September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. During this month Treant asks for extra attention for the disease blood cancer. And that is not for nothing. More than 10,000 patients are diagnosed with this disease every year. That’s a lot of people and that’s why Treant’s internist-haematologists list the most important facts and myths about blood cancer.
Blood cancer is also called leukemia: MYTH!
‘Blood cancer is not the same as leukemia. Blood cancer is a collective name for different types of cancer in the blood. Leukemia is a type of cancer that can occur in the blood.’
Unnormal growth of blood cells can lead to blood cancer: FACT!
‘Blood cancer originates from the bone marrow. Everyone has bone marrow in their bones. In the bone marrow, cells are made for the blood. If these cells grow differently than normal, then a person has blood cancer. The type of blood cancer involved depends on which type of blood cell grows differently than normal.’
There are only three types of blood cancer: MYTH!
‘Blood cancer has many different types. We now know about 140 species. Examples of blood cancers include acute or chronic leukemia, lymphoma (eg Hodgkin’s disease), Kahler’s disease (multiple myeloma). On this page you can read about the clinical picture of these types of blood cancer.’
Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in our country: FACT!
‘In the Netherlands, more than 10,000 patients are diagnosed with blood cancer every year. That makes blood cancer the fifth most common form of cancer in our country.’
Night sweats and bruising can be symptoms of blood cancer: FACT!
‘The symptoms that cause blood cancer are sometimes vague. For example fatigue, looking pale and losing weight. Or enlarged lymph nodes, night sweats and bruising on the body. Of course there can be an innocent cause. But it is important that you go to the doctor about it.’
Blood cancer cannot be treated: MYTH!
‘Fortunately, blood cancer can often be treated. Four combinations of treatments are possible:
- Chemotherapy: This is a drug treatment that aims to stop the process of cell growth (also called cell division);
- Targeted therapy: a treatment with drugs that specifically inhibit cancer cells in their growth. By ‘targeted’ is meant that the drugs mainly affect the cancer cells;
- Radiotherapy: this is a treatment in which cancer cells are killed with radiation, while the healthy cells are spared as much as possible;
- Stem cell transplant: stem cells from the patient or from a donor are transplanted here.’
I can go to Treant for the treatment of blood cancer: FACT!
‘Treant’s specialists have a lot of experience in treating blood cancers. For treatment, patients can visit our three hospital locations: Scheper (Emmen), Bethesda (Hoogeveen) and Refaja (Stadskanaal). We treat these diseases in close collaboration with the UMCG.’
In September, Zoran Erjavec (internist-haematologist), Mieke Kuilder (nursing specialist oncology), Christa de Bruijn-Beuker & Jolanda Schoo-IJdens (medical secretaries) and Freek Meeuwes (internist-haematologist) pay extra attention to everyone living with blood cancer. You can see our colleagues from left to right in the photo.