World Blood Cancer Day 2022

Today is World Blood Cancer Day – an opportunity for people around the world to show their support for people affected by blood cancer. Lymphoma is the most common type of blood cancer and is the fifth most common type of cancer in the UK. 

There are three main types of blood cancer: leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Lymphoma is the most common and in the UK someone is diagnosed every 27 minutes. We are here for anyone affected by lymphoma and support all efforts to raise awareness as many people have not heard of it or miss the symptoms. 

There are over 60 different types of lymphoma, which can affect people of all ages. Different types of lymphoma are sorted into groups or sub-types. Each type of lymphoma can cause different symptoms and need different treatment.

Today is also an opportunity to raise awareness of blood stem cell donation. Stem cell transplants are used to treat some types of blood cancer, including certain lymphomas. Allogeneic, or donor, stem cell transplants require stem cells from someone else, whose stem cells ‘match’ yours as closely as possible.

The charity DKMS estimate that around 2,000 people a year in the UK need a donor stem cell transplant. It can be difficult to find a stem cell donor, so DKMS are encouraging people to register and to spread the word. Join the register and potentially help those affected by blood cancer via DKMS’s website.

Published: 28 May 2022