Spread Cancer Awareness During Leukemia, Lymphoma, And Blood Cancer Awareness Month

September 30, 2014

The month of September is known as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Some common types of childhood cancers are leukemia, lymphoma, and blood cancer, but these cancers can also occur in adults. This September, help to spread awareness about childhood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, and blood cancer. If you would like to donate a car to a help grant a wish for a child with a critical illness, contact Wheels For Wishes today.

What Is Leukemia?

We hear a lot about leukemia, but we may not actually know what it is or what the signs and symptoms could be. Leukemia affects the blood and bone marrow, and it develops when blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control. Approximately 48,610 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed this year, so it is very important that we spread awareness about the disease.

Leukemia comes in several different forms. The most common types are acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Other types of leukemia include hairy cell leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. More information about leukemia can be found here.

Lymphoma Is A Type Of Blood Cancer

Lymphoma includes Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These blood cancers develop in the lymphatic system. Hodgkin lymphoma is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, and is one of the most curable forms of cancer. Signs and symptoms could include:

Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, upper chest, armpit, stomach, or groin
A persistent cough or shortness of breath
Fever
Night sweats
Tiredness, low energy
Unexplained weight loss
Itchy skin
An enlarged spleen

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a diverse group of blood cancers that share a single characteristic in how they develop. It usually develops in the lymph nodes and lymphatic tissues, but sometimes involves bone marrow and blood.

The signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma are similar to those of Hodgkin lymphoma. However, if non-Hodgkin lymphoma starts somewhere other than the lymph nodes, it could have started in the bone, lung, skin, or in the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms would include rashes, bone pain, cough, chest pain, abdominal pain, and lumps under the skin.

More information about lymphoma can be found here.

Help To Spread Awareness This Month

Other types of blood cancers include myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative neoplasms. Most people who are diagnosed with myeloma are over the age of 60. This type of cancer begins in the bone marrow and affects the plasma cells.

Myelodysplastic syndromes is a term used to describe a group of diseases in the blood and bone marrow. No symptoms other than fatigue or shortness of breath may occur, and may be diagnosed due to a routine exam or blood test.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms are types of blood cancers that begin with an abnormal mutation in a stem cell in the bone marrow. This change leads to an overproduction of white cells, red cells, and platelets.

With this information, you can help to understand the people who are battling these diseases, and you can also help to spread awareness.

Donate A Car To Grant Wishes For Children With Medical Conditions Like These

Survival rates for childhood cancers are continuing to grow, but amongst all of the hospital visits, appointments, treatments, and surgeries, children battling critical illnesses have wishes that they would love to see come true. Wishes could include a family vacation, a shopping trip, or a chance to meet their favorite sports team.

Thanks to Make-A-Wish, a child between the age of 2 ½ and 18 has their wish granted every 38 minutes, and your car donation to Wheels For Wishes can help to make this possible! Donate a car today and receive a tax deduction for your charitable contribution, plus you will feel great knowing that your donated car has helped to make a wish come true for a local child. Call 1-855-278-9474 or fill out an online car donation form today.