Search Results
Laura
I became aware of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) after I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). A social worker at the hospital where I was being treated gave my information to the LLS Patient Services Manager, and she called me. Then she gave me the contact information for a patient who had young children like mine and was two weeks ahead of me in the process, and we spoke with each other.
Miriam
I was extremely fatigued. I suspected that I had leukemia since I knew a lot about cancer. I saw my primary care doctor and described how bad I felt and my suspicion. He immediately ran blood tests and then referred me to a hematologist oncologist.
Treatment Outcomes
AML is a difficult disease to cure, but survival rates for childhood AML have improved over the past several decades. From 2012 to 2018, the 5-year relative survival rate was 69.0 percent for children and adolescents younger than 15 years. However, there is a wide range of outcomes for different subtypes of AML.
For statistics, click here.
Related Links- Download or order LLS's free booklet:
Stem Cell Transplantation
The goal of stem cell transplantation is to cure the patient’s cancer by destroying the cancer cells in the bone marrow with high doses of chemotherapy and then replacing them with new, healthy blood-forming stem cells. The healthy blood stem cells will grow and multiply forming new bone marrow and blood cells. There are two main types of stem cell transplantation. They are
Watch and Wait
Not all CLL patients need to start treatment immediately. “Watch and wait” is a valid treatment approach that means your doctor will watch your condition but not give you treatment unless you have signs or symptoms that appear or change. This approach includes:
Other Disease Studies
Another type of study that blood cancer patients and their relatives can participate in is a nontherapeutic study. Nontherapeutic studies aren't considered clinical trials because they don't involve the study of new diagnostics or treatments for diseases. Instead, they're developed to gain a better understanding of disease-incidence patterns or the consequences of specific treatments for a specific disease.
In all cases, you should be asked to sign a consent form that defines the study's purpose and what's expected from the participants.
Layla
"Our LLS chapter has been there for us, with support and information that has helped immensely. We've formed a friends and family Ttam for the Light The Night Walk and it feels so rewarding to raise funds to help others who, like Layla, are bravely battling blood cancers." Alecia | Layla's mom
Savanna
Savanna, age ten, was diagnosed with high risk Pre B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in May 2014. She was in and out of the hospital for 114 days – close to half of a year! She endured countless chemo treatments, stays in the Pediatric ICU, intensive total body irradiation, spinal taps, blood transfusions and much more. The doctors decided her best chance to beat her cancer was a full Bone Marrow Transplant. Her match was her brave 12-year-old brother, Asher.
Dale
My husband, Dale, was first diagnosed with leukemia in October 2011, after we noticed a bubble under his chin. His chemo treatment lasted for four months, and in May of 2012, he was in remission. We were very excited to learn those results. He took his port out, and started living life again. Early in 2015, Dale was told his cancer was back, and the skin bubbles started to reappear. This meant another port and a different chemo treatment. It made him very sick, angry and depressed. It’s hard to watch your husband cry or shake cause he’s so cold and you just can’t keep him warm enough.
Edward
In October 2015, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I had my first round of chemo then I was hospitalized for three months. I had various complications such as acute respiratory failure and difficulty with incubation. I also experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest for which I required resuscitation and intubation and my heart temporarily stopped for 5-10 minutes. I also developed bleeding on my left brain and septic shock.
Jessica
Two years after surviving a massive heart attack, a heart transplant and a leg amputation at age 16, Jessica found a lump on her neck and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). After months of treatment, her cancer was in remission.
Six years later, Jessica found another lump which out to be a different form of NHL. She told herself she'd been through cancer once before and there was no reason she couldn't beat it again. By January 2008, she was back in remission and finished treatment that following May.
Kelvin
I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in February 2014. My journey with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) began one year later when I signed up to participate in my first-ever Light The Night Walk and put together a fundraising team.
The event was amazing and all my family and friends were there to show support. When the blood cancer survivors moved to the middle of the survivor circle to light up their lanterns, it was one of the most powerful moments I’ve ever experienced.
Kevin
On October 30th, 2019, I was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at 39 years old and having been an athlete my entire life. I was actually swimming and training to compete when I got the news. With a wife of 13 years and three kids at home, an 11 yr old boy and twin 9-year-old girls, everything changed for our family, even just going out “Trick or Treating.”
Steve
In 2015, I started having issues with being able to fight a sinus infection. Several months later, my doctor ordered me to have a bone marrow test and I was diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Just days after my diagnosis, I started chemotherapy. It was the worst point in my life, I lost my hair, appetite, taste buds and my strength. The doctors encouraged me to get up and walk around the floor as much as I could to build my strength back.
Sofia
As a five-year survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), I have come to truly appreciate the value of life's opportunities and the importance of being fully present in every moment. My battle against cancer has shaped me into a determined and compassionate individual, instilling in me a deep sense of empathy for others facing similar challenges. I am grateful to have been awarded a scholarship for cancer survivors by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), recognizing both my journey and my aspirations.
Michelle
I am 43 and will be 44 this year. I have been doing this forever, and I do it every year for everyone who's fighting, and surviving. and more. I love it, and I, too, am a six-time survivor of all cancers at different times of my life and possibly another. I am a childhood cancer survivor since I was 2½ years old. I had leukemia, and it was in the 80s so I had excruciating radiation and chemotherapy. I went through about three years of bone marrow and spinal taps and all the medications that they put me on until I was at least five years old.
Rowena
I was diagnosed in June 2022 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and Philadelphia chromosome +. My blood was tested in April and all was well, by the time May came around I had 50% cell blasts. I was treated in December 2022 with chemo and my bone marrow transplant. Thankfully, my younger brother was a 100% match to be able to donate his cells. I’ve had some major problems with GVHD, especially with my eyes. Sometimes I get super dehydrated and can’t eat without vomiting. Thankfully I am now on Jakavi and Prednisone to help my esophagus, stomach, and dry mouth.
Marc
In 1989, Marc Smith, was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). He was given a terminal prognosis and for more than two years endured numerous obstacles and setbacks, including two relapses and six extensive rounds of chemotherapy. His only chance of even short-term survival was to have a bone marrow transplant.
Follow-Up Care
Click here for 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.
Use the Survivorship Workbook to collect all the important information you need throughout diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care and long-term management of a blood cancer.
Side Effects
The side effects of treatment for essential thrombocythemia (ET) will depend on many factors, including the type of treatment and dosage, the age of the patient and coexisting medical conditions.
Management of side effects is important. Patients should discuss any concerns about side effects with their doctor. Most side effects are temporary and resolve when treatment is completed
Finances and Insurance Coverage
Healthcare costs are a key concern for most people with blood cancer. Many patients don't have health insurance, and for others, coverage is limited. If you have health insurance, it's essential that you know what your plan covers and how to maintain your benefits.
Where to Start
You and your family will need to decide how to pay for treatment while managing household finances. You probably also need to consider additional indirect costs, such as lost time from work, childcare and travel expenses.
Loxley
In early September of 2020, my son started to complain of back pain. I took him to the pediatrician, where he was assessed and a multiview x-ray was ordered. It was normal. I agreed to keep a log of his back pain complaints.
Joshua
Joshua was a regular 11-year-old. He played multiple sports, was learning to play the flute in the school band, and enjoyed having fun with his friends. After a few weeks of a nagging sore throat and enlarged tonsils, we took Josh to see his primary care physician (PCP). They ran some tests and sent him home. No big deal, just a routine trip to the doctor’s office. Josh's PCP called the next day at 6:00 p.m. . . . on a Saturday. She said that she was worried about some of Josh's blood test results and recommended we go to an urgent care or emergency room for further checks.
Nora
Nora was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on August 20, 2018. This is the day our lives were turned upside down and forever changed. Nora was about three weeks away from her second birthday, and we were in utter shock that she would now be fighting an unfathomable battle. After all, this was Nora, our go-hard, go-fast, ray of sunshine. Never did we imagine anything could get her down. But yet, here we were.