Blood accounts for about 8% of normal body weight and has an important role in how organ systems function. It circulates throughout the vascular system and offers the organs nutrients, oxygen, antibodies, and hormones. The condition wherein blood cells start to divide in an uncontrolled manner is called blood cancer. It starts in the bone marrow. Blood cancer is also known as hematologic cancer. The article sheds light on its symptoms, causes, and treatment.

Types
Any dysregulation in cell division can cause cancer. Excessive production of white blood cells in the bone marrow can lead to blood cancer. Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome), MPNs (Myeloproliferative Neoplasms), and aplastic anemia are a few types of blood cancer.

Symptoms

• Unexplained bruising or bleeding: The patient may get bruises that don’t heal even after a prolonged time. Bleeding from the nose or gums may occur.
• Unexplained weight loss: Considerable weight loss over a period of 6 to 12 months is considered a symptom of blood cancer.
• Swellings and lumps: Lymph nodes get swollen, which can be noticed as lumps on the neck, armpit, or groin. These don’t usually cause pain, but in some individuals, they may ache. Swellings can also appear inside the body.
• Shortness of breath: Lumps that form inside the body and press against the lungs can cause discomfort and breathing troubles.
• Infections that are severe and persistent: Recurrent infections develop as a result of low white blood cell production that renders the immune system weak.
• Drenching in night sweats: An individual might experience night sweats when the body temperature rises to fight an infection.
• Unexplained fever: Unexplained fever is caused by an infection or inflammation that is triggered by the body during its attempt to destroy cancerous cells.
• Paleness under the lower eyelid: This type of paleness, especially the one that looks white rather than pink, is caused by low red blood cell count.
• Tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest: Lethargy can last for many weeks, and sometimes weakness is accompanied by weight loss.
• Unexplained rash and itchy skin: Rashes can appear when small blood vessels rupture under the skin.

The swelling of the liver, lymph nodes, and spleen are also common symptoms of blood cancer.

Causes
Although the exact reason for someone developing blood cancer is not known, there are a few things that are considered risk factors for cancer. They are as follows:

• Age: Although blood cancer can occur at any age, it is most commonly observed in people aged above 60 years.
• Sex: It is observed more in males than in females
• Family history: An individual is at a higher risk of developing blood cancer if any of their family members have or had the disease.
• Ethnicity: The prevalence of blood cancer is high among people belonging to certain minority ethnic groups.
• Some health conditions and treatment: Some congenital health conditions like Down’s syndrome and Bloom syndrome raise the risk of blood cancer.
• Chemical exposure: Exposure to chemical carcinogens like benzene and agent orange can cause blood cancer.
• Radiation: High exposure to radiation, either during a nuclear reactor accident or radiation therapy, can raise one’s risk of being diagnosed with this condition.
• Genetic and environmental factors: The inheritance of certain mutations causes the development of blood cancer. Environmental risk factors include petrochemicals and some hair dyes.

Treatment
There are several treatment methods available for blood cancer, which include the following:

• Radiotherapy: Radiation targets the cancerous cells and destroys them. It is often performed along with other treatment options.
• Chemotherapy: Strong chemical substances that specifically target cancerous cells are used to target them.
• Immunotherapy: This treatment is aimed at enhancing the immune system of the patient so that the body produces more immune cells to fight the tumors.
• Targeted therapies: This treatment targets and destroys the proteins that regulate the growth and multiplication of cancer cells.
• Stem cell transplants: It entails using the stem cells from the patient or a suitable donor to replace the damaged ones.

It can be said that blood cancer is caused by mutations in the DNA of the blood cells. When these changes happen, the cells start to behave and divide abnormally. Medical laboratories employ various diagnostic methods to detect blood cancer. They include complete blood count, biopsy, X-ray, CT, MRI, and PET. Globally, about 6% of the total reported cases of cancer are blood cancer. Because of advancements in science and technology, the survival rate for blood cancer patients has improved dramatically in the last 50 years. With continuous developments coming in the field of treatment, a patient can be hopeful about recovery and stay mentally strong.