Blood Cancers, Types of Blood Cancers

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Cancer Information and Resources Blood Cancer Information and Resources Types of Blood Cancers Leukemia (or leukaemia) is a cancer of the blood-forming cells. It originates in the primitive blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. The marrow can no longer produce enough healthy red and white blood cells and platelets. The loss of red cells leads to anemia and the lack of functional white cells impair the body's ability to fight infections. Lymphoma Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. It occurs when a lymphocyte (white blood cell) undergoes a malignant change and begins to multiply, eventually crowding out healthy cells and creating tumors which enlarge the lymph nodes or other sites on the body. Hodgkin's disease Hodgkin's disease is a specialized form of lymphoma with characteristics that distinguish it from all other lymphatic cancers, including the presence of a Reed-Sternberg cell, a large malignant cell found in the Hodgkin's disease tissues. Myeloma Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells, in which the plasma cell becomes malignant. It grows continuously, especially in the bone marrow, destroying normal bone tissue, causing pain and crowding out normal blood cell production. This makes patients susceptible to infections. See Also: Cancer Information and Resources Major Health Information Sites and Medical Portals Health Resources from the US Government USA Health and Fitness: Health and Fitness Sites organized by topic. USA Hospitals, Walk-in Clinics, Medical Centers USA