Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
By fostering understanding and support, raising awareness for these conditions brings hope, funds research, and stands beside those affected with compassion.
Every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer, with more than 1.3 million Americans living with or in remission from a blood cancer. Leukemia is the most common cancer in children under the age of fifteen.
Just a few decades ago, the prognosis for people with leukemia or lymphoma was catastrophic. As recently as 1955, leukemia was considered to be 100% fatal and many people died within three months of their diagnosis.
When the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was formed in New York in the 1940s, it was in response to the loss of a 16-year old son who died of the disease. The purpose of the foundation was to raise awareness and funds for research into finding a cure for this disease. The great news is that much progress has been made with treatments for blood cancers – but there is still a long way to go to educate more people and find a cure.
History of Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
The effort to raise awareness for these two cancerous diseases has been active for many years, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the United States Congress officially declared the observance of Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month.
The purpose of this event, sometimes called Blood Cancer Awareness Month, is to educate the general public about the symptoms of these cancers, especially because early detection has a significant impact on the long-term outcomes. In addition, raising awareness also helps with financial support that can facilitate research in hopes of finding a cure.
Modern survival rates of these diseases range widely based on the specific subtypes, but can range anywhere from 65-95% over five years. Part of the reason the prognosis for these diseases is so much better today is because of the efforts of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the world’s largest nonprofit health organization for blood cancer research, education and patient support.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month is a huge part of the journey toward finding a cure for these and other blood cancers.
How to Celebrate Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
Check out some of these important ways to show support in celebration of Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month:
Attend a Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Event
All throughout the month of September, events will take place in support of Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month. Whether it is an educational seminar for medical professionals or a walk to raise money to find a cure, this is a great time to attend and support an event. Those who don’t have any in their local area can check out online events – or host one of their own!
Wear a Special Color to Show Support
Each cancer has its own color ribbon to show support and a great way to celebrate Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month is to don one of the colors that goes along with these diseases. Or, even better, create a bracelet or ribbon that combines all five colors as a show of support!
- Orange – Leukemia
- Red or Green – Lymphoma
- Burgundy – Myeloma (another blood cancer)
- Violet – Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Get Educated about Leukemia and Lymphoma
One of the best ways to show support for Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month is to know more about it. Check out the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society online to learn about educational opportunities, recognize signs and symptoms, find statistics and facts, get patient support, connect with Light the Night charity events and much more.
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