Blood Cancer Research and Treatment Center

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)

Leukemia is when abnormal cells grow rapidly in the bone marrow.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a type of leukemia that starts in early forms of lymphocytes, called lymphoblasts.

As these blasts grow, the can crowd out the normal cells in the bone marrow.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

Leukemia is when abnormal cells grow rapidly in the bone marrow.

Acute myeloid leukemia is when leukemia starts in the early forms of myelocytes, called myeloblasts.

These white blood cells that don't fight infection overcrowd the ones that do, pushing them out of the blood.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a slowly progressing disease in which abnormal lymphocytes crowd out other blood cells and may collect in the blood, bone marrow and lymph tissues.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia is when leukemia starts in the early forms of myelocytes. It starts in cells that normally help the body fight infections.

This is an uncommon form of leukemia and is slow moving.

Lymphoma (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's)

Lymphoma is when the body starts making cells that are not needed in the lymphatic system.

Hodgkin's lymphoma spreads in a predictable pattern and can spread to other organs in the body. These cancer cells only make up a small part of the cells in a cancerous lymph node.

Mantle cell lymphoma

Lymphoma is when the body starts making cells that are not needed in the lymphatic system.

Lymphoma is divided into two major categories:

• Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)

Mantle cell lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Lymphoma may arise in any one of three types of lymphocytes:

• B lymphocytes (B cells)
• T lymphocytes (T cells)
• Natural killer (NK) cells

Mantle cell lymphoma results from a malignant transformation of a B lymphocyte.

Multiple myelomas

Multiple myeloma is a rare cancer that begins in a type of white blood cell called the plasma cell. When these cells become abnormal and grow rapidly, it turns into cancer.

Plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and the outer layer of the bones.

Multiple myeloma is not a bone cancer but is cancer that affects bones.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of cancers in which immature blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature, so do not become healthy blood cells.

MDS is often referred to as a "bone marrow failure disorder".

Myeloproliferative neoplasms

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are blood cancers that occur when the body makes too many white or red blood cells, or platelets.

This overproduction of blood cells in the bone marrow can create problems for blood flow and lead to various symptoms.

Plasma cell dyscrasias

Plasma cell dyscrasias are a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by the monoclonal proliferation of lymphoplasmacytic cells in the bone marrow.

Multiple myeloma is the most serious and prevalent plasma cell dyscrasias.