They can include unexplained weight loss, bruising or bleeding, shortness of breath or lumps and swellings.Drenching night sweats, a fever, pain in the joints and bones, and fatigue may also be tell-tale signs of the disease.
While these symptoms do not always signal a blood cancer diagnosis, it is important to visit your GP if you notice any symptoms.
Every 13 minutes, someone in the UK is told they have blood cancer. That is 110 people each day, or 40,000 in a single year.
But the disease is notoriously hard to diagnose and many people still do not know the symptoms.
With other forms of cancer, the signs might be more obvious. A lump or swelling might suggest there is a risk of breast cancer, for example.
But blood cancers are harder to spot, and as a result, they are more likely to be diagnosed later than they should be.
Some of the more common symptoms may be vague and are often described simply as feeling ‘run down’ or having the flu.
Due to the Covid pandemic, experts are expecting to see a rise in the number of patients who are diagnosed with cancer late or in an emergency setting.
This could mean the options for treatment are more limited due to the advanced stage of disease, resulting in poorer quality of life and prognosis. It could also lead to physical and mental harm for those with the disease as well as their family and friends.
Blood cancer – which includes the three main types, myeloma, lymphoma, and leukaemia – is the third biggest cancer killer in the UK and the fifth most common cancer overall.
But a poll conducted in 2018 on behalf of Bloodwise of more than 2,000 British adults found that just 1 per cent of people said they were “very confident” they could identify common symptoms of blood cancer, with a significant portion of the population not knowing any of the symptoms.
The survey found that more than eight in ten people (84 per cent) acknowledged they were either “not very” or “not at all” confident at spotting the signs of the disease.
To mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month during September, the Make Blood Cancer Visible campaign aims to alert people to the symptoms of the disease – and the importance of speaking to their GP or nurse.
The list of symptoms given above is not exhaustive, and it is also important to remember that not everyone will experience each of the symptoms, or the same symptoms in the same way.
Nevertheless, it is critical to make sure you are familiar with blood cancer symptoms, so that you are in a position to seek medical advice if you notice any symptoms.
