cancer might still be able to donate after being cancer-free for a while.
People with diabetes can sometimes donate, especially in deceased donation, but living donors need to be in very good health.
People with well-controlled high blood pressure might also be allowed to donate.
In the end, doctors and transplant teams make the final decision after checking everything carefully, so it is always worth registering to be a donor.
Organ donation decisions are highly individualised and a past or existing illness does not automatically rule someone out, experts say.
Cancer patients may be considered for donation depending on the type of cancer, treatment received and how long they have been cancer-free.
People with diabetes are not automatically excluded from organ donation, especially deceased donation, but criteria are stricter for living donors.
Individuals with well-controlled hypertension may still be considered, as long as the condition has not damaged vital organs like the kidneys or heart.
Every potential donor undergoes detailed screening, and the final decision always rests with the transplant team.
- Who
- People with cancer, diabetes or high blood pressure considering organ donation, and Dr Pranam Hathwar, Consultant, Critical Care, KIMS Hospitals, Electronic City, Bengaluru
- What
- An expert explanation of why conditions such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension do not automatically disqualify people from donating organs
- When
- World Organ Donation Day 2026 (exact date not specified in the article)
- Where
- Expert commentary from Bengaluru, India, on organ donation eligibility
- Why
- To dispel myths that people with medical conditions cannot donate and encourage more people to register as organ donors
- Event
- World Organ Donation Day 2026
- Expert quoted
- Dr Pranam Hathwar, Consultant, Critical Care, KIMS Hospitals, Electronic City, Bengaluru
- Key message
- Having cancer, diabetes or hypertension does not automatically disqualify someone from organ donation
- Cancer eligibility
- Depends on type of cancer, treatment received and disease-free period
- Diabetes eligibility
- Not automatically excluded, especially in deceased donation; each organ assessed individually; stricter for living donors
- Hypertension eligibility
- Well-controlled hypertension may qualify; key concern is damage to vital organs such as kidneys or heart
- Living donor criteria
- Stricter, as donor safety is paramount
- Final decision
- Made by the transplant team after detailed medical screening