Blood scarcity

A 65-year-old woman with metastatic carinoma was admitted to the hospital with a gastrointestinal bleed. She had prior radiation therapy which controlled the growth of the tumor; however it has now penetrated her colon. The physicians have not been able to stop the bleeding and she currently requires 6-8 units of blood/day. She is not ready to give up and wishes to continue with the transfusions indefinitely.