Blood Cancer - What does it mean?

The term ‘blood cancer’ covers a range of different illnesses that, all together, are forms of cancer that affect the blood cells. 

These include conditions such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, as well as some less common conditions. Within each of these types of blood cancer there are many different subdivisions depending on exactly what is happening in the blood, so that leukaemia might be described as ‘acute’ or ‘chronic’, and also described as ‘myeloid’ or ‘lymphocytic’. 

Taken together, blood cancers are the 5 ^th most common form of cancer in the UK, with just over 40,000 people each year being newly diagnosed with one, and many more living with one of these conditions. 

Terms like leukaemia and lymphoma are extremely frightening but, just as there is a wide range of different blood cancers, so there is a spectrum of severity of these illnesses. For example, there are forms of chronic (which in this case means slow growing) leukaemia that are often picked up incidentally on a routine blood test and often require no treatment. People may live for years without even knowing they have blood cancer. Conversely, there are some very aggressive blood cancers that will progress very quickly without urgent treatment. 

Different types of blood cancer affect different types of people, for example some are more common in children, whilst others are much more common in elderly people. Your risk of any particular blood cancer can depend on age, sex, ethnicity, exposure to radiation, even treatment for other health conditions, so it is not possible to say that any particular group is more at risk of these illnesses than another. 

One of the difficulties around blood cancers is that they can present with vague and non-specific symptoms. This can mean that people ignore potential symptoms in the early stage of the illness, or that they are mistakenly treated for other conditions, such as infections, because it isn’t obvious that something more serious is going on, either to the patient or the treating doctor. 

The symptoms caused by each blood cancer are different but there are some particular symptoms that raise the possibility that a blood cancer has developed. 

These symptoms include: 

• Unexplained weight loss
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Drenching night sweats (usually severe enough to require changing the bed sheets)
• Lumps and unexplained swellings
• Unexplained fever
• Frequent infections
• Pain in your bones or joints. 

Symptoms can also include pallor and unexplained fatigue linked to an underlying anaemia (low haemoglobin levels). As you can see from the list above, the word ‘unexplained’ appears a lot, and it is often a collection of symptoms that don’t have an obvious explanation that prompts healthcare professionals to consider investigating for blood cancer. 

Testing for blood cancers usually starts with some routine blood tests and may include scans and x-rays if there are other symptoms such as lumps or swellings. 

Initial blood tests may show abnormalities in the Full Blood Count such as abnormally high or low levels of certain types of white blood cell (which are components of the immune system), platelets (which are involved in clotting), or it may reveal an anaemia. 

Other blood tests may show raised inflammatory markers (such as CRP or ESR), or deranged kidney function and altered calcium levels which are common in multiple myeloma.

None of these tests are conclusive by themselves but abnormalities such as the above, when matched with a patient’s symptoms, might prompt referral to a haematologist (blood specialist) for further, more detailed blood tests, or investigations such as a bone marrow biopsy.

It must however be noted that abnormalities in routine blood tests such as those mentioned above are extremely common and, more often than not, there is a more benign explanation for these findings. The blood tests can only really be interpreted in the whole context of the patient and their symptoms. 

Blood cancers can feel like an abstract set of conditions that are harder to understand than many other cancers. It is more difficult to conceptualise changes in the production or function of blood cells than it is, for example, to think about a solid tumour like lung cancer or bowel cancer. 

Nevertheless, many of the principles underlying treatment are the same and treatment will be directed by a team of skilled specialists that usually includes cancer specialists, radiologists, and pathologists. Just as with many other cancers, the outlook for sufferers of blood cancers is often good, even if the treatment can be tough to go through. 

Although the symptoms of blood cancers can seem vague, and are mimicked by many other non-cancer conditions, the hallmark of a cancer symptom is that it progressively and relentlessly worsens. If you have any persistent symptom that is causing you worry, then it is important to have this checked out, either to put your mind at ease or to get you started on the right treatment as soon as possible. 

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month and each year the spotlight is put firmly on blood cancer.

Raising awareness of blood cancer, its signs and symptoms and its impact, will help to improve early diagnosis as well as help everyone with blood cancer feel connected and heard.

If you are looking to monitor your full blood count or looking for a full body health check then One Day Tests offer a wide range of blood tests that enable you and understand your health like never before.

Whether it’s for routine health checks, or you have symptoms you would checking, our range of blood tests provides the convenience, accuracy, and peace of mind you deserve.

To take your test you can visit one of our nationwide clinics or alternatively you can choose our finger-prick blood home test kits .

Why choose us over your local GP? There are no waiting times with One Day Tests. We offer same day and next appointments and our home testing kits will be posted through your letter box the next day.

You will also receive rapid results, in most cases same day or next day from when the sample reaches our laboratory. Our  laboratory is CQC registered meaning our service meets the essential standards of quality and safety, so your blood samples are in safe hands.

Our team is here to help you with any questions you may have about our tests. You can contact us at 0845 527 07 67 , or send an email to hello@onedaytests.com.

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