Blood Cancer- Impact, Diagnosis, and Importance of Early Detection Blood cancer is a broad term that encompasses various malignancies affecting the blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic system. These cancers disrupt the normal function of blood cells, leading to serious health issues. Despite its critical nature, blood cancer is often overshadowed by more commonly discussed cancers, such as breast or lung cancer.
Read on to gain in-depth details about this disease. What is Blood Cancer? Blood cancer refers to cancers that originate in the blood, bone marrow, or lymphatic system. Unlike other types of cancer, which form solid tumours, blood cancers involve the abnormal proliferation of blood cells or other cells within these systems.
The three main types of blood cancer are 1. Leukaemia Leukaemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. It occurs when abnormal white blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and rapidly proliferate, leading to a shortage of normal blood cells.
There are several types of leukaemia, including 2. Lymphoma Lymphoma affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system. It starts in the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, and typically forms tumours in the lymph nodes.
The two main types are 3. Myeloma Multiple myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. Plasma cells are responsible for producing antibodies, and their malignancy leads to an overproduction of abnormal proteins.
Key characteristics of myeloma includ.