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Job Application Process

If you are looking for a new job, consider these steps to lessen the chance that you will face discrimination because of your cancer history:

A College Freshmen Faces A Cancer Diagnosis

The symptoms I habitually pushed off as stressors from my first semester of college, began to accumulate. Throughout the semester I felt less like my healthy self because of coughing, abnormal skin reactions, unexplainable fatigue and diminishing motivation.

Helping Blood Cancer Patients and Caregivers Navigate the Financial Impact of COVID-19

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been a challenging time for us all. It is especially so for cancer patients and survivors, who are at greater risk of getting sicker if they become infected with the virus because they might be immunocompromised.

Staying One Step Ahead of Myeloma – and Counting on New Research

Myeloma is a beast.  It is a complicated cancer with no cure and, with so many different types, no two patients are the same.  Drugs can put it into remission, but it almost always comes back.  And when it does, it’s a little more aggressive and needs to be attacked in a different way.  

This is knowledge I’ve been living with for four years now and I’m doing everything I can to stay one step ahead of my disease.

A Nurse’s Journey as a Blood Cancer Survivor

During National Nurses Week, observed each year from May 6 to May 12, we celebrate nurses across the country who are committed to our health and wellness. At The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we wanted to recognize Katie Demasi, a nurse and a blood cancer survivor, who has experienced both sides of the healthcare system. Here is her story…

Raising Our Voices

Bold goal, bold action

As we observe World Cancer Day, I’m reflecting on my own family’s experience with blood cancer, the children with blood cancer I have had the honor of knowing, and the many individuals and families who have been impacted by a blood cancer diagnosis.

Our work at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has had a positive impact on so many, but we can do even more to accelerate progress for the blood cancer patients we serve.

Volunteers: The Engine Powering LLS’s Mission

I was always aware that volunteers with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) drive impact for blood cancer patients and families. But it wasn’t until Thanksgiving Day 2007 that I discovered the full force of their power. My wife, Holly, had recently been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma and our family was still reeling from the news. She was feeling quite ill, and we were exhausted with worry and trying to keep life as normal as possible for our two young children.

Hawks Legend Surprises Young Fan & Survivor

At 23 years old, Alex Hawkins just started a new job, had a great boyfriend and was an active runner. She spent her free time watching Atlanta Hawks games – she was a fan since she could talk – and enjoying time with her family, chasing around her two nephews while in the midst of helping her sister prepare for a new baby.

After finding an abnormal lump on her neck in 2014, she was diagnosed with B-Cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, stage III.

How Surviving Cancer Gave me a Second Birthday

Birthdays are a time for celebration as we become one year older, wiser, and more mature. For cancer survivors, we carry with us another date that symbolizes even more. This is our second birthday. Similar to an actual birthday, this day often carries feelings of even more nostalgia and remembrance. However, it can also grip us with feelings of dread, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No matter how far along we are in our journey through survivorship, our second birthday pulls at us to stop and compassionately remember all that we’ve been through. 

Working with Lawmakers to Address the Unique Needs of Cancer Patients

As the coronavirus continues its spread, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has a vital role to play in ensuring our government takes every step necessary to protect cancer patients. With that in mind, we’re sharing with our community what LLS has been doing to make sure the unique needs of blood cancer patients are being heard by the government at this unprecedented time.

Honoring Blood Cancer Survivors

Throughout June, in commemoration of #NationalCancerSurvivorMonth, we at LLS have been highlighting the resilience and achievements of blood cancer survivors. I’ve treated so many incredible young survivors in my years as a pediatric hematologist oncologist, and all of them hold a special place in my heart. 

The Financial Burden of Blood Cancer Treatment for Working-Aged Adults is Growing

Cancer is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat in the U.S. As a result, patients, survivors, and caregivers—already challenged by the physical and emotional burdens of cancer—often face growing medical debt.

LLS, advocates celebrate major state policy wins for patients

While Congress meets year-round, state legislatures typically meet only in the first half of the year. The start of the summer generally marks the end of the state sessions. 

As LLS prepares for our 2024 state work, it’s important to celebrate the incredible wins we achieved at the state level in 2023. 

These policies are the culmination of years of work from volunteers and LLS staff from across the organization. We hope you’ll take a moment to learn about them – and share them with your own stakeholders. 

Employment Rights of Cancer Survivors and Caregivers

Working often fulfills a critical financial and emotional need for cancer survivors and their caregivers. In addition to providing income and important benefits such as health insurance, employment also can provide a source of support, feelings of productivity, and even normalcy. Cancer, however, may create barriers to finding and keeping a job, as well as wreak havoc on the ability to pay bills and to obtain adequate insurance.

Tips for Talking with Your Employer and Your Workplace Rights

You may not be sure whether it's wise to let your employer know that you have cancer. You may want to seek advice from a professional counselor who understands employment rights for people living with cancer.

Consider telling your employer if:

• You may need time off for treatments or because you don't feel well
• You're eligible to take Family and Medical Leave
• You're applying for a new position

You might be considering not confiding in your employer if:

How to Enforce Your Legal Rights

If you suspect that you are being treated differently at work because of your cancer history, consider an informal solution before leaping into a lawsuit. You want to stand up for your legal rights without casting yourself as a troublemaker.

If you face discrimination, consider the following suggestions:

The Immune System and Blood Cancer: 4 Things You Need to Know

Immunotherapy uses the power of the immune system to treat blood cancer. Today it is a standard treatment that has a profound effect in some blood cancer patients, but it still falls short in others. 

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been a champion of this type of cancer treatment for decades, supporting some of the earliest and most game-changing immune-based treatments for blood cancer. The advances have been astonishing, but there is so much further to go. 

I Lost My Husband to Myeloma, A Blood Cancer

Work, School & Finances

Some people continue to work or attend school through cancer treatment, but others are not able to do so. Talk to your healthcare team to know what to expect from treatment so you can make the decision that is best for you.

IRONMAN World Championships: 5-Star Team Races for Cancer Cures

After months of rigorous training, all five LLS Team In Training teammates finished at the 2017 IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii on October 7. The team came together from across the U.S. and Canada to compete in the 140.6 mile iconic triathlon – raising an incredible $435,000 and counting, for blood cancer cures.After months of rigorous training, all five LLS Team In Training teammates finished at the 2017 IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii on October 7. The team came together from across the U.S.

Meet The Researcher: Dr. Rayne Rouce

Predisposing factors to leukemia

Table of contents:

Champions in myeloma research, Part 2: A conversation with Suzanne Lentzsch, M.D., Ph.D.

To commemorate both Myeloma Awareness Month and Women’s History Month during March, I’ve been talking with LLS-funded women scientists who are driving discovery for myeloma patients. As we close out the month and my two-part series on myeloma researchers, I’m excited to share my recent conversation with Suzanne Lentzsch, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program at Columbia University.