Blood Cancer Awareness

Articles

Sep 1

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, a time for advocates and supporters of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to raise awareness both nationally and locally about efforts to fight blood cancers including Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and Myeloma.

Light it Red for Lymphoma

Light it Red for Lymphoma is a grassroots effort to bring awareness to blood cancers. During this time different landmarks, buildings, bridges, monuments, and homes light up red. Each year a gala is hosted to benefit and raise money for Lymphoma research by bringing together specialists to discuss advancements. You can also participate by lighting your home red during this time to spread awareness in your neighborhood about blood cancer.

What is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is cancer that starts in cells within in the body's immune system. Knowing which type of Lymphoma you have can affect your treatment options and your prognosis.

Types of Lymphoma

Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hodgkin Lymphoma (Hodgkin’s disease) is cancer that starts in the white blood cells (called lymphocytes) in the immune system. Lymph tissue exists all throughout your body, so Hodgkin's Lymphoma can start nearly anywhere. Hodgkin Lymphoma most often spreads through the lymph vessels from lymph node to lymph node. In rare circumstances, or late in the disease, it can invade the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, and/or bone marrow. There are 4 different types of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma:

Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkin Lymphoma (NSHL): This is the most common type of HL, It's most common in teens and young adults but it can occur in people of any age. It often starts in the lymphs in the neck or chest.
Mixed Cellularity Hodgkin Lymphoma (MCHL): The second most common type, it’s mostly seen in those with HIV. It can also be found in children or in the elderly. It can start in any lymph node but most often occurs in the upper half of the body.
Lymphocyte-rich Hodgkin Lymphoma: This is a less common subtype when it is found it’s in the upper half of the body and is only found in a few of the lymph nodes.
Lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin Lymphoma: This is a rarer form of HL, It's mostly seen in older people or those with an HIV infection. It can be found in the stomach, spleen, liver, or bone marrow.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (sometimes called NHL, or just lymphoma) is cancer that starts in cells called lymphocytes, which are a part of the body’s immune system. NHL is a term that's used for many different types of lymphoma that all share some of the same characteristics. The type of lymphoma depends on what type of lymphocyte is affected (B cells or T cells) as well as how mature the cells are when they become cancerous, and other factors. B cells normally help protect the body against germs by making antibodies. There are several types of T cells, some destroy germs or abnormal cells in the body while other T cells help boost or slow the activity of other immune system cells.

Types of NHL can also be grouped based on how fast they grow and spread. Indolent lymphomas grow and spread slowly, some indolent lymphomas might not need to be treated right away but can be watched closely. The most common type of indolent lymphoma in the United States is follicular lymphoma. Aggressive lymphomas grow and spread quickly and oftentimes need to be treated right away.

Lymphoma in the Skin

Lymphomas that start in the skin are called skin lymphomas (or cutaneous lymphomas) and are rare. The main system used to classify skin lymphoma by the World Health Organization was last updated in 2016. It is based mainly on:

Whether the lymphoma starts in T lymphocytes (T cells) or B lymphocytes (B cells)
How the lymphoma looks under the microscope
Whether certain proteins are on the lymphoma cells (based on lab tests)

Most skin lymphomas are T-cell lymphomas or sometimes called cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs). Nearly half of all skin lymphomas are mycosis fungoides (MF). MF can occur in people of any age but specifically in people in their 50s or 60s. Men are almost twice as likely as women to develop this lymphoma. Some people with MF go on to develop Sezary syndrome.

Sezary syndrome (SS) is often thought of as an advanced form of MF, but these are not the same disease. In SS, most or all of the skin is affected, instead of just patches. People with SS typically have an itchy, scaly, red rash that can look like a severe sunburn. People with SS also often have weakened immune systems, increasing their risk of serious infections.

Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia is a type of Hodgkin Lymphoma, these cancer cells make large amounts of the abnormal protein macroglobulin. Another name for WM is lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. WM is cancer that starts in B cells.WM cells have features of both plasma cells and lymphocytes and are called lymphoplasmacytoid. The WM cells grow mainly in the bone marrow, where they crowd out the normal cells that make the different kinds of blood cells. This leads to anemia, a low white blood cell count making it harder to fight infections, and a number of platelets in the blood can also drop, leading to increased bleeding and bruising.

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is a cancer that affects the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and lymphatic system. There are different types of leukemia, some impact kids more readily, and others affect adults. In people with Leukemia, the bone marrow produces an excessive amount of abnormal white blood cells that don't function properly.

Chronic or Acute Leukemia

Leukemia can be acute or chronic depending on whether most of the abnormal cells are immature (more like stem cells) or mature (more like normal white blood cells). In CL the cells may look regular but the cells often don’t mature completely. They do not fight infection as well as healthy white blood cells can. Chronic leukemias can take a long time before they cause problems, and most people can live for many years after being diagnosed.

Myeloid Leukemia

Myeloid leukemia is also known as Myelogenous leukemia. It's a type of cancer that starts in certain blood-forming cells of the bone marrow. In ML, a genetic change takes place in an earlier version of myeloid cells, these cells make red blood cells, platelets, and most types of white blood cells. The leukemia cells grow and divide, building up in the bone marrow blood. Myeloid Leukemia is mostly seen in adults but sometimes in kids too. ML can be slow-growing leukemia, but it can change into a fast-growing acute leukemia that's hard to treat.

Lymphocytic Leukemia

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Acute means that leukemia can progress quickly, and if not treated, would probably be fatal within a short amount of time (usually a few months). Lymphocytic means it develops from early forms in the white blood cells. ALL starts in the bone marrow and usually invades the bloodstream quickly or spread to other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system, and male testicles. Some cancers can also start in these organs and then spread to the bone marrow, but these cancers are not classified as Leukemia.

Recovery from diseases such as cancer can be overwhelming and a difficult path to begin alone. The therapists at Tilton’s Therapy are experienced, and compassionate, and work with clients of all ages to help them reach their maximum level of independence. If you or a loved one are looking for occupational, physical, or speech therapy after treatment or diagnosis of blood cancer, contact our team today.