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What Is Blood Cancer?

Reviewed by Gwen Nichols, MD, EVP and Chief Medical Officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

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Exercise for blood cancer patients

Table of contents:​​

Image of Elizabeth, myeloma survivor. On-image text reads: September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

Defining and Redefining a Blood Cancer Diagnosis

Science historian June Goodfield wrote, “Cancer begins and ends with people.”   

This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to know that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is on a mission to cure blood cancers and improve quality of life for the nearly 1.7 million people in the U.S. living with or in remission from blood cancer.  

LLS is all about people—an organization full of people who are united in the urgent effort to help every person impacted by blood cancer.  

Man and woman standing

Honoring Blood Cancer Survivors

Throughout June, in commemoration of #NationalCancerSurvivorMonth, we at LLS have been highlighting the resilience and achievements of blood cancer survivors. I’ve treated so many incredible young survivors in my years as a pediatric hematologist oncologist, and all of them hold a special place in my heart. 

Caregiver hugging patient

5 Ways to Support Blood Cancer Patients

Have you ever Googled, “what to do for someone with cancer”? 

Have you felt helpless or frustrated when trying to think of something meaningful to offer them or do for them? You want them to know you’re ready to help, but don’t know how to help. 

We’re often told to just ask the person what they need. But the truth is, they probably don’t know what they need. And figuring it out can be tough on top of all the new questions that come with their diagnosis. 

So now what? 

Nutrition Advice from a Dietitian & Blood Cancer Survivor

76-year-old Barbara Borrell is a woman who wears many hats – a 50+ year registered dietitian, nutrition consultant and educator, cancer advocate, volunteer with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and a blood cancer survivor who has battled not one, not two, but three types of blood cancer.

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Top Mental Health Resources For Blood Cancer Patients & Caregivers

From physical symptoms of blood cancer itself to treatments and their side effects, the experience puts a patient’s body through a lot. But how does cancer affect you emotionally? 

Bottom line: Learning that you or someone you love has a serious illness is scary. 

It reaches beyond blood tests: You might feel hopeless, irritable, or lose interest in things you once enjoyed. That’s why taking care of your mind, just as much as your body, is crucial when you’re facing blood cancer.  

researcher

What’s Next in Blood Cancer: Looking Ahead to 2023

The most important blood cancer scientific meeting, the American Society of Hematology (ASH), is held every December.

A scientist stands above a petri dish with a dropper and places a liquid solution on the dish.

The Immune System and Blood Cancer: 4 Things You Need to Know

Immunotherapy uses the power of the immune system to treat blood cancer. Today it is a standard treatment that has a profound effect in some blood cancer patients, but it still falls short in others. 

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been a champion of this type of cancer treatment for decades, supporting some of the earliest and most game-changing immune-based treatments for blood cancer. The advances have been astonishing, but there is so much further to go. 

Myles, Reese, Aaron, and Lydia's images placed together in a collage

Moving Forward: 4 Young Blood Cancer Survivors Look Ahead

Blood cancer survivors have a unique path ahead of them—and that can feel challenging.  

Questions come up: Does treatment mean I have to pause everything? Do I tell my friends or coworkers (and how)? With my medical bills, how can I afford the education I want?  

A researcher analyzes a specimen in a test tube.

Blood Cancer Research Poised for Another ‘Banner Year’ in 2024

More than 25,000 medical professionals from across the world came together in December to discuss the latest blood cancer developments during the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). This annual event gives us the opportunity to think about what advances are on the horizon as LLS works to strengthen cures, care and quality of life for people with blood cancer and their families.   

Smiling Girl with Cancer

Ushering In a New Era of Pediatric Blood Cancer Treatment and Care

We caught up with Gwen Nichols, MD, Chief Medical Officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), to share the progress we’re making to bring cures and better care to children with blood cancer through The LLS Children’s Initiative.

 

Tell us about The LLS Children’s Initiative and why it’s so important to you and LLS.

Mother and Child

Helping Blood Cancer Patients and Families When It's Needed Most

In honor of Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Gwen Nichols reflects on our vital work to support blood cancer patients and their families.

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The Gift of Time: Giving More Moments to Blood Cancer Patients

As we transition from one year to the next, we often reflect on milestones achieved, challenges faced, and moments shared with those we love. It’s a time to focus on what’s most important—family, community, and how we’ll spend our time going forward. At the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), we know that time is more than just a passing moment for blood cancer patients. It’s the most valuable gift they can receive. 

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FAQs: Proposed federal spending cuts and blood cancer research and care

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has heard great concerns from patients, caregivers, volunteers, healthcare professionals, researchers, community organizations and others who are fearful and confused by NIH spending cuts and other policies being proposed and implemented in Washington. 

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The Financial Burden of Blood Cancer Treatment for Working-Aged Adults is Growing

Cancer is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat in the U.S. As a result, patients, survivors, and caregivers—already challenged by the physical and emotional burdens of cancer—often face growing medical debt.

Diagnosed with a Blood Cancer? Important Questions You Might Not Think to Ask

What is my actual diagnosis? Find out your exact diagnosis. Ask your doctor to write down the exact name of your sub-type and take the paper with you. For example, knowing you have “a B-cell lymphoma” isn’t good enough. Follicular and diffuse large B-cell are both B-cell lymphomas but with very different prognoses and treatment plans. Leukemia also has different sub-types. Knowing your specific sub-type helps you understand what disease you are dealing with, how aggressive it is, and what to expect from treatment.