Blood cancer refers to a group of cancers affecting your white blood cells. Cancer begins when uncontrolled growth occurs in the cells, causing abnormal blood cells that can’t do their usual jobs, like preventing infections and illness.

Hematology and Oncology Associates of Northern California diagnoses and treats several types of blood cancer, including:

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer originating in white blood cells (lymphocytes) circulating in the lymph system, a part of your immune system. There are two types of lymphoma: Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin. These cancers typically begin in the lymph nodes and may spread through the lymph system.

Multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma affects white blood cells called plasma cells. These cells produce antibodies that protect you from harmful invaders (bacteria and viruses) and prevent infections. After cancer develops, the cells produce useless antibodies, which weaken your immune system.

Symptoms of blood cancer include:

• Unexplained fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Night sweats
• Shortness of breath
• Itchy skin
• Upper respiratory tract infections

You may develop enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms, abdomen, or groin. As these tumors enlarge, you experience symptoms like abdominal pain and swelling in your legs or arms.

Unlike most cancers, surgery is not the first line of treatment for blood cancers. In most cases, your first treatment is radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy therapy.

Hematology and Oncology Associates of Northern California cancer specialists have an essential role in treating blood cancer because they provide most of the primary treatments (except radiation therapy), including:

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses numerous drugs to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells throughout your body. You may receive one or more drugs on a consistent schedule.

Immunotherapy (biological therapy)

Immunotherapy improves your immune system’s ability to fight blood cancer. For example, some immunotherapy medications eliminate the proteins hiding cancer cells from your immune system.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy relies on specialized drugs that stop tumor growth by attacking specific parts of cancer cells. Your provider may recommend one of several medications that work in different ways.

Stem cell transplantation

After destroying the hematopoietic stem cells in your bone marrow, your provider transplants cells from a donor into the bone marrow, where they restart the process of producing healthy blood cells.

Call Hematology and Oncology Associates of Northern California to learn about blood cancer treatments, or request an appointment online today.