Blood cancers are a diverse group of conditions that affect blood cells. Treatment options have improved, offering a better outlook for long-term survival.

Blood cancers occur when blood cells don’t develop as they should, either in the bone marrow or the lymph nodes. Although there are five main kinds of blood cancers, there are dozens of subtypes. A few common blood cancers are lymphoma (Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s), leukemia, and multiple myeloma.

Blood cancers can be difficult to diagnose because of nonspecific symptoms. Once a person receives a diagnosis, a doctor can recommend a treatment plan based on the cancer type, stage, and the person’s individual needs.

Blood cancers are a group of conditions where some blood cells become cancerous. These cancerous blood cells interrupt or prevent the usual development and function of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.

Most blood cancers start in the bone marrow, which is where the body produces blood cells.

Most blood cancers are treatable. Many people who experience blood cancer have a good outlook for survival. Nonetheless, blood cancers are serious conditions. People with blood cancer typically undergo treatment or medical monitoring to prolong survival and support quality of life.

There are several kinds of blood cancer grouped by where the cancer starts in the body. Each type has numerous subtypes, classified by how cancer affects the cells involved.

The main types of blood cancer are:

  • Leukemia: This cancer of the blood and bone marrow affects blood cells, usually white blood cells. Leukemia can make it harder to fight infection and for the body to perform vital functions.
  • Multiple myeloma: This cancer affects plasma, which consists of white blood cells that help your body fight disease. Cancerous plasma cells develop in the bone marrow and prevent the development of enough healthy blood cells. People with myeloma might develop anemia and kidney damage.
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): These cancers cause problems with the formation of healthy blood cells, which can lead to infections, anemia, and bleeding issues. Sometimes, MDS can progress to acute myeloid leukemia.
  • Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN): These cancers cause the overproduction of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. In essential thrombocythemia (ET), a type of MPN, the body makes too many platelets. This can lead to blood clotting and increased bleeding. People with ET may experience difficulty with vision or hearing, tingling in the hands or feet, or headaches. Other kinds of MN can lead to overproduction of red blood cells or scar tissue in the bone marrow. MPN can sometimes progress to acute leukemia.
  • Lymphoma: This cancer affects the body’s lymphatic system, which is central to the immune system. The immune system is essential to fight infections and disease. The main types of lymphoma include Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s.

Mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is one of 70 subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that starts in the bone marrow, where blood cells are made, although cancerous cells might spread to the marrow.

In MCL, cancer starts in a type of white blood cell called a B-lymphocyte, which is in the mantle zone area of a lymph node follicle.

MCL is a rare diagnosis that about 1 person in every 200,000 receives each year.

According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), the median survival rate for MCL is 4 to 5 years. This means about half of people with MCL will live longer than 4 to 5 years.

There are some common symptoms of blood cancers. These might differ depending on the type and stage of the cancer:

  • ongoing fatigue and weakness
  • persistent fever, chills, or night sweats
  • mysterious bruising
  • frequent infections
  • lymph node swelling
  • itchiness or skin rash
  • bone or joint pain
  • unexplained weight loss
  • abdominal discomfort
  • shortness of breath

People with MCL might not have any symptoms when the condition first develops. However, they might develop painless swelling of the lymph nodes of the neck and throat, also called the Waldeyer’s ring. The person might also have experienced lymph node swelling in other areas of the body.

Usually, there’s no known cause for blood cancer. A change in blood cell DNA, called a mutation, often leads to blood cancer, but no one knows for sure why mutations happen. Some risk factors for blood cancer include:

  • genetic vulnerability or predisposition
  • family history of blood cancer
  • exposure to radiation
  • exposure to hazardous chemicals

Most people with lymphomas and leukemias have an acquired genetic change that causes the condition rather than a genetic irregularity they’re born with that predisposes them to cancer.

An acquired gene change happens during your lifetime and is not passed down from your parents. While some acquired mutations happen because of toxin exposure or other environmental factors, the reason is often entirely unknown.

Some research shows that doctors diagnose blood cancers later than other cancers due partly to nonspecific symptoms.

To diagnose blood cancer, a doctor might want to perform a physical exam and take your medical history. The doctor might then order certain procedures like:

  • blood tests to measure blood cell levels and features that might signal cancer
  • bone marrow biopsy to check for changes in the body’s blood-making functions
  • imaging scans like a CT or PET scan to see whether cancer has spread

To diagnose lymphoma, a doctor might look for lymph node swelling during a physical exam. They might also biopsy the lymph node to check for evidence of cancer.

Treatment for blood cancer varies depending on the type of cancer, stage, and the individual person. As an example, some types of indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a more slowly growing cancer) are closely monitored with a “watch and wait” strategy, while others are treated intensely with chemotherapy.

Among the treatments available for blood cancers are:

  • Chemotherapy: This involves an infusion of strong drugs to kill cancer cells.
  • Targeted therapy: This is more precise than chemotherapy and attacks specific cancer cells based on the characteristics of those cells.
  • Immunotherapy: This helps your body’s immune system to find and fight cancer cells.
  • Radiation: This therapy uses high energy radiation to kill cancer cells.
  • Stem cell transplant: This replaces bone marrow with new stem cells that can make healthy blood cells.

While all of these treatment options have been in use for a long time, some are better for certain cancers and might not be available for others. Although chemotherapy is a mainstay of treatment for leukemia and lymphoma, recent advances in targeted therapies have expanded treatment options for many people.

The outlook for people with most types of blood cancer has improved in recent years in part due to treatment advances.

Some types of blood cancer are curable, while others are not. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is considered one of the most curable types of cancer.

The 5-year relative survival rate measures how many people with a condition live for 5 years compared to those who don’t have that diagnosis. These rates are based on prior years’ data and can’t predict how long you or any person will live with blood cancer.

The 5-year relative survival rates for the main blood cancer types based on 2013 to 2019 data are:

  • Leukemia: 70%
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: 74.3%
  • Hodgkin’s lymphoma: 88.9%
  • Myeloma: 59.8%
  • Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs): 88.4%
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): 36.9%

Blood cancers are a diverse group of conditions. They affect the blood cells in varying ways. Once you receive a diagnosis, a doctor can recommend a treatment plan based on the cancer type and stage, as well as your individual needs.