Types of Blood Cancer

Leukaemia

This happens when your leukocytes (white blood cells) become cancerous.
White blood cells are an essential part of our immune system that fight infections and bone marrow is the site where cells like these are produced.
People with leukaemia have great numbers of abnormal cells, usually white blood cells, that target the bone marrow and in turn affect the entire blood stream.
Leukaemia that develops at a faster rate is known as chronic leukaemia and those that develop at a slower pace are called acute leukaemia.

This happens when your lymphocytes (a certain type of white blood cell) become cancerous.
Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that is found in blood, bone marrow and lymph glands.
Lymphoma is of two types; Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin’s is further developed into two types depending on how fast they develop.

This happens when your plasma cells (a type of B lymphocyte) become cancerous.
Normal plasma cells produce antibodies called immunoglobulins that help fight any infection within our immune system. However, with myeloma the plasma cells turn abnormal, multiply in uncontrollable ways and only produce an antibody called paraprotein.