Search Results

Phil

My sweet and wild 3-year-old son, Phil, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in the midst of the holidays in 2019 on December 27. Phil began treatment right away, following a 2½-year treatment protocol for his leukemia type and risk level. With every hospital visit, chemotherapy infusion, medication to take, procedures in the OR, or “job” he was told to do, Phil smiled, he laughed, and he cooperated (with a little encouragement and bribery of course!). There really was something so special about him.

Kayleen

On March 8, 2012, our world changed forever.

I was at work when I got the call from my husband that I was to meet him and Kayleen at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.  He said they found markers for leukemia in her blood work after testing for mononucleosis.  Our oncologist was optimistic saying it was still “highly curable.” 

Katie

Only a couple weeks into my first year of my graduate program, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with FLT3 mutation. I was only 21 years old and my entire world got flipped upside down. My whole life changed and I was about 1,000 miles from home.

Dental and Oral Complications

Side effects of cancer treatment may cause a variety of problems affecting the mouth, teeth and jaw, and they impact your quality of life. The side effects you experience will depend on the type and duration of the treatment you receive. There are things you can do to decrease the risk of dental and oral problems.

A thorough oral evaluation by a dental professional is recommended prior to treatment. During and after treatment, work closely with your entire healthcare team to manage any oral complications. Proper dental hygiene on an ongoing basis is essential.

Austin

Four were spoken that day. Four crushing, breathtaking words, “Your son has cancer.” My world, my life, and my dreams for my son’s future suddenly halted while the rest of the world kept going on around us on May 14, 2011. Only days before, I was deciding what theme to have for his third birthday party and what outfit he would wear for his pictures. Days later, my husband and I were signing consents for the specific protocol of poison that would be pumped into Austin and having to digest the laundry list of possible side effects.

Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis of the type of leukemia is important. The exact diagnosis helps the doctor to

• Estimate how the disease will progress
• Determine the appropriate treatment

After your doctor or clinician takes your blood, he or she sends it to a lab for a complete blood count (CBC), which shows the number of red cells, white cells and platelets in your blood. 

Treatment Outcomes

The cure rates and survival outcomes for patients with ALL have improved over the past few decades. Today, nearly 90 percent of adults diagnosed with ALL achieve a complete remission, which means that leukemia cells can no longer be seen in the bone marrow with a microscope. Still, despite high remission rates, relapses still commonly occur in adults and survival rates for adult patients remain at approximately 20 to 40 percent. However, these rates can vary significantly, depending on the patient’s ALL subtype and other prognostic factors.

Making Treatment Decisions

Adults living with blood cancer must make decisions about treatment, family, work or school and finances. If your child has been diagnosed, you must make similar decisions for your son or daughter.

You'll need to choose:

Graham

I am joining former England and Crystal Palace footballer and leukemia survivor, Geoff Thomas, and 23 other teammates to cycle the full Tour de France route one week ahead of the professionals to raise funds for the UK charity Cure Leukaemia. It's three huge goals — riding the Tour de France, raising $40,000 myself, and the team’s goal of $1 million. But with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) help, I know I can achieve it. 

Ashley

My name is Ashley, and I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on February 21, 2024, during my junior year at Texas Tech University. I was struggling with my health for a couple of months but brushed it off as being tired from schoolwork as well as thinking I was just dehydrated. I was student teaching at a nearby elementary school when the school nurse told me I should go to the emergency room and get looked at due to my heart rate being so high.

Skylar

As a parent, there are few words that can knock you on your feet. “Your child has cancer” is one of those phrases that can make you fall apart in an instant.

Tricia

My story is truly about the little family that could. In 2002, I felt I had it all: a loving partner, a new job offer, and plans to start a family. Upon my return from a business trip in May, that feeling shifted as a large lump appeared on the side of my neck. Several doctor visits, tests, and sleepless nights later, I received a phone call on the way to a meeting from a doctor. He asked me to pull the car over. He told me I had cancer. Everything stopped.

Kathryn

My symptoms became pretty intense in December 2017. I was 21 at the time and living a healthy and active lifestyle, but my symptoms were starting to interfere with my quality of life. I was experiencing a cough, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, and pretty intense back pain, along with several swollen lymph nodes primarily on the left side of my collarbone.

Nicolasa

The first time I heard of Team In Training (TNT) and raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was when my friend and I wanted to run the Nike Women's Half in D.C. We filled out the application and got accepted and started raising money, not having a clue about where this path was going to lead us. It was at that time that I began to realize the impact leukemia and lymphoma have had on my family and friends, whether they or a loved one had gone through treatment. I wrote all of their names on my singlet and carried them with me along that course.

Ph-Positive ALL Therapy

About 25 percent of adults with ALL have a subtype called “Ph-positive ALL” (also known as “Ph+ ALL” or “Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL”). The leukemia cells of these patients have the Philadelphia chromosome, which is formed by a translocation between parts of chromosomes 9 and 22. A piece of chromosome 9 breaks off and attaches to chromosome 22, and a piece of chromosome 22 similarly breaks off and attaches to chromosome 9. The abnormal chromosome 22 is known as the Philadelphia chromosome. This chromosomal alteration creates a fusion gene called BCR-ABL1.

Milliman Report

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) advocates for improved access to medications for patients.

Side Effects

Therapy for CLL sometimes produces side effects. Side effects from kinase inhibitor drugs and monoclonal antibody therapy are generally milder than side effects from chemotherapy. 

For most patients, treatment side effects are temporary and go away once therapy ends. For other patients, side effects can be more severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization. Some patients never have side effects. 

Allison

My story is not all that different from many others. It began with two-year-old me not feeling well and my mom taking me to the pediatrician on a Monday. They diagnosed me with an ear infection and gave me antibiotics. On Friday, still not better, my mom asked my dad if they should let the doctor take another look at me. In my mom’s words, “Something’s not right with my little girl.” Fortunately, the doctor ran a platelet test. My results were so off the charts that she also ran the test on herself to make sure the machine was not broken.

Tina

Today I am CELEBRATING!! AHHHHH, SO BLESSED!!! It’s been 20 years since my leukemia diagnosis! I am celebrating because of so many reasons!

Kerry

I’m a 26-year-old woman who never expected my life to change so dramatically. I was living what felt like an ordinary life — working at a school, spending time with friends, and keeping up with my daily routines. But things took an unexpected turn when I started experiencing night sweats. At first, I dismissed it as a cold or something minor, especially since I worked around kids who were always bringing home new germs. However, when the night sweats continued, I became frustrated. I began researching the cause and read that swollen lymph nodes could be a sign of something serious.

Chemotherapy and Drug Therapy

The main treatment for active myeloma is systemic drug therapy (meaning the drugs travel through the bloodstream to kill malignant cells). The initial therapy, or “induction therapy,” for myeloma usually includes a combination of targeted agents and/or standard chemotherapy. This therapy is often followed by stem cell transplantation in eligible patients.

Common drugs combinations for people with newly diagnosed myeloma include:

Imaging Tests

Imaging or radiology tests pass different forms of energy (x-rays, sound waves, radioactive particles or magnetic fields) through your body, creating pictures of the chest, abdomen, head, neck and other parts of the body.

Preparing for Tests

It's common to feel some stress or anxiety about having a test or receiving results. Discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor and ask questions so you understand why a specific test is being ordered and what to expect. You may have concerns or questions about:

Sarah

I am the mother of Madelynn, aka Maddie, who was diagnosed with biphenotypic acute leukemia (BAL) on March 13, 2023, following months of illness initially thought to be a sinus infection. Despite multiple doctor visits and two trips to the emergency room, it wasn’t until Maddie’s condition worsened that she received the correct diagnosis, which involved both acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with the Philadelphia chromosome. Maddie immediately began an aggressive chemotherapy regimen and spent the first month of her treatment in the hospital.

Sue

It’s 2015 and I am doing my happy dance! It’s been 20 years since my bone marrow transplant for my chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and I am still here enjoying what life brings my way.