Haematology cancers or blood cancer is a type of cancer that affects your blood cells. Over 40,000 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer each year in the UK, and over 250,000 people are currently living with blood cancer.
Blood cells are found in your blood, bone marrow and lymphatic system, which are all part of your immune system. When you have blood cancer, it means some of your blood cells aren’t working properly. This means your body can find it hard to fight off infections. It can also cause symptoms like breathlessness, tiredness, bruising or bleeding, lumps in your glands, fever or pain.
Types of blood cancer
There are different types of blood cancer, please follow the links below to get more information from Blood Cancer UK:
Each one of the above have different symptoms, treatments and prognoses.
If you've recently been diagnosed with any type of blood cancer, click here to order a free booklet or download 'Your blood cancer diagnosis - what happens now?'. It tells you the key things to know about blood cancer, including tips from other people who've been diagnosed.
Acute and chronic blood cancers
You might see blood cancers described as:
- acute – this means a fast-growing cancer
- chronic – this means a slower-growing cancer
Signs & Symptoms of Blood Cancers?
Blood cancer symptoms vary depending on the type of blood cancer, whether it's leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma or any other blood cancer.
Blood cancer symptoms include:
- Weight loss that is unexplained
- Bruising or bleeding that is unexplained
- Lumps or swellings
- Shortness of breath (breathlessness)
- Drenching night sweats
- Infections that are persistent, recurrent or severe
- Fever (38°C or above) that is unexplained
- Rash or itchy skin that is unexplained
- Pain in your bones, joints or abdomen (stomach area)
- Tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest or sleep (fatigue)
- Paleness (pallor)
Click here to look at more specific information about symptoms for different types of blood cancer. Not everyone will have the same symptoms, and some people may have symptoms that are not listed on this page.
Symptoms in different skin tones
Some symptoms of blood cancer may look different on different skin tones.
- Bruises generally start as red patches which change colour and get darker over time. They often feel tender. On black and brown skin, bruises may be difficult to see initially, but as they develop, they show up as darker than the skin around them.
- Rashes often appear as clusters of tiny spots (petechiae) or larger blotches (purpura). On black and brown skin, they may look purple or darker than the surrounding skin. On lighter skin, they typically look red or purple. If you press on them, petechiae and purpura don’t fade.
- Paleness (pallor) might mean someone looks unusually pale because they have too few red blood cells. Pallor is often more immediately noticeable in light skin. People with black or brown skin may look greyish and their palms may look paler than usual. They might also notice pallor in their lips, gums, tongue or nail beds. In all skin tones, pallor can be seen by pulling down the lower eyelid. The inside is normally dark pink or red, but if it’s pale pink or white, it’s a sign of pallor.
We'd like to thank the ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust) for their help reviewing this information. ACLT raises awareness about stem cell, blood and organ donation in all UK communities, with a focus on the African and Caribbean communities. You should see a GP if you have these symptoms.
