Types of Blood Cancer
Reviewed by: HU Medical Review Board | Last reviewed: August 2024 | Last updated: August 2024
Different types of blood cancers affect different types of blood cells. Depending on the type, blood cancers can start in the bone marrow or in the lymph nodes. Blood cancers can either develop quickly (acute) or develop over a long time (chronic).1,2
The five main categories of blood cancers include:1,2
- Leukemia – blood cancers that develop in the bone marrow
- Lymphoma – blood cancers that begin in the lymphatic system
- Myeloma – blood cancers that begin in the plasma cells
- Myelodysplastic syndromes – blood cancers in which the bone marrow is not able to produce a normal amount of healthy blood cells
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms – blood cancers in which the bone marrow produces too many of at least one type of blood cell
What is leukemia?
Leukemia is a blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia can stop the bone marrow from making enough healthy blood cells. In most cases, leukemia affects the development of white blood cells.3,4
The bone marrow creates cells that can turn into red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Leukemia can cause the cells in the bone marrow to become abnormal. This produces unhealthy blood cells that do not function normally.3,4
Leukemias are named for the type of blood cell they develop from. Two types of cells that turn into the different blood cells are myeloid and lymphoid cells. Myeloid cells can become white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets. Lymphoid cells can become specific white blood cells like B-cells, T-cells, or natural killer cells.3,4
Leukemia can affect any of these cell types and stop enough healthy blood cells from forming. Leukemias are also classified as acute or chronic depending on how fast the cancer is progressing. The 4 main categories of leukemia are:3,4
Within each category, there are subtypes of leukemia. These are named based on the specific type of blood cells affected by the cancer.3,4
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is the most common type of blood cancer in the United States. It begins developing in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is made up of the lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, and other organs. One of its main jobs is to fight infections using white blood cells.1,5,6
Lymphoma causes white blood cells of the lymphatic system to become abnormal. As a result, there may not be enough healthy white blood cells able to fight infections. Abnormal cells can quickly multiply and create tumors. There are 2 major types of lymphoma:5,6
The lymphocytes (a specific type of white blood cell) in the lymphatic system can be B-cells or T-cells. Depending on which cell type is affected, lymphomas may be further classified as B-cell lymphoma or T-cell lymphoma.7
What is myeloma?
Myeloma is a cancer that develops from plasma cells. These are B-cells that have been activated to make a specific antibody. When the plasma cells become cancerous, they disrupt the body's ability to produce normal antibodies. This can increase the risk of infection.8,9
Myeloma causes tumors to form within the body. Usually, the tumors form in the bone marrow and on the surface of different bones. When there is only 1 tumor present in the body, it is called plasmacytoma. Having more than 1 tumor is called multiple myeloma. Myeloma can lead to kidney problems and weaken the bones.8,9
What are myelodysplastic syndromes?
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of blood cancers in which the bone marrow is unable to produce enough healthy blood cells. Healthy myeloid cells are needed to make normal amounts of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. With MDS, the bone marrow produces abnormal myeloid cells. As a result, the amount of healthy blood cells decreases.10,11
What are myeloproliferative neoplasms?
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are cancers in which the bone marrow produces too many of certain blood cells. This can make the blood thicker and cause certain health problems. The 3 classic types of MPN include:10,12
- Polycythemia vera – too many red blood cells
- Essential thrombocythemia – too many platelets
- Myelofibrosis – bone marrow becomes damaged by fibrous tissue