Search Results

Jason

I'm Jason, and I am 38 years old. Early last year I was very sick. I had a fever that would not go away for over three months. Every day I broke 103 degrees, and at least six times I hit 106 degrees. I was getting bloodwork after bloodwork done, seeing doctor after doctor when finally, I met my oncologist, and he did a bone marrow biopsy. He called me the next week and told me I had stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and we needed to start tests immediately so we could expedite my chemo treatment.

Paula

My Cancer Story/Journey so far:

I was diagnosed 21 years ago at age 44 with low-grade indolent B cell follicular lymphoma.

I went for a routine colonoscopy, and they found a very small swollen lymph node in my ileum. I had absolutely no symptoms at all. After two colonoscopies in two weeks and four medical consultations, I went through CHOP chemotherapy. Today, they would have just done "wait and watch." At the end of my treatment, even my oncologist said if I had come to him without other recommendations, he would have done nothing. Anyway, that is history.

Tristan

I live in Colorado but grew up in Massachusetts and am an elite rock climber. I've traveled worldwide to climb and was the 2015 collegiate national champion. In April 2022, I was bouldering by myself and hit my shoulder on a rock behind me. Falls happen as frequently as a baseball player may swing a bat while climbing. This fall was nothing out of the ordinary except my shoulder was bruised far worse than I would expect from how hard I hit it, growing to the size of my hand by the next day. I remember looking at it initially and thinking, "Geez, I hope that's not leukemia."

Nina

Back in March 2015, my then 26-year-old daughter was not feeling well.  She had severe abdominal pain, overwhelming fatigue, night sweats, a low-grade fever, a headache, and appeared to be losing weight.  At the time, my daughter was working as a speech language pathologist in a hospital in Maryland.  She was misdiagnosed by an ER droctor and two months later, after her primary care doctor ordered an ultrasound, we found that she had innumerable tumors in her lungs and spleen.  We saw an oncologist the next day who ordered more blood work and a PET scan, as well as a bon

B-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia (B-PLL)

B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) is a very rare and typically aggressive malignancy (cancer) characterized by the out of control growth of B-cells (B-lymphocytes).  B-cells are a type of white blood cell that is part of the immune system. B-PLL usually affects older adults with a median age at diagnosis of 69 years, and it is slightly more common in men than women.  Most of the time, B-PLL occurs as a transformation or evolution of a more slow-growing B-cell cancer, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia.  Rarely, this is a primary disorder. 

Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Because of new and better therapies, cancer survival rates for children have improved dramatically during the last several decades. Scientists continue to search for the causes of childhood lymphoma so they can develop better treatments with less toxic side effects.         

Douglas

My story begins almost 24 years ago in 1996, when I was diagnosed with cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Back then, there was no cure for CLL except for a bone marrow transplant (BMT), but that procedure only had a survival rate of 50%, not very attractive odds. My prognosis was I had anywhere from six to 15 years without a BMT.

Hairy Cell Leukemia

• Is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow
• Is a rare type of chronic leukemia 
• Hairy cell leukemia gets its name from the short, thin projections that look like hair on its cells.

• Many people with hairy cell leukemia live good-quality lives for years with medical care.
• Hematologists and oncologists are specialists who treat people who have hairy cell leukemia or other types of blood cancer.
• The drug cladribine is the initial treatment for most people who h

Andrew

When I write about the fact that I have cancer, it is not my intention to suggest that I am in any way unique. Although when I was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2010, I did feel special, and not in a good way. At first, I thought I had a hernia. But the surgeon said no. It took almost two months for the biopsy of the lymph node that he extracted from my body to be definitively identified. They sent it to Bethesda for further analysis. Still no answer. I then had a second biopsy.

Side Effects

Cancer therapy for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) can sometimes produce side effects. For most patients, treatment side effects are temporary and go away once therapy ends. For others, side effects can be more severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization. Some patients never have side effects.

Before your child undergoes treatment, talk with his or her doctor about potential side effects. Drugs and other therapies can prevent or manage many side effects.

Nicole

It all started back in early January 2013. I went to the local clinic in town because I was having pain in my upper left chest. Being young, I wasn't too concerned about it being a heart problem and left the clinic with the diagnosis of torn cartridge. The doctor said it would heal and I should take ibuprofen to ease the pain. 

Tracy

In 2001 at the age of 31, I was living in Maui working at the Ritz Carlton and began to feel sick. I had a rash on my hand, was tired, losing weight, and just did not feel well. I had been healthy all my life so thought it would pass.

Heather

Heather Banks draws her inspiration from her good friend, who has been fighting non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma for the past 10 years and her college best friend who is a survivor. She is motivated by her friends’ strength, determination, and positivity. In times of feeling helpless, she channels that energy and puts it into her sewing machine.  

Steve

Shortly before Steve McHugh and his wife moved to San Antonio in 2010, the rising star chef was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and spent a year undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy. During treatment, he was in the middle of moving to San Antonio and helping to open a new restaurant. Between managing construction, organizing food vendors and working with the kitchen designer, he was able to find some time to go home and rest.

Helena

In 2018, a few days before Thanksgiving, Helena noticed something. She was having difficulty lifting speakers at her gigs. She became winded after only a few songs. Even the most minute tasks became daunting.

Samantha

I was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023. We initially thought it was a misshapen aortic arch until I got an echocardiogram. After I was formally diagnosed, I told my friends. I underwent surgery, and my friends and family came to visit me once I was awake. I was set to be in a runway show before I was diagnosed, and I decided to still walk in it. I dyed my hair purple before the show so I could raise awareness on the runway. This is when my modeling career began, and I began to gain a following on TikTok.

Tim

I knew multiple myeloma (MM) was a blood cancer. After all, my mom was diagnosed with myeloma at 62 years old in 2005. It’s extremely rare that I should also be diagnosed in 2021, but it happened. There’s no strong data that shows that it’s hereditary at this point. But more doctors are seeing family members being diagnosed. It's also becoming one of the most diagnosed cancers among African Americans.

James

I am a cancer survivor and my story starts in the summer of 1999. On June 9, an MRI revealed a tumor the size of a golf ball in my brain. A biopsy showed it to be a primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I remember this date vividly because it was my wife’s birthday and she had to break the news to me. This marked the beginning of our journey.

Lincoln

In the fall of 2017, Lincoln was not feeling well and had typical cold virus symptoms. He also had a recurring fever and an unexplained rash. After two trips to the pediatrician, the doctor thought he had a persistent virus and then bronchitis. On our third visit, they thought he may have mono, so bloodwork was taken, and we were told to go to Children’s Hospital immediately. We were scared and had no idea what was wrong. Cancer was not even a thought.

Tim

On March 10, 2015 I reached another milestone and turned 60 years young. I have been blessed with good health and the ability to swim, bike, and run. For over a decade I have been involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a board member and participant in more than a dozen fundraising triathlons/marathons for Team In Training events all over the world. My efforts will continue until cures for blood-related cancers are realized.

Katie

I want to share my blood cancer journey. It all started back in October 2019 when I was at Gonzaga University. I started to experience the symptoms that I’m sure we’re all far too familiar with ― stomach pain, digestive problems, nausea, chest pain, and fatigue, all of which I was dealing with in addition to 20+ hours a week of tennis practice and a 15-credit class load.

Stem Cell Transplantation

Stem cell transplantation is a procedure in which patients receive healthy stem cells to replace their own stem cells that have been destroyed by cancer or cancer treatments. The goal of stem cell transplantation is to cure the patient by destroying the cancer cells with high doses of chemotherapy and then to help the body start a new supply of blood cells.

Treatment

The main treatment for ALL is chemotherapy given in phases. Most treatment regimens take 2 to 3 years to complete.

Not every child with ALL receives the same treatment. Your child’s doctor will tailor your child’s treatment based on the ALL subtype and other factors, such as age, health and how the cancer responds to treatment.

Your child’s treatment may also include:

Managing Side Effects

Work closely with your doctor and cancer care team to prepare yourself with information about what to expect and how to cope with side effects.  For some patients, side effects may last well after treatment is completed or may be permanent. For most patients, side effects are temporary and go away when the body adjusts to therapy or once treatment ends. On the other hand, some patients suffer symptoms that may require hospitalization until they subside.

Reactions to treatment vary from patient to patient. Reactions also vary depending on:

Follow-Up Care

Find more information about follow-up care, including what to expect, long-term and late effects of treatment, survivorship clinics, and other resources, such as The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines.