Blood Cancer

Blood Cancer

Blood cancer affects your blood cells and most likely started in your bone marrow where blood is produced. The stem cells turn into blood cells: red, white or platelets. In most blood cancers, an increase of abnormal blood cells, or cancerous cells, prevent your blood from fighting off infection or preventing serious bleeding.

There are three main types of blood cancers:

Leukemia is a type of cancer found in your blood and bone marrow, is caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. The high number of abnormal white blood cells are not able to fight infection, and they impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets.

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which removes excess fluids from your body and produces immune cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that fight infection. Abnormal lymphocytes become lymphoma cells, which multiply and collect in your lymph nodes and other tissues. Over time, these cancerous cells impair your immune system.

Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce disease- and infection-fighting antibodies in your body. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, leaving your body's immune system weakened and susceptible to infection.