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Kayleen

On March 8, 2012, our world changed forever.

I was at work when I got the call from my husband that I was to meet him and Kayleen at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.  He said they found markers for leukemia in her blood work after testing for mononucleosis.  Our oncologist was optimistic saying it was still “highly curable.” 

Ph-Positive ALL Therapy

In addition to chemotherapy combinations, children with Philadelphia chromosomepositive (Ph+) ALL and Philadelphia chromosome-like (Ph-like) ALL are also given a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) medication.

Tyrosine kinases are enzymes that are a part of many cell functions including cell signaling, growth and division. These enzymes may become too active in patients with an ALL subtype called Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL (Ph+ ALL).

Laraine

November 21st is Family Volunteer Day.  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) encourages you to volunteer as a family today. Whatever you choose to do, do it together. Some ideas include: take a few minutes to call a friend, neighbor or colleague; cook a meal together and drop it at the doorstep of someone in need; rake a neighbor’s yard or put a book in a neighborhood lending library.

To honor this day, we are sharing the story about a family faced with a cancer diagnosis, who banded together when the future seemed so unclear.

Steven

I'm the wife, Hannah. My husband is the fighter. I call him Mr. Steven, babe, and sometimes even Esteban. We fight together, of course, but he's the one throwing the punches and kicking cancer's butt.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a drug therapy that stimulates the immune system. Interferon, a type of immunotherapy, is a substance made naturally by the immune system, but it can also be made in the laboratory. Interferon reduces the growth and division of cancer cells.

Joshua

Just three days after Christmas, my world was turned upside down. I was admitted to the hospital because I was unable to keep any food down and felt terrible overall. Upon admission, I had a multitude of issues, just a few being extremely high uric acid levels, severe dehydration, pancreatitis, and nephrosis. They also discovered that I had lost 20 lbs.! Later in the hospital, I would lose 20 more. I remained in excruciating pain for three weeks while multiple branches of the hospital were trying to find out what was wrong with me.

Joshua

Just three days after Christmas, my world was turned upside down. I was admitted to the hospital because I was unable to keep any food down and felt terrible overall. Upon admission, I had a multitude of issues, just a few being extremely high uric acid levels, severe dehydration, pancreatitis, and nephrosis. They also discovered that I had lost 20 lbs.! Later in the hospital, I would lose 20 more.

CML in Children and Young Adults

Most cases of CML occur in adults. From 2012 to 2016, approximately 2 percent of all cases of CML occurred in children, adolescents and young adults less than age 20.

Michael

I’m a 12-year survivor of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I was diagnosed on Sunday, October 4, 2009.

My oncologist was Dr. Ian Flinn. The first 24 hours following my diagnosis were very harrowing. I was ground transported from Murfreesboro to Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville where they had a gurney awaiting me curbside. A nurse by the name of Regina stayed with me for almost the entire duration of my first eight hours.

Doug

I have always been a builder. Professionally, I am an architect.  ​You could say that I’ve spent my life building spaces where people could grow. I never imagined, however, that I would someday have to rebuild my own. In February 2015, after experiencing months of excruciating and debilitating back pain that doctors mistakenly attributed to deteriorating lower lumbar discs, I had an MRI that revealed multiple vertebral compressed fractures.

Diagnosis

While certain signs and symptoms may indicate that a person has ET, a series of tests are needed to confirm the diagnosis. It is important to have an accurate diagnosis, as it helps the doctor to: 

• Estimate how the disease will progress
• Determine the appropriate treatment

Some of these tests may be repeated both during and after treatment to evaluate its effectiveness.

Sexual Health and Intimacy

These webpages cover a range of sensitive topics related to intercourse, sexual health, intimacy and cancer. Although not always discussed, sexual health and intimacy are an important part of your wellbeing, even after a cancer diagnosis. Please note: If you have experienced any type of sexual trauma, we recommend that you seek support and help from a trusted healthcare professional before reading further.

Kabir

Kabir is an eight-year-old boy who is very affectionate, loving, and sweet. He has endless interests and loves dogs, superheroes, ponies, mermaids, magic shows, zoos, roller coasters, rock collecting, traveling, eating at "fancy" restaurants, watching television and movies, building Legos, and playing video games. Before his diagnosis, Kabir also enjoyed swimming and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is caring by nature and an amazing older brother to his younger sibling, Ayaan.

Teresa

I was diagnosed in 2009 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Upon diagnosis, perhaps the greatest shock was becoming aware that I knew so little about cancer, so little about the medical system, and how one needs to go about a process of self-education regarding their disease.

My diagnosis occurred at the Simon Cancer Center, a part of the Indiana University Health System. I was fortunate to have a neighbor who is a nurse practitioner at this cancer center. She intervened when she found out that a routine shoulder MRI revealed multiple enlarged lymph nodes.

Lila

It’s January 11th, 2017, well past midnight, probably around 3 am. I am on the side of a mountain in Africa, 1000 miles away from home, in pitch black out, -20º with the winds, and I can barely feel my fingers. All I can see is the headlamp spot of light shining on the trail.

I think to myself, “Well, Lila, maybe this was not your best idea!” I look up and call my teammate in front of me, my best friend Dawn, and say, “Dawn, I am sorry I talked you into this.” She just looks at me, gives a knowing smile, then turns back to the path in front of us!

AJ

On December 23, 2018, our lives changed forever. And sadly, it was just the beginning.

I was assigned to work a night shift an hour away from where I dropped my son, AJ, off at my sister’s. I got a call from her two hours later. She said AJ was not feeling or looking well. My sister, Kyesha, took him to the emergency room.

I rushed out, put my emergency lights on, and drove an hour to the hospital. When I got there and saw my son, I didn’t know what to think or say. Tears started rolling down my face. AJ looked almost dead; his color was so blue.

Munira

I will never underestimate my parents' sacrifices to provide my siblings and me with the millions of opportunities we have due to their hard work. My parents were born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Both were born to families who instilled the traditional family value of grit in every walk of life. My parents both obtained a high school diploma with the intent of seeking higher education, but the obstacles of living in a developing country robbed them of the chance.

Kent

When Noah was born in 2005, we were surprised when the doctor told us he had Down syndrome.  Soon after, we were informed about all of the things that Noah wouldn’t or couldn’t do in his lifetime.  We were also given a laundry list of medical problems that he could potentially have.  Two months after he was born, Noah went into heart failure and had open heart surgery to correct four holes in his heart.  This was a tough time but boy did we have more to come and didn’t know it.  He has since had multiple surgeries, tests, studies, etc.  We were told that Noa

Kennetha

I found out about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) through a peer at Brockport College where I attend the Healthcare Administration BSN program. My peer had many great things to say about LLS and was excited to be a volunteer intern. I'm grateful that I was given the opportunity to reach out to those who experience the life-changing event of having blood cancer and can provide them with the resources and support that LLS offers. I love volunteering for LLS because it helps me fulfill my passion for caring for others and making a difference in people's lives.

Morgyn

June 18th, 2021. A day that I would never expect to happen never in a million years. I was 17 years old living my life like any other teenage girl would. Let me rewind back a few months to February 14th, 2021, yes Valentine’s Day. I was so sick that morning and with COVID-19 still running at its highest I decided to test myself. The test came back positive. I was so sick, the sickest I had ever been and as my quarantine was coming to an end I still felt as if I was still so sick with COVID.

Annette

I had been feeling unwell for quite a while. I would come home from work and go to bed right after dinner. I would sleep for hours and still be fatigued. When we had afternoon meetings, I would fall asleep. My husband and I kept thinking it was my very stressful job. I was on airplanes three times a week and would be traveling all over the country. I wasn’t eating or sleeping well. I finally decided to take early retirement. I still did not feel well even after being retired. I finally got to the point where I was so sick, I told my husband to take me to the emergency room.

Treatment Outcomes

Some types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are curable. Some people with other types of NHL are able to keep their disease under control and live good-quality lives with medical treatment.

Click here to access NHL survival statistics.

Kaitlin

I moved to Chicago in May 2022. I had recently finished my joint PhD in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Michigan and was offered a job as a People Analytics Researcher at Google. I loved the city and enjoyed frequent runs and cycling rides along Lake Shore Drive. In mid-July, I started noticing some symptoms that concerned me ― difficulty breathing when I was exercising, intense chest and back pain, spider veins on my chest, puffiness in my face, and fatigue.

Stem Cell Transplantation

An allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a treatment that uses stem cells from a healthy donor to restore a patient’s bone marrow that is damaged or diseased after receiving high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains the only potential cure for MDS. 

Prognostic Factors

Prognosis is the likely outcome of a disease along with the chance of recovery or recurrence. Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cases are generally classified into the three subgroups described below.