Blood Cancer Care Designed for You
Blood is responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout your body, protecting you from infections and regulating your body’s temperature. When blood cells start behaving abnormally, multiplying often and crowding out healthy cells, it may be a sign of blood cancer. Blood cancer, or hematologic cancer, is caused by a cell mutation that can affect blood cells, bone marrow and the lymphatic system.
Types of Blood Cancer We Treat
There are three main types of blood cancer. Depending on which areas are affected, you may be diagnosed with:
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Myeloma
Leukemia
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that affects the production of blood cells. It typically begins in the bone marrow and causes a rapid production of underdeveloped blood cells. There are several types of leukemia that can be categorized based on whether it's fast or slow growing and the type of cells it starts in.
Lymphoma
Cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, which includes lymph nodes, is called lymphoma. Lymph nodes are small, round organs found throughout the body that contain white blood cells. They play a critical role in the immune system by helping to filter bacteria out of the body’s bloodstream. There are two main types of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The difference between them is based on the kind of blood cells that are affected.
Myeloma
Myeloma is the rarest form of blood cancer. It affects plasma cells, which are white blood cells that help fight infections in your body. When too many are produced, it can crowd out healthy blood cells and damage your organs. It’s common for myeloma to affect more than one place in the body. That’s called multiple myeloma.
Blood Cancer Risk Factors
Blood cancer can happen to anyone, but some people are at a higher risk. Some blood cancer risk factors include:
- Radiation exposure
- Exposure to certain chemicals
- Lowered immunity due to infections or some medications
- Family history and inherited conditions
Signs and Symptoms of Blood Cancer
The only way to diagnose blood cancer is with testing, but there are some signs to look out for. Signs and symptoms can vary depending on the type of blood cancer, but there are a few shared traits:
- Bone pain
- Fatigue
- Frequent infections
- Persistent fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Unexpected bruising and bleeding
- Unexpected or unexplained weight loss
Having one or more of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have blood cancer. If symptoms last for several weeks and you’re concerned you may have cancer, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider to be evaluated.
Blood Cancer Treatments
Treatment for blood cancer depends on several factors, including the type of cancer, the patient’s age, how quickly the cancer is spreading and more.
Chemotherapy uses medication to kill cancer cells to slow down the growth and eliminate the disease.
Radiation therapy targets abnormal cells with radiation, which damages them and keeps them from reproducing.
Immunotherapy helps your body create more immune cells, which find and kill cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that uses modified T cells to treat cancer. BITE therapies are another kind of immunotherapy that helps the immune system recognize and kill cancer cells. CAR T-cell and BITE therapies are available for patients at Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo.
Bone marrow transplantation is when healthy bone marrow, either from the patient or a donor, replaces damaged marrow. The Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo is the first and only bone marrow transplantation location in North Dakota.