In the UK, blood cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer, affecting over 41,000 people each year. According to Blood Cancer UK, around 250,000 people in the UK are currently living with this disease. One in every 16 men and one in every 22 women will develop it at some point in their lives.
It's also the most common type of cancer in children. Despite this, many people aren't aware of the signs and symptoms that could indicate something is wrong. Blood cancer usually develops due to mutations in the DNA within blood cells, which causes the cells to behave abnormally, reports the Express .
In almost all cases, these changes are linked to factors beyond our control. They occur within a person's lifetime, meaning they're not hereditary issues that can be passed on to children. There are over 100 different types of blood cancer.
Most of these are forms of leukaemia , lymphoma and myeloma , but the term "blood cancer" also includes other conditions such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). With so many variations of the disease, each with its own set of symptoms, treatments, and outcomes, it can be difficult to keep track of them all. A comprehensive list, available on Blood Cancer UK's website, breaks down the typical symptoms to look out for.
Some may be more obvious than others: It's crucial to remember that symptoms can appear differently on various skin tones. Not everyone will experience the same symptoms, and some may have symptoms not mentioned here. Blood cancers are categorised as either acute or chronic.
Acute refers to cancers that grow rapidly, while chronic denotes slower growth. Common treatments for blood cancer include: While most people with the aforementioned symptoms likely won't have blood cancer, it's essential to determine their cause. If you have even one unexplained symptom, make an appointment with your GP.
If you suddenly feel extremely ill at any point, seek immediate medical assistance by dialling 999 or visiting A&E..
