How to spot the signs and symptoms of blood cancer

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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 year¹.

But the disease is notoriously hard to diagnose and many people still do not know the symptoms².

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 example³.

But blood cancers are harder to spot, and as a result, they are more likely to be diagnosed later than they should be⁴.

Some of the more common symptoms may be vague and are often described simply as feeling 'run down' or having the flu⁵.

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 disease⁶. While these symptoms do not always signal a blood cancer diagnosis, it is important to visit your GP if you notice any symptoms.

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 setting⁷.

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 friends⁸.

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 overall⁹.

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 symptoms¹⁰.

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 disease¹¹.

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.

This feature has been funded by Janssen UK as part of the Make Blood Cancer Visible campaign. For more information, visit www.makebloodcancervisible.co.uk.

Date of Preparation: September 2021. Job Code: CP-253013

¹Anthony Nolan. What is Blood Cancer? Available at https://www.anthonynolan.org/patients-and-families/blood-cancers-and-blood-disorders/what-blood-cancer. Last accessed: August 2021

²YouGov (2020) Blood Cancer Awareness Survey. Data on file. Last accessed: August 2021

³NHS Breast Cancer Symptoms. Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms. Last accessed: August 2021

⁴Bloodwise (2019) An End the Delays campaign report. Available at https://media.bloodcancer.org.uk/documents/bloodwise-delayed-diagnosis-report_RIQgdp7.pdf. Last accessed: August 2021

⁵Blood Cancer UK (2018). The ‘Hidden’ Cancer. Available at: https://media.bloodcancer.org.uk/documents/bloodwise-appg-report-hidden-cancer.pdf. Last accessed: August 2021

⁶Connect the Dots. Available at https://www.makebloodcancervisible.co.uk/image/AA6931_Connect_the_dots_infographic_2020_approved.pdf. Last accessed August 2021.

⁷The Lancet (2020) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer deaths due to delays in diagnosis in England, UK: a national, population-based, modelling study. Available at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(20)30388-0/fulltext Last accessed: August 2021

⁸BMJ (2020) Mortality due to cancer treatment delay: systematic review and meta-analysis. Available at https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4087 Last accessed: August 2021

⁹Blood Cancer UK. Facts and information about blood cancer. Available at https://bloodcancer.org.uk/news/blood-cancer-facts/. Last accessed August 2021.

¹⁰Bloodwise survey (2018) Available at: https://bloodcancer.org.uk/news/over-half-of-brits-dont-know-symptoms-of-blood-cancer/ Last accessed: August 2021

¹¹Bloodwise survey (2018) Available at: https://bloodcancer.org.uk/news/over-half-of-brits-dont-know-symptoms-of-blood-cancer/ Last accessed: August 2021