Search Results

Megan

I am a 12-year-old girl who likes to play soccer and basketball, and I am in 7th grade. I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS-EB) with monosomy 7. It is a blood cancer similar to leukemia. It is extremely rare for pediatric patients to receive this diagnosis, between 1-4 children out of every million.

Chloe

At the age of 13, I became the youngest stem cell donor at Johns Hopkins Hospital. At 15, I am a Student Visionary of the Year in the 2024 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) campaign. LLS has become an integral part of my life over the past two years. In the spring of 2022, the peaceful life of our family was shattered by my mom’s diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Learning that a stem cell transplant was the only cure, I volunteered to donate my bone marrow to her.

Treatment for Aggressive NHL Subtypes

Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) progresses rapidly. It makes up about 60 percent of all NHL cases in the United States. Aggressive subtypes include:

Our History

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was born out of a family's grief following the death of their teenage son. Robert "Robbie" Roesler de Villiers, son of a well-to-do New York family, was only 16 when he quickly succumbed to leukemia in 1944. Five years later, frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for what was then considered a hopeless disease, parents Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers started a fundraising and education organization in their son's name.

Hodgkin Lymphoma Staging

Doctors use physical examinations, imaging tests, blood test and, sometimes, bone marrow tests to determine the extent of the disease.  This determination is called "staging."  Staging provides important information for treatment planning.

Staging for Hodgkin lymphoma is based on the Lugano classification, which is derived from the Ann Arbor staging system.

Signs and Symptoms

In the early stages of myeloma, some patients have no signs or symptoms of the disease. It is sometimes detected before symptoms appear, when results of laboratory tests done as part of a routine medical examination show abnormalities in the blood and/or urine. When symptoms are present, the most common ones are bone pain and fatigue.

Doctors sometimes refer to the acronym, CRAB, to describe signs of myeloma. The letters stand for

Dental Health

Dental care is an important part of overall cancer care. Good nutrition also plays a big role in dental health. Problems with the teeth, gums or mouth can interfere with eating well. Poor nutrition can lead to dental problems.

Visit the dentist at least four weeks before treatment begins if possible, and

Joan

In October 2014, I was handing out candy to my neighborhood’s tiny ghouls and goblins, but the scariest thing that Halloween was a phone call from my doctor. My heart pounded as the doctor told me I had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder in which the bone marrow stops functioning properly. My current MDS diagnosis is refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts. My treatment consists of red blood transfusions and Reblozyl® injections.

Steven

In 2017, I was 52 and in pretty good shape. I was at the gym working out, and after a certain lift, I could not get off the bench by myself. After being helped up, I somehow drove myself home. The next morning, I could not get out of bed without my wife lifting me up. We went straight to the doctor and got an MRI. Then we got the news “you have cancer,” and it is eating your vertebrate in your neck. I was sent to a spine and neck specialist and also to a cancer doctor to find out what kind of cancer. Multiple Myeloma (MM) was the diagnosis.

Deborah

I am a 54-year-old mother of two, the owner of a small business, Park Hill Yoga and have been married for 22 years. Being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2015 came as the biggest surprise of my life.

Teri

I was first diagnosed with a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) called polycythemia vera (PV) in 2012. I must admit, I was a bit overwhelmed when they said the “C” (cancer) word and then the “R” (rare) word. I have been living with a handful of rare diseases for some time and now a rare cancer. At that time, there was limited information. I started to research MPNs, attended some conferences, talked with a social worker (Amy is my hero) at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), and connected with the MPN Research Foundation and MPN Advocacy Foundation.

Rachel

Rachel was diagnosed with stage 4B Hodgkin lymphoma in February 2015. She was 26 years old. The moment when her oncologist first spoke the words “you have cancer” were surreal to her. She looked to her parents who exchanged the same look of disbelief and shock, then quickly looked away before fear and sadness settled across their faces. Her mind started to race, “How am I stage 4? I don’t feel that sick. This has to be a mistake, where did this even come from? What happens now?”

Patience

We were clobbered, like every patient, every family, who gets clobbered with a life-threatening diagnosis.

Amanda

As a popular entertainment anchor on the “Good Day LA” morning show in Los Angeles, Amanda Salas has always kept busy. But after she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in June 2019, she has had to refocus all her energy and time on fighting for her life.

Kyle

In April 2019, Kyle, a 17-year-old football star at Glenn Hills High School in Hephzibah, Georgia, noticed a large lump on his throat while taking a shower. After a trip to the hospital and several tests, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and began intense treatment right away.

Greysun

Hi! My name is Greysun! I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on March 23, 2011. I was fortunate to get outstanding medical treatment at UNC Children's Hospital and the cancer center. I have been through many rounds of chemo followed by up to six weeks of hospitalization after each one. I have had radiation to my brain followed up by my first bone marrow transplant.

Shaun

I endured poor-prognosis acute myeloid leukemia (AML), multiple rounds of brutal chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and an open heart surgery - all for only a small chance of survival. The journey since has been more than difficult. Lingering effects of the lifesaving treatments seem endless.

Lisa

I lost my big brother Vincent J. Di Cristo to two forms of cancer on February 14, 2014. He apparently had both high grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma as well as Burkitt lymphoma. I’m very confused as to how he could have had two different types of cancer because as far as I know, he was always in good health.

Dulcy

I was 18 and had just moved away to go to nursing school, when I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). In 1997, the only treatment option for CML was a stem cell transplant, a far cry from the oral treatment options available today.

Antonio

In 1985 at four years old I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Luckily, my sister who was two at the time was a bone marrow match so I underwent a bone marrow transplant. The house of chemotherapy and radiation left me nauseas to the point I couldn’t bear the smell food. But thankfully, I was soon in remission.

Laura

I was diagnosed with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in December 2020, but at the time, it was considered to be "indolent." That quickly changed in late February 2021 when I experienced intussusception, a painful telescoping of the bowel into itself requiring hospitalization. A colonoscopy revealed a 7 cm. mass of the cecum, and the biopsy showed that it was MCL. I was discharged from the hospital with the agreement that I would come back a week later and start chemo/immunotherapy.

Logan

July 3, 2021, was the day that my life changed forever. I had been dealing with odd symptoms for months, and after multiple visits with dismissive practitioners, I finally had the ear of a doctor who believed me. A tumor located in my mediastinum was discovered via a CT scan. This news was devastating. I was due to be married in one month and how could someone who is just beginning her life possibly have something like this happen?

Miguel

In 2017, I found out I had non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). I was always a healthy person who exercised almost daily at the time, so this came as a complete shock. I immediately wanted to start treatment; the sooner the better. My wife did all the research and investigating into where I could find the best treatment as quickly as possible. We were emotionally devastated by the entire ordeal. 

Cheryl

When I first found out that I had multiple myeloma (MM) 4½ years ago, I was shocked. I was in the hospital for a broken leg. I had twisted my leg, and it was badly broken. While I was waiting for surgery, a doctor came into my room and began to talk to me. She explained to me that my leg had broken because I had cancerous bone lesions. As I listened to her, I felt my heart sinking, I had a broken leg, not cancer. It didn't seem possible. Cancer was the last thing I would have imagined. I went through radiation, chemo, and cell replacement therapy.

James

Cancer ― the “C” word ― has a way of reshaping one’s perspective in profound and unexpected ways. For me, my cancer was leukemia. At first, it was catastrophic as I learned how to accept this new reality. It was unfamiliar territory and didn’t come with instructions. I began chemo with clear uncertainty of what would come of it. But now, looking back, that experience wasn’t what you might think.