Haematological cancers are those that affect the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes. Haematological cancers are referred to as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma depending on the type of cell affected.
Several of the most common signs and symptoms of blood cancers are weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, frequent infections, enlarged lymph nodes, distended or painful abdomen (due to enlarged abdominal organs), bone or joint pain, fractures, unplanned weight loss, poor appetite, night sweats, persistent mild fever, and decreased urination (due to impaired kidney function).
If you have any concerns please contact your GP.
Diagnostic tests
The diagnostic tests which are often recommended to diagnose Haematological cancers include:
- Blood tests – to check for abnormality in the cell counts
- CT scan
- PET Scan
- Bone marrow biopsy – this is a procedure where a needle is used to take samples of bone marrow (the soft, jelly-like tissue found in the hollow centre of large bones)
Specimens are sent to the Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (below) for analysis.
Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (HMDS)
HMDS is a laboratory specialising in the diagnosis of haematological cancers which includes leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. HMDS also acts as a diagnostic reference centre for many national and international clinical trials.
There are over 60 recognised subtypes of haematological cancers which means that it is extremely important to have an accurate diagnosis and monitoring during and after treatment.
HMDS uses many techniques and more information can be found on their website.
For more information about HMDS please visit their website.