Blood cancer affects how your body produces blood cells and how well those cells work—leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma are the most common types. Most blood cancers start in your bone marrow. This is the soft, sponge-like material in the center of your bones. Your bone marrow makes stem cells that mature and become one of the following:
- Red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body
- White blood cells, which fight infection
- Platelets, which control bleeding, are regularly generated in a healthy body to replace old, dying ones. The excessive production of white blood cells in the bone marrow leads to blood cancers.
There Are Different Types of Blood Cancer
Leukemia, lymphoma, and Myeloma are some of the most common types of blood cancer.
Leukemia
- Leukemia is the most common blood cancer in the U.S. and the most common form of childhood cancer. There are many types of leukemia, but in general, it occurs in the bone marrow when abnormal white blood cells are produced at an abnormally high rate. This interferes with the bone marrow’s ability to produce red blood cells and platelets.
Subcategories of leukemia:
- Acute erythroid leukemia, Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), Childhood leukemia, Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), Large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGLL), Mast cell leukaemia (MCL).
Lymphoma
- Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which plays a crucial role in the body’s immune response to infection. Lymphoma cells can form tumors in areas such as your lymph nodes. There are two primary forms: Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Subcategories of lymphoma
- Burkitt lymphoma, Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Double-hit lymphoma Follicular lymphoma, Grey zone lymphoma, High-grade B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (NOS), Hodgkin lymphoma, MALT lymphoma, Mantle cell lymphoma, Nodal marginal zone lymphoma, Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL), Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL), Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), Skin lymphoma (cutaneous lymphoma), Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), Splenic marginal zone lymphoma, Triple-hit lymphoma, Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM).
Myeloma
- Myeloma originates in the bone marrow and affects white blood cells called plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in the immune system by producing antibodies to combat germs. Multiple Myeloma is the most common subtype of plasma cell neoplasms. Symptoms usually don’t appear until the cancer is widespread and advanced. Rarer forms of blood cancer include:
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). In this type of cancer, the bone marrow produces an excessive number of white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets.
- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). With MDS, your bone marrow makes abnormal blood cells. Sometimes, blood cells are abnormal because they fail to develop fully. Immature cells are called blasts.
Subcategories of Myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), Polycythemia vera (PV), Essential thrombocythaemia (ET), Myelofibrosis, Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN overlap), Histiocytosis, Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), Langerhans cell histiocytosis, Mastocytosis, Mast cell leukemia (MCL), Non-cancerous blood conditions: MGUS
Risk Factors
For Blood Cancer
- Certain factors may play a role in increasing your blood cancer risk, including:
- Age. Your risk of developing a condition increases as you age.
- Sex. Blood cancers are more common in males.
- Smoking. A smoking history or exposure to secondhand smoke may increase your risk.
- Exposure to toxic chemicals. Long-term exposure to benzene and formaldehyde can increase your risk of specific health issues. You’re more likely to encounter them if you work in an industry like manufacturing.
- Previous cancer treatment. Previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy may increase your risk of developing blood cancer.
- Biological family history. Some types of blood cancers may run in families. But most people who receive a diagnosis don’t have a family member with blood cancer.
- Several autoimmune diseases, genetic disorders, and conditions that cause long-term inflammation are associated with increased blood cancer risk. Blood cancers aren’t avoidable.
But even someone with a clean bill of health can develop blood cancer. However, you can lower your risk by avoiding certain risk factors, such as smoking.
Additional Risk Factors for Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma
Leukemia: Advancing age, being male, family history of blood cancer, smoking, genetic disorders like Down syndrome, Chronic exposure to high doses of radiation or industrial chemicals, and a History of chemotherapy or radiation cancer treatment.
Lymphoma: advancing age, although people between the ages of 15 and 35 are at risk for Hodgkin lymphoma; being male; a family history of blood cancer; and a History of infection and disease. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mono, can increase the risk for Hodgkin and autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, a weakened immune system, Chronic exposure to certain industrial chemicals, and radiation.
Myeloma: Advancing age, being male, being African American, Family history of blood cancer or other plasma cell diseases, such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) or solitary plasmacytoma, being overweight or obese, and Chronic exposure to radiation and chemicals.
Symptoms
People with blood cancer may experience a range of symptoms, including:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Frequent infections
Other symptoms include: Bone pain, Drenching night sweats, Enlarged liver or spleen, Joint pain, Persistent fever, Unexplained weight loss, Unusual bruising or bleeding (warning signs include tiny red skin spots or purplish skin patches), rash, or itchy skin that is unexplained. Learn more about the symptoms of blood cancer.
Bruises: On lighter skin, bruises start red and gradually darken. However, on darker skin, bruises may be hard to see at first but become darker than the surrounding skin over time.
Rashes: They often appear as clusters of tiny spots or larger blotches. On lighter skin, rashes look red or purple. On Black and brown skin, they appear as dark purple or darker spots. These spots don’t fade when pressed.
Paleness (A Loss of Pallor): Easier to spot in light skin as unusual paleness. In individuals with Black or brown skin, pallor may appear grayish or manifest as paler palms, lips, gums, tongue, or nail beds. For all skin types, pale inner eyelids can also be a sign.
How is Blood Cancer Diagnosed?
- Leukemia: Your doctor will order a complete blood count (CBC) test, which can help identify abnormal levels of white blood cells in relation to red blood cells and platelets.
- Lymphoma: Your doctor will need to perform a biopsy, which involves removing a small portion of tissue for examination under a microscope. In some cases, your doctor may also order an X-ray, CT, or PET scan to detect swollen lymph nodes.
- Myeloma: Your doctor will order a CBC, as well as other blood or urine tests, to detect chemicals or proteins produced as a result of myeloma development. In some cases, bone marrow biopsy, X-ray, MRI, PET, and CT scans can be used to confirm the presence and extent of the spread.
How is Blood Cancer Treated?
Common treatments for blood cancer include:
- Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a primary treatment for blood cancer. It kills cancer cells to either slow down the disease’s progress or eliminate the cancer. Healthcare providers use various types of chemotherapy drugs to treat different blood cancers.
- Radiation therapy. This treatment uses radiation to damage the DNA in abnormal cells, preventing them from replicating. Providers may use radiation to ease symptoms (palliative care). They often combine radiation therapy with other forms of treatment.
- Immunotherapy. This treatment improves your immune system’s ability to fight cancer. Some of the most commonly used immunotherapies for blood cancer are monoclonal antibodies and CAR T-cell therapy.
- Targeted therapy. These treatments target weaknesses in cancer cells related to abnormal genetic mutations.
- Autologous stem cell transplant. Providers can collect bone marrow stem cells from your body before giving you high doses of chemotherapy. Once chemotherapy kills the cancer cells, they’ll give your healthy stem cells back to you. They’ll develop into healthy blood cells.
- Allogeneic stem cell transplant. Sometimes, damaged bone marrow needs to be replaced with healthy bone marrow. Providers identify a suitable bone marrow donor and use the donor’s cells to replace your damaged ones.
- Stem cell transplantation: Healthy stem cells can be infused into your body to help resume healthy blood production following therapy to destroy malignant blood cells.
Resources
Summa Health: Leukemia Risk Factors
Blood Cancer UK symptoms and signs
International Myeloma Foundation
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