Cancer of the Blood: What You Need to Know

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with blood cancer, you may be searching for answers—read on to get an overview of this disease.

The Different Types of Blood Cancer

There are several types of cancer, some of which are commonly diagnosed in patients and others that are rarer. These include, but are not limited to:

Lymphoma

Lymphoma in the blood is a form of cancer that affects the lymph nodes, which are found throughout your body and produce certain cells. Lymphocytes, or white blood cells, can turn cancerous and grow uncontrollably in these lymph nodes. If they enter your bloodstream, they may spread around your whole body and affect different organs.

Leukemia

Leukemia blood cancer starts in the bone marrow and affects red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It’s more common than other forms, but not as aggressive as some other types. In leukemic patients, their immune system has been compromised, and they can’t produce enough healthy red and white blood cells (red cells carry oxygen to the rest of your body while white cells fight off infection).

Types of Leukemia

There are several rare blood cancer types including:

Causes and Risk Factors

There are many risk factors for cancerous diseases such as:

Symptoms

The symptoms of blood cancer vary depending on where it’s located and what kind of cancer it is, but common signs of blood cancer include:

Blood Cancer Prognosis

Blood cancers are classified into two categories, depending on which type of blood cells are affected. Lymphoma in the blood is a cancer of the lymphatic system and leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells.

Both types of cancers can be diagnosed by a combination of physical exams, imaging tests, and biopsies. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, it’s important to see your doctor right away.

Before symptoms appear, a regular blood test by the doctor may identify persistent leukemia. If this occurs, or if you exhibit symptoms or signs that point to leukemia, you could have one of the following diagnostic tests:

A Physical Exam

Your doctor will examine you for physical indicators of leukemia, including anemia-related pale skin, swollen lymph nodes, and enlarged liver and spleen.

A Blood Test

Your doctor can examine a sample of your blood to see if you have abnormally high or low amounts of platelets, red blood cells, or white blood cells, which may indicate leukemia. Although not all forms of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood, a blood test can nevertheless detect the presence of leukemia cells.

A Bone Marrow Test

Leukemia cells can occasionally remain in the bone marrow. A procedure to take a sample of bone marrow from your hipbone may be advised by your doctor. Use of a lengthy, thin needle is used to extract the bone marrow. The sample is delivered to a lab for leukemia cell detection. Your treatment options may be based on traits that specialized tests of your leukemia cells may reveal.

Treatment Options

The type of cancer that is diagnosed depends on the type and severity. Treatment options vary depending on how advanced the cancer is. Treatment options include:

Prevention of Cancer

Though there isn’t one definitive answer to this question, there are precautions you can take.

In general, doctors recommend that people reduce their risk by staying away from tobacco smoke and other sources of exposure (occupational exposure or environmental) to radiation or chemicals such as benzene.

Smoking cigarettes increases your risk for all forms of cancer; however, those with a family history of leukemia may want to consider quitting smoking altogether because they have an increased chance of developing the disease.

If you or a loved one is diagnosed with blood cancer, the good news is that many types are now very curable since blood cancer treatments have significantly improved over the past few decades.