Blood cancers are the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Approximately every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a type of blood cancer (leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma).
What Are Blood Cancers and What Causes Them?
According to the American Society of Hematology (ASH) there are three main types of blood cancers: leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Leukemia is found in blood and bone marrow and is marked by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal white blood cells are not able to fight infection like normal white blood cells do. They also impair the ability of bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets.
Lymphoma is another type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The function of the lymphatic system is to remove excess fluids from the body and to produce immune cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that fights infection. Abnormal lymphocytes can mutate and become lymphoma cells that multiply uncontrollably and collect in the lymph nodes and other tissues.
Myeloma is a third type of blood cancer that specifically targets plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight disease and infection in your body. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, leaving the body’s immune system weakened and susceptible to infection.
Although the specific causes of blood cancers remain largely unknown, scientists have learned that the DNA of immature blood cells (mainly white cells) can become damaged or mutated in some way. This abnormality causes the blood cells to divide chaotically and grow uncontrollably. As more and more space is occupied by these damaged blood cells, there is less space for normal cells and, as a result, the immune system becomes compromised and does not function normally.
Making Progress Against Blood Cancers
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society largely attributes the dramatic improvement in blood cancer treatment to research and new, targeted treatments, such as immunotherapies. Research in the past 10-15 years has led to an increased understanding of the many subtypes of each blood cancer and the differences in therapy that are required to treat each of these subtypes.
One of the biggest success stories to date has been the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), which is one of the four main types of leukemia. Treatment of CML has greatly improved since the late 1990s after a new, targeted biologic therapy (imatinib) was introduced. Today, patients with CML take a daily pill and can enjoy a normal life expectancy. This drug, as well as more recent second-generation targeted therapies, has transformed a previously fatal disease into a
manageable chronic disease with very few serious side effects.
Most recently, oncologists have been encouraged by the results of a type of immunotherapy, Chimeric Antigen Receptor – T Cell, or CAR-T Cell therapy, which programs the body’s T cells to attack cancer cells. There are hundreds of CAR-T clinical trials currently underway and three different CAR-T treatments have already received FDA approval for the treatment of blood cancers, such as follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
WORLD-CLASS CANCER
TREATMENT CLOSE TO HOME
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) has a statewide network of expert, board-certified physicians who bring world‐class cancer treatments to local communities, both large and small, in locations throughout Florida. FCS is also a strategic partner with Sarah Cannon, one of the leading research and clinical trial organizations in the world. This alliance provides FCS patients access to the newest, most innovative and most promising new treatments.
Florida Cancer Specialists treats patients with all types of cancer and offers a number of services, including an in-house specialty pharmacy, an in-house pathology lab, financial counselors at every location and 24/7 access to Care Managers, who help deliver the most advanced and personalized care in your local community.
Florida Cancer Specialists
North Port
3085 Bobcat Village Center Road
North Port, Florida 34288
Port Charlotte
22395 Edgewater Drive
Port Charlotte, FL 33980
Venice Island
901 South Tamiami Trail
Venice, FL 34285
Venice Healthpark
836 Sunset Lake Blvd,
Suite 101
Venice, FL 34292
Englewood
714 Doctors Drive
Englewood, FL 34223-3992
For more information, visit FLCancer.com