Three types of cancer that affect blood cells directly are leukemia, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). All of these cancers begin in the bone marrow, where blood cells are produced. In all cases, abnormal blood cells develop and crowd out healthier cells. The differences among various blood cancers are in the type of blood cells targeted and at what stage they are affected. Some types of blood cancer are more common in children, some affect mostly adults and others take different forms in both adults and children.
Types
Leukemia is a blood cancer in which the bone marrow produces too many abnormal white blood cells. Leukemia may be acute, which means symptoms develop suddenly and worsen quickly, or it may be chronic, which means that symptoms appear gradually over a period of years.
Multiple myeloma is a condition in which too many abnormal plasma cells are produced. As in leukemia, these unhealthy cells interfere with the production and work of healthier blood cells.
MDS is not a single condition, but a collection of blood and bone marrow diseases that interfere with the production of healthy stem cells.
Significance
The abnormal blood cells that are produced in someone with leukemia continue to grow and interfere with the production and growth of healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Ultimately, accumulated cancer cells can interfere with all body organs and functions.
In multiple myeloma, abnormal cells may cluster and form tumors in bone or soft tissue that interfere with formation of healthy blood cells in the bone marrow, damage bone tissue and can cause of variety of secondary conditions such as high blood calcium.
Stem cells are baby blood cells that normally grow and develop into red or white blood cells or platelets. With MDS, stem cells die within the marrow or when they reach the bloodstream and their presence prevents healthy stem cells from growing.
Symptoms
The symptoms vary somewhat, depending on the specific type of blood cancer involved. Some symptoms common to most types of blood cancer include unexplained fever and night sweats, bruising, bleeding easily, bone or joint pain, fatigue, weight loss and swollen lymph nodes.
Risk Factors
The risk of developing blood cancer is higher if you have been exposed to high amounts of radiation or certain types of chemicals such as benzene or the chemotherapy chemicals used to treat other cancers. Smoking can also increase your risk.
People with Down syndrome are at higher risk of developing leukemia than the general population. Most cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed in people over 60 years old, and according to Mayo Clinic, black people have twice the risk of developing this type of blood cancer than white people and men are more likely to develop the disease than women. Older, Caucasian males have a higher risk of developing myelodysplastic syndromes than other populations.
Treatment
There are several different treatments for blood cancer, depending on what type you have and the severity of the condition. The primary treatment is chemotherapy, which uses strong medications to destroy cancer cells. Radiation treatments, which are high-dose X-rays, also kill cancer cells.
Following chemotherapy or radiation, stem cell (bone marrow) transplant or immunotherapy treatments may be given to help boost your body's natural ability to fight cancer cells.
Supportive care for myelodysplastic syndromes varies but may include blood transfusion and drug therapy to treat severe anemia or iron overload.
