Believe it or not, there are more than 100 different types of blood cancer, with each one falling into one of three main types of blood and bone marrow cancers: leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Treatments vary depending on what type of blood cancer a person has and at what stage their cancer was discovered.
Here’s a breakdown of the different types of blood cancer:
Leukemia
Leukemia is caused by the body’s rapid production of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow. When the body makes too many abnormal white blood cells, it hinders the bone marrow’s ability to make healthy blood cells. Leukemia is also the most common type of blood cancer in the United States and the most prevalent in children and teens.
Lymphoma
Lymphoma affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system that helps defend the body against sickness. The two main types of lymphomas are non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. Hodgkin lymphoma is far less common than non-Hodgkin and is characterized by a specific type of cell called a Reed-Sternberg cell.
Myeloma
Myeloma (multiple myeloma) is a blood cancer that starts from abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow. Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell that usually fights infection. With myeloma, there are many abnormal plasma cells, called myeloma cells, which means the body can’t work as it should.
Blood cancers, which are mainly caused by DNA mutations, account for 10% of all diagnosed cancers in the US each year, and childhood leukemia accounts for about 25% of all cancers in children. In the UK, over 650 children and young adults are diagnosed with leukemia every year. (YaleMedicine.org, BloodCancer.org/UK)
Navigating Blood Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment
For parents, finding out a child has blood cancer can be both devastating and scary. Navigating your child’s journey with blood cancer can be incredibly challenging, but there are some ways to make this time a little easier. First and foremost, building a strong and open relationship with your child’s healthcare team is key. By sharing how your child is feeling and what’s happening, you’ll ensure that everyone is working together to provide the best care possible.
It’s also important to acknowledge your child’s feelings and celebrate their accomplishments, no matter how small. Your support and praise can make a big difference in their emotional well-being and help them feel more confident and hopeful.
Another valuable way to support your child is by connecting with others who understand what you’re going through. Joining a support group can provide both you and your child with a sense of community and understanding.
Connection Through Relatable Patient Stories
Listening to stories from other children who have faced similar challenges can be a powerful source of comfort and reassurance, helping patients and their families feel less alone on this journey. They provide a sense of connection and relatability that children undergoing cancer treatment often miss. Hearing these stories can also be extremely beneficial for siblings and other children in the family as these stories can help them process what’s happening in an accessible way. They can also help make sense of complex emotions and situations, fostering empathy and understanding.
One of the things we’re most passionate about is telling patient stories. In one of our custom “In My Shoes” videos, we met with Alistair, a young adult diagnosed with leukemia in his late teens. “On the day I found out I had leukemia, I guess it was a bit of a shock,” he recalled. It was the first time he needed to be hospitalized, and the experience was scary. Luckily, he had an incredible care team that helped him understand what was happening inside his body and what their plan would be for his treatment. “My advice for someone being newly diagnosed [would be to] ask your doctor any question you have about the treatment. [It] gave me a bit of comfort knowing what their plan was, knowing it was okay to ask for help. It’s okay to be scared and sad at times.” He went on to say that one of the biggest lessons he took away from this experience was that he could mentally push through it and stay positive.
If you’d like to learn more about how we create our custom “In My Shoes” videos, visit blog.jumohealth.com or contact us.
