Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month

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By Nurse Diane

I will never forget the summer of 1976.  That was the year my family moved to a different city.  We were frequently moving since my father's job kept promoting him and with each promotion came a new location. I was always excited to move to a new place meet new people and start a new school, but this summer was different.  Shortly after we moved, my mother got a phone call.  My grandfather was in the hospital, he had been diagnosed with Leukemia.  My mother left to be by his side, and to help my grandmother.  We, my brother, father and I were left at home to fend for ourselves.  I was a young girl at the time, and didn't really understand what was going on.  My grandfather was a very strong man.  He had served in 2 wars, and was a full time employee of the National Guard.  He was a very strict military man, and nothing could bring him down.  But my grandfather had never met cancer before.  Luckily, he did not suffer long with his illness. His death was fast and unexpected.  He outlived his mother, but passed away before seeing his youngest daughter get married.  He had a full military funeral, with a flag over his casket, bugles playing, and a 21 gun salute.  This was the first time I had experienced a death in my family, and it was all confusing. I wish I had more time to spend with him, to learn of his military career, and how he won the box full of medals that my father placed in a frame.

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September is Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month.  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was founded in 1949. Blood cancers affect more than 912,000 people with 140,000 new diagnoses each year.  Each year around 53,000 die from blood cancers.  The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has been dedicated to finding a cure for these diseases through voluntary contributions. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.  Remarkable progress has been made in treating patients with blood cancers, with survival rates for many having doubled or tripled, and in some cases quadrupled.

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If you know someone who is suffering from these blood cancers, and would like to help in finding a cure, please visit this website for more information about ways you can help. http://www.lls.org/#/waystohelp/donate/

Blood Cancer Awareness Month

By Diane Forrest, RN

September is Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month is an opportunity to increase the public's understanding of blood cancers and encourage people to support the funding of research to find cures and education programs to help patients have the best possible outcomes throughout their cancer experience.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. The two main types of leukemia are lymphocytic leukemia, which involves an increase of white blood cells called lymphocytes; and myelogenous leukemia (also known as myeloid or myelocytic leukemia), which involves an increase in white blood cells called granulocytes.

Leukemia can be acute or chronic. Acute forms of leukemia progress rapidly, while chronic forms of leukemia progress slowly

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a general term for cancers that start in the lymph system; mainly the lymph nodes. The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hodgkin lymphoma spreads in an orderly manner from one group of lymph nodes to another. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma spreads through the lymphatic system in a non-orderly manner. The causes of lymphoma are unknown.

Myeloma

Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells. In myeloma, the cells overgrow, forming a mass or tumor that is located in the bone marrow.  Bone marrow is the spongy tissue found in the center of the bone, where red cells, white blood cells, and platelets are made.

Age is the most significant risk factor for developing myeloma. People under age 45 rarely develop the disease. Those aged 67 years or older are at greatest risk of developing myeloma. Men are more likely than women to develop myeloma, and myeloma is about twice as common among African Americans as among Caucasians.

Signs and symptoms of blood cancers include:

Feeling very tired;

Weight loss for no known reason;

Night sweats;

Fever; and

Pain or a feeling of fullness below the ribs on the left side.

Diagnosing and Treatment

Blood cancers are detected during physical examinations and blood tests.  Other tests include bone marrow aspirations and CT Scans.  Treatment involves radiation, chemotherapy and in some cases transplants.

Remarkable progress has been made in treating patients with blood cancers, with survival rates for many having doubled or tripled, and in some cases quadrupled since The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was founded in 1949.

For more information visit this site: http://www.lls.org/