Blood Cancer Awareness Month: Understanding Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma

The news

Each September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month brings attention to cancers that begin in the blood, bone marrow, and lymph system — most often grouped as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Because these cancers do not form the kind of solid lump people often picture, awareness helps explain what they actually are.

Why people are talking about it

Blood cancers can be less understood than cancers named for a single organ. A dedicated month gives people a chance to learn how these diseases differ, to support blood and marrow donation and research, and to stand with the many people living with or recovering from these conditions — including children, since some blood cancers are among the most common cancers in childhood.

What this topic means

According to the National Cancer Institute:

Leukemia is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells. NCI explains that the type of leukemia depends on the type of blood cell that becomes cancer and whether it grows quickly or slowly. Leukemia occurs most often in adults older than 55, but it is also the most common cancer in children younger than 15.

Lymphoma is a broad term for cancer that begins in cells of the lymph system. NCI describes two main types: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). NCI notes that Hodgkin lymphoma can often be cured, while the prognosis of NHL depends on the specific type.

Multiple myeloma is part of a group NCI calls plasma cell neoplasms, which occur when abnormal plasma cells form cancerous tumors in bone or soft tissue. NCI explains that when there is only one tumor, the disease is called a plasmacytoma; when there are multiple tumors, it is called multiple myeloma.

Screening and prevention

Here honesty matters more than filling a template. For all three of these blood cancers, NCI states plainly that it does not have PDQ evidence-based information about screening, and that it does not have PDQ evidence-based information about prevention. In other words, unlike cancers such as cervical or colorectal cancer, there is no routine screening test recommended for the general population for leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma, and NCI does not offer disease-specific prevention guidance for them.

What NCI does point to is its general Cancer Prevention Overview and Cancer Screening Overview for broader context. The most useful role of awareness here is helping people understand these diseases, encouraging attention to persistent symptoms, and supporting research and donation efforts.

How to take part

• Consider blood, platelet, or bone marrow donation — many treatments depend on donors.
• Support reputable blood cancer research and patient-support organizations.
• Learn the differences between leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma so you can separate fact from fear.

Questions to ask a healthcare team

• I have persistent symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, or frequent infections — could they be worth investigating?
• Given my personal or family history, is there anything specific I should discuss?
• Where can I learn reliable information about a specific blood cancer diagnosis?
• What clinical trials or research options might be relevant in this situation?