Hematological Malignancies

Hematological malignancies are cancers originating in blood-forming tissues like bone marrow or the lymphatic system, disrupting normal blood cell production. These include leukemias (acute myeloid, chronic lymphocytic), lymphomas (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin), and multiple myeloma, where abnormal cells proliferate uncontrollably, crowding out healthy ones and causing fatigue, infections, anemia, and bleeding. In 2017, they accounted for about 10% of U.S. cancer diagnoses, with leukemia leading cancer deaths in young people; globally, over 1 million new cases occur yearly. Diagnosis involves blood tests, bone marrow biopsies, and imaging, revealing chromosomal abnormalities like translocations in follicular lymphoma.

Treatments range from chemotherapy and targeted therapies (e.g., monoclonal antibodies) to stem cell transplants and emerging immunotherapies like CAR-T cells, offering hope for remission despite high relapse risks and symptom burdens like pain and cytopenias. Early detection improves outcomes in this heterogeneous group affecting myeloid or lymphoid lineages.?