Tremendous advances have been made to treat blood cancer but the battle is far from won
August 3, 2010- Remarkable progress has been made in treating patients with blood cancers. Sixty years ago there were few effective treatments for children or adults with blood cancer and the rate of survival was very low. Today, about 75 percent of children with acute leukemia and nearly 80 percent of children and adults with Hodgkin lymphoma are cured. Improved therapies and stem cell transplantation have dramatically improved survival rates for most blood cancers, and even patients with diseases resistant to treatment, such as myeloma, are benefiting from new drugs that are increasing the rate and duration of remissions.
Yet, more than 900,000 people in the United States currently have some form of blood cancer. Every ten minutes someone dies from a blood cancer and more than 53,000 will die from one this year.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a beacon of help and guidance to those touched by blood cancer and each September LLS observes Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month, to shed light on these diseases and let the public know that there are resources available for blood cancer patients and their families. This year, Governor Gary R. Herbert has declared and designated September as Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month in the state of Utah.
"Awareness Month is an opportunity to increase the public's understanding of blood cancers and encourage people to support the funding of research to find cures and education programs to help patients have the best possible outcomes throughout their cancer experience," said Robin Collier, Patient Services Manager of Desert Mountain States - Utah Branch.
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