September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Over 250,000 people are currently living with blood cancer in the UK, with over 40,000 new diagnoses every year (stats from Blood Cancer UK). Blood cancer can happen to anyone, but many people still do not know much about it. At TenClinical we have helped, and will continue to help, patients who have been diagnosed with the various types of blood cancer. Whilst we cannot ‘fix’ it, we can help patients get stronger before surgery, recover faster between bouts of chemotherapy, and live a happier, healthier life. This blog is dedicated to help raise awareness for blood cancer and the millions of people it affects.
All blood cancers are caused by mutations in DNA within blood cells, causing them to behave abnormally and multiply rapidly.
The three main types of blood cancer are leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
Leukaemia
Leukaemia originates in the blood and bone marrow and occurs when the body creates too many abnormal white blood cells and interferes with the bone marrow’s ability to make red blood cells and platelets.
Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
Hodgkin lymphoma develops in the lymphatic system from cells called lymphocytes. Hodgkin lymphoma is characterized by the existence of an abnormal lymphocyte called the Reed-Sternberg cell.
Myeloma
Myeloma begins in the blood’s plasma cells, a type of white blood cell made in the bone marrow. With myeloma the plasma cell makes lots of cancerous plasma cells.
Blood cancer treatment
Treatment varies depending on the exact type of cancer. The most common types are: chemotherapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplants or combinations of these treatments. Treatments are usually extremely harsh on the body, wreaking havoc with the immune system and body’s natural defence mechanisms.
The good news – the cure rate of blood cancer is very high. With the right medication, treatment and recovery methods, patients make a full recovery.
How TenClinical can help if you are at risk, or have been diagnosed
We have specialist clinical trainers who can help whatever stage you are at, whether pre-diagnosis, post-diagnosis or during treatment. Our trainers can work directly with your consultants, surgeons and doctors to optimise recovery and maximise your wellbeing.
If you, or someone you know, has been diagnosed with blood cancer then we can help. We can help them get stronger before surgery, enhance treatment effectiveness and speed up recovery afterwards. We aim to get people fighting fit as safely and quickly as possible.
