Search Results
Reginé
I thought it was 'just another torn meniscus' back in the fall of 2019. The symptoms and signs all seemed too familiar and I just knew I'd have to get my meniscus repaired again, but this time in my left knee. After following through similar protocol in preparation to meet with the orthopedic doctor, upon my doctor's visit I was told my knee could not be further evaluated until deeper investigation by another physician: a musculoskeletal oncologist.
Edmund
U.S. veterans’ sacrifices can occur on the battlefield … or much later.
Houseboys sprayed Agent Orange on weeds around the Quonset huts of Edmund Montefusco and his fellow soldiers in Korea in the early 70s, but it was decades before Edmund’s rare, slow-growing hairy cell leukemia made itself known.
Chemotherapy
If you're being treated for hairy cell leukemia, your first line of defense will likely be chemotherapy. During chemotherapy, you'll be given potent drugs that must be toxic enough to damage or kill leukemic cells. At the same time, they can take aim at normal cells and cause side effects. Yet, not everyone experiences side effects and people react differently.
The chemotherapy drug used to treat hairy cell leukemia is cladribine (Leustatin®). Cladribine is given in a vein (intravenously). You'll usually receive the treatment for seven consecutive days.
Clinical Trials
When it comes to finding the right treatment for your child's cancer, a clinical trial may be an option. Your child will have access to new or improved therapies under study and not yet on the market. Discuss with your child's doctor the possibility of participating in a clinical trial, where treatment is administered in a safe, closely monitored environment.
Click here to read more about clinical trials.
Rommy Omarys
My younger sister was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2022. She is the youngest of four siblings. I am the oldest, and for me, she has always been my baby sister. We all go through different difficulties ― family, personal, economic life, etc. ― but when a disease affects your body to the degree of being between life and death, the perspective is different. With the greatest sadness in the world and the possibility of not seeing my sister again in this physical plane, I never lost hope. The light in the dark was always strong and bright.
Katie
I was diagnosed with Leukemia when I was 20 months old. I endured treatment for a little over 2 years until I was declared cancer free. Since I was diagnosed so young, I do not remember the treatment. However, I do remember the support from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as my family participated in the LLS’s Light The Night walk every year for the past 18 years!
William
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) holds a special place in my heart. I lost my mother to therapy associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in July 2021. AML is a type of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood. It can be very aggressive and progress rapidly without treatment. There are still certain forms of AML that do not have effective treatments, like the one my mother had. LLS was a resource I knew about from my work in solid tumor cancer research. It helped provide me with patient and caregiver resources that I needed at an extremely difficult time in my life.
Steven
I’m Steven, a 23-year-old who is no stranger to hard work and resilience. I juggle two jobs and live independently, but six months ago, my life took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In a heartbeat, I was thrown into a world of uncertainty, doctors’ appointments, and intensive treatments. I had to face radiation therapy, surgeries, and the challenge of missing work ― all while trying to keep life moving forward.
Matthew
In the summer of 2020, I was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after finding a lump in my chest. I had just finished track and field in my sophomore year of high school and thought that the lump in my chest was a popped rib or something with an easy fix. It wasn't.
Natasha & Cindy
My first day of treatment was on July 18, 2018 at UCLA Medical. That's where I met Natasha. I was a bit nervous going in not knowing what to expect so the nurses connected both of us. That same day Natasha found out she was in remission and I couldn't be happier for her. We both were diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, going through the same treatment, and had the same doctor.
Charmane
I was diagnosed last November with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I had two tumors. One on my heart muscle and one near my lung. I went through treatments at UVM Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont and just finished chemotherapy this month.
Asha
Hi! My name is Asha. I was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma when I was 18 years old in December 2018 during my freshman year of college. I noticed a bump on my neck that I thought may have been an insect bite until another one appeared next to the first one. When I saw that the bumps were connecting to each other that is when I told my parents.
Matthew
In 2014, I was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, one of the most aggressive of all blood cancers and without quick action I would have had only 90 days to live. That was three years ago.
Katie
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) on August 1, 2024, just a few weeks after getting engaged during my 31st birthday trip.
Things moved with urgency, and I’m now beginning my second round of treatment this Thursday. My hair is just starting to shed out, so I’m planning to shave it this week. I have six months of chemo to go. I’m praying that my upcoming PET scan looks great so that can stay with the plan.
Treatment Outcomes
All patients are advised to discuss survival information with their hematologist-oncologists. Keep in mind that outcome data can only show how other people with CMML responded to treatment, and cannot predict how any one person will respond.
Unfortunately, lasting remissions are not common. The expected survival time ranges from a few months to a few years after the initiation of treatment, depending on a variety of risk factors including the percentage of blasts in the blood and marrow, the white blood cell count, and the presence of certain gene mutations.
Signs and Symptoms
Children who have juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) may have the following signs and symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing and/or dry cough
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Abdominal pain and loss of appetite caused by enlarged kidney, liver and/or spleen
- Bone and joint pain
- Fatigue and pale skin (from low level of red blood cells)
- Easy bruising and bleeding (from low level of platelets)
- Frequent infections (from low level of white blood cells)
Some children also have skin changes which can include
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of hairy cell leukemia aren't specific and are common to other, less serious illnesses. However, if you're troubled by any of the following symptoms, see your doctor:
Treatment Outcomes
Among patients with MF, the prognosis (meaning the likely outcome of the disease) varies widely. Each patient’s risk factors are evaluated individually to determine their prognosis.
The approximate median survival for MF patients is as follows, based on their risk category:
Choosing a Blood Cancer Specialist or a Treatment Center
Taking an active role in making decisions regarding your treatment can have a positive effect on your health and quality of life. One of your first choices as an active participant in your care is to either select a specialist to manage your treatment or to choose a treatment center.
You may be seeking a blood cancer specialist or a treatment center because you:
Other Financial Assistance
LLS is part of the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (C-FAC), which helps cancer patients manage their financial challenges by:
- Helping members communicate and collaborate
- Educating patients and providers about resources and links to other organizations that provide information about C-FAC's resources
- Advocating for cancer patients regarding the financial burdens of cancer care
Stem Cell Transplantation
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been used to treat and sometimes cure chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) patients. However, because of the high, sometimes life-threatening risks associated with stem cell transplantation, doctors rarely use it in elderly patients or patients in poor health.
Mara
I was in my second to last year of nursing school and just over one year into my marriage when the headaches became too much to bear. I was 21. I was tired all of the time, but I was working in a busy ER and going to class when I wasn't at work. I had lost some weight, but I had been exercising more and getting a lot while working in the ER. I had a cough, but they tell you that you'll be sick a lot when you're in nursing school. Unfortunately, I happened to touch my neck one day while studying with classmates for a big exam. There was a lump there that I had never felt before.
James
I was diagnosed with stage 3 follicular lymphoma (FL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), at the end of 2017, and our world was turned upside down. I lived a pretty healthy lifestyle, stayed active, and ate well. I never thought I would be diagnosed with cancer until I received the phone call from my hematologist/oncologist late on a Friday night. My body went numb as I listened to the diagnosis and the aggressive treatment plan around the corner.
Ariana
My daughter Ariana is a cancer survivor of stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). When she was 13, she was diagnosed. After all the hospital and doctor visits, they finally found the tumors inside her body.