Blood Cancer Awareness: Recognizing the Signs and Taking Action

Blood cancers, a group of cancers affecting the blood and bone marrow, often present with subtle symptoms that can be easily overlooked. Early detection is key to improving outcomes and increasing treatment success rates. This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we're empowering you with the knowledge to recognize potential warning signs and take proactive steps for your health.

Common Symptoms to Watch For

While blood cancers can manifest in various ways, some common symptoms include:

• Unexplained fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or weak, even after adequate rest.
• Sudden weight loss: Losing a significant amount of weight without any changes in diet or exercise.
• Frequent infections: Experiencing more infections than usual or taking longer to recover.
• Easy bruising or bleeding: Noticing bruises or bleeding easily, even from minor injuries.
• Swollen lymph nodes: Feeling enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin.
• Bone pain: Experiencing persistent pain in the bones, often in the back or ribs.
• Changes in the skin, such as unexplained rashes, itchy skin, or a sore that does not seem to heal
• Frequent fevers or experiencing night sweats on a regular basis
• Persistent headaches, difficulty breathing, feeling faint or lightheaded, or noticing a rapid or irregular heartbeat

Don't Ignore the Signs

If you experience any of these symptoms, it's essential to consult your doctor promptly. While other conditions can cause these symptoms, it's crucial to rule out blood cancer as a possibility. 

Early diagnosis is crucial as it often allows for more treatment options and better outcomes. When blood cancers are detected at later stages, they may have already caused significant damage to the body, making treatment more complex and potentially less effective.  In some cases, a delayed diagnosis can limit access to treatments like stem cell transplants, which are often most successful when performed earlier in the disease course.

Taking Action: Knowledge is Power

This September, join HealthTree Foundation for our upcoming "Innovation in Blood Cancer" webinar on September 30th. This informative session will feature a panel of experts in hematology who will discuss the latest advancements in blood cancer research, treatment, and care. The webinar is free and open to all patients and their loved ones.

webinar registration

By staying informed and proactive, we can work together to improve early detection rates and support those affected by blood cancer.

HealthTree Foundation: Innovation that Saves Lives