When are Blood Cancers Like Multiple Myeloma Detected? Survey Says...

A survey recently directed by Health Union discovered that half of blood cancers are detected after experiencing symptoms, and half are detected as a result of unrelated situations.

The survey named Blood Cancer In America 2019 focused on every form of blood cancer, including multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms.

"Half of the 1,713 patients surveyed said their blood cancer was detected while visiting a doctor due to symptoms. On the other hand, a quarter said their condition was detected during a routine medical test or exam, such as a urine test, and 21% said it was identified while under the care of a doctor for another health condition. Another 4% had their blood cancer detected via a variety of other situations, including while donating blood." --biospace.com

Of course, each blood cancer varies in detection. For example, lymphoma patients were more likely than other blood cancer patients to report their cancer was detected during a visit with a healthcare professional after experiencing symptoms. Leukemia patients and less common blood cancers, such as myelodysplastic syndromes, were more likely than those with lymphoma and multiple myeloma to have their cancer detected during a routine medical test or exam.

"The findings from Blood Cancer In America 2019 reveal that, for many people living with blood cancer, detection and diagnosis can ultimately catch them off-guard," said Olivier Chateau, co-founder and CEO of Health Union. 

Read more about the Blood Cancer In America 2019 Survey in this article.