Recent research has revealed that transfusion of young blood increased the chances of survival in animals challenged with leukaemia and breast cancer. "Young" blood is the blood which has been stored for less than nine days.

Research team led by Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu from its department of neuroimmunology research unit, Tel Aviv University (TAU) conducted tests on rats with leukaemia and breast cancer. Researchers said that the oldest blood in a blood bank usually sits on the shelf anywhere from 40 to 42 days before it expires.

Ben-Eliyahu said: "It might have a serious impact on the survival of prostate or colon cancers - two cancers that are associated with a lot of bleeding. If our research proves to be true in human trials, it should revolutionise the way we look at transfusion in cancer patients."

Ben-Eliyahu pointed out that surgeons commonly transfuse blood from which white blood cells have been removed, believing that these cells can cause harmful effects in the recipient. However, we found that it was the red blood cells, not the white blood cells, which caused the negative effects. Because red blood cells carry oxygen to the body, transfusions cannot be withheld, but using fresher blood might be better for cancer patients.