Leukemia and Lymphoma are types of blood cancer that typically stem from problems with the white blood cells. Though there are some similarities between the two types of cancer, their causes symptoms, origins and survival rates are distinct.
Leukemia occurs when your bone marrow produces too many white blood cells that don’t naturally die off instead, keep dividing and ultimately take over healthy red blood cells that are required for oxygen and nutrient transport. Leukemia can either be acute (cancer spreads rapidly) or chronic (grows slower at beginning stages). There are four types of leukemia: acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia.
Lymphoma, on the other hand, begins in the lymph nodes which are small tissues that help the body fight infections. There are two main types of lymphocyte are Hodgkin lymphoma, this type is less common, involves a specific type of B cell called Reed Sterberg cell or Non-Hodgkin lymphoma which can start in either B cells or T cells. Depending on whether a person has leukemia, Hodgkin disease or non-Hodgkin lymphoma symptoms may vary and may not be immediately apparent.
Symptoms of leukemia include:
- shortness of breath
- easily bruised skin
- fever
- unintended weight loss
- bone pain or tenderness
Although symptoms of lymphoma vary depending on the type. Below are the common symptoms that both Hodgkin and non- Hodgkin lymphoma can include:
- fever and night sweats
- itchy skin
- loss of appetite and weight loss
- swollen lymph nodes
It is important to note cancer is easier to treat if caught in early stages. According to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, “Approximately every 3 minutes one person in the United States is diagnosed with a type of blood cancer.” Through hope, compassion, education and support we can break down barriers to increase understanding and continue increasing survival rates around the globe. Each step matters in the fight against cancer.
Blood Cancer Facts & Statistics
- An estimated combined total of 176,200 people in the US is expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2019.
- Approximately every 9 minutes, someone in the US dies from blood cancer. This statistic represents approximately 156 people each day or more than 6 people every hour.
- These diseases are expected to account for 9.4% of the deaths from cancer in 2019, based on the estimated total of 606,880 cancer deaths.
- Leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma are expected to cause the deaths of an estimated 56,770 people in the US in 2019.
- Prevalence is the estimated number of people alive on a certain date in a population who previously had a diagnosis of the disease. An estimated 1,399,180 people in the US are living with, or are in remission from leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma.
- Relative survival compares the survival rate of a person diagnosed with a disease to that of a person without the disease. The most recent survival data available may not fully represent the outcome of all current therapies and, as a result, may underestimate survival to a small degree.
*Data specified for “blood cancer” include leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, and do not include data for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)
Source LLS.org
Nova Medical Centers is asking for donations to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, on behalf of Ellie Fetner. Ellie is a survivor who has made it her mission to not only raise the most money but also to bring attention to blood cancers like leukemia, which is the most common form of cancer in children and teens.
Please click the link to learn more about Ellie and to donate. Every donation supports the LLS in its mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
Thank you for your support in our fight against cancer.
