هەرێمی کوردستان – عێراق
وەزارەتی خوێندنی بااڵ و توێژینەوەی زانستی
پەیمانگای تەکنیکی کۆیە
بەشی شیکاری نەخۆشیەکان
قۆناغی (دووەم )ئێواران
Report
Blood Cancer
Prepared by Supervised by
Zaynab Hussain Mr. Rzgae
Venus Nasradin
)(2023-2024
Contents
Blood Cancer ........................................................................
What is blood cancer? ....................................................... 2
Are blood cancers serious? ................................................ 2
The three main types of blood cancer ............................... 2
Leukemia ........................................................................... 2
Lymphoma ......................................................................... 3
Multiple myeloma ............................................................. 3
Less common forms of blood cancers ............................... 3
Blood cancer symptoms include ........................................ 4
Blood Cancer Stages .......................................................... 4
The factors that might increase the risk of developing this
cancer ................................................................................ 5
Treatments for your blood cancer may include ................. 6
The risks and benefits of each treatment option .............. 7
How Do I Choose Treatment That's Best for Me? .............. 7
How can you prevent blood cancer naturally? .................. 7
Reference........................................................................... 8
1
What is blood cancer?
Blood cancer affects how your body produces blood cells and how well
those cells work. Most blood cancers start in your bone marrow, the soft,
sponge-like material in the center of your bones. Your bone marrow makes
stem cells that mature and become red blood cells, white blood cells and
platelets.
Normal blood cells fight infection, carry oxygen throughout your body and
control bleeding. Blood cancer happens when something disrupts how your
body makes blood cells. If you have blood cancer, abnormal blood cells
overwhelm normal blood cells, creating a ripple effect of medical
conditions. More people are living longer with blood cancer, as healthcare
providers find new ways to treat it.
Are blood cancers serious?
Blood cancers are serious illnesses, but other cancer types are more
deadly. Blood cancers represent about 10% of all cancers diagnosed in the
United States each year, and an estimated 3% of all cancer-related deaths.
National Cancer Institute data show a steady decline in blood cancer
deaths.
The three main types of blood cancer are:
Leukemia
lymphoma
myeloma
Leukemia : is a blood cancer that originates in the blood and bone
marrow. It 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.
2
Lymphoma:
1. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma : is a blood cancer that develops in the
lymphatic system from cells called lymphocytes, a type of white blood
cell that helps the body fight infections.
2. Hodgkin lymphoma : is a blood cancer that develops in the
lymphatic system from cells called lymphocytes. Hodgkin lymphoma
is characterized by the presence of an abnormal lymphocyte called
the Reed-Sternberg cell.
Multiple myeloma : is a blood cancer that begins in the blood’s
plasma cells, a type of white blood cell made in the bone marrow.
Less common forms of blood cancers
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): These are rare conditions that may
result from damage to blood-forming cells in the bone marrow.
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs): These rare blood cancers occur
when the body overproduces white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets.
The three main subcategories are essential thrombocythemia (ET),
myelofibrosis (MF) and polycythemia vera (PV).
Amyloidosis: This rare disorder, characterized by the buildup of an
abnormal protein called amyloid, is not a form of cancer. But it is closely
associated with multiple myeloma.
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: This is a rare type of non-Hodgkin
lymphoma that starts in B cells.
Aplastic anemia: This rare condition occurs when key stem cells are
damaged and can only be treated with a bone marrow transplant.
3
Blood cancer symptoms include:
Weight loss
Bruising or bleeding
Lumps or swellings
Shortness of breath (breathlessness)
Drenching night sweats
Infections that are persistent, recurrent or severe
Fever (38°C or above) that is unexplained
Rash or itchy skin that is unexplained
Pain in your bones, joints or abdomen (stomach area)
Tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest or sleep (fatigue)
Paleness (pallor)
Some symptoms look different in different skin tones.
Blood Cancer Stages
The stages of the cancer are divided on the basis of metastasis. There are
different scales to determine different stages, according to the symptoms
and rate of metastasis.
Mainly the stages of the cancer have been divided into four parts:
Stage 1
The blood cancer 1st stage includes the enlargement of the lymph nodes.
This happens because of the sudden increase of the number of the
lymphocytes. The risk at this stage is very low as the cancer is not yet
spread or affected any other physical organ.
4
Stage 2
In the blood cancer 2nd stage, spleen, liver and lymph nodes get enlarged.
It is not necessary that all these organs get affected at the same time;
however, this stage includes one of these organs for sure. The growth of
the lymphocytes is very high in this stage.
Stage 3
In the blood cancer 3rd stage, anaemia develops in the third stage and
above mentioned organs are still found enlarged. It is sure that more than
two organs get affected in this stage.
Stage 4
The blood cancer 4th stage is the last stage with the highest risk ratio. The
rate of blood platelets starts falling rapidly. The cancerous cells start
affecting the lungs including the other organs which already started getting
affected in the earlier stages. Anaemia, in this stage, is more likely to be
acute.
Blood cancer is a broad group as there are many different types of this
cancer. They are categorized into three main groups. Each specific type of
cancer affects a particular type of cell present in the blood. A routine blood
test can lead to the early detection of these cancers.
The factors that might increase the risk of developing
this cancer
Old age
Family History
5
Prior exposure to radiation/chemotherapy or cancer-causing
substances & chemicals
Compromised immune system due to such conditions as HIVIAIDS,
taking corticosteroids, or organ transplant
HIVIAIDS
History of organ transplant
Smoking
Treatments for your blood cancer may include:
Chemotherapy: Your doctor may use these powerful drugs to kill blood
cancer cells. Chemo treats cancer and may stop it from spreading. But it
also damages healthy cells, which can cause side effects.
Immunotherapy: Your doctor may harness your immune system to fight
blood cancer. It can also give the immune system a boost by changing the
chemical environment of your cancer. Monoclonal antibodies and CAR T-
cell therapy are forms of immunotherapy.
Radiotherapy: Your doctor will direct high doses of radiation at the part of
your body where the cancer is. It destroys blood cancer cells and can also
help control cancer-related pain.
Stem cell (bone marrow) transplantation: Your doctor will replace your
damaged blood-forming stem cells with healthy stem cells. These stem
cells grow into all types of blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood
cells, and platelets.
Watchful waiting: Your doctor may suggest routine appointments to check
on your cancer rather than treatment. This approach is for slow-growing
blood cancers.
6
The risks and benefits of each
treatment option
Each treatment option will come with the chance of positive and negative
outcomes including the chance that:
Treatment may cure your blood cancer.
Serious short- or long-term side effects might occur.
Your cancer might come back after treatment.
You might live longer with (or without) treatment.
The treatment will affect your quality of life.
How Do I Choose Treatment That's
Best for Me?
Your care team will tell you all the options for treating your blood cancer.
But the final decision is yours to make.
You'll want to think about your treatment goals, side effects, benefits, and
risks as you decide.
How can you prevent blood cancer
naturally?
Eat a healthy diet
Although eating healthy foods can't ensure cancer prevention, it might
reduce the risk. Consider the following: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Base your diet on fruits, vegetables and other foods from plant sources
such as whole grains and beans.
7
Reference
https://hillman.upmc.com/cancer-care/blood/treatment
https://www.indushealthplus.com/blood-cancer-types-
stages.html
Multiple Myeloma vs. Leukemia and Lymphoma: Key
Differences (cancercenter.com)
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22883-blood-
cancer
https://gamma.app/docs/Blood-Cancer-A-Comprehensive-
Overview-neec5binmfrmnu2
