Blood cancer types

Find information about:

Leukaemia

• Acute erythroid leukaemia
• Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
• Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia
• Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
• Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL)
• Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
• Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
• Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML)
• Childhood leukaemia
• Hairy cell leukaemia (HCL)
• Large granular lymphocytic leukaemia (LGLL)
• Mast cell leukaemia (MCL)

Lymphoma

• Burkitt lymphoma
• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
• Follicular lymphoma
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• MALT lymphoma
• Mantle cell lymphoma
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL)
• Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM)

Myeloma

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN)

• Polycythaemia vera (PV)
• Essential thrombocythaemia (ET)
• Myelofibrosis

Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN overlap)

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)

Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects blood cells in your bone marrow – usually white blood cells. Read our leukaemia information online or order a booklet about your type of leukaemia.

Acute erythroid leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects your red blood cells. It is a sub-type of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Read our AML information online or order our booklet about AML.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a fast-developing type of blood cancer that affects cells called lymphoid blasts or lymphoblasts. Read our ALL information online or order our booklet about ALL.

Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects your platelets. It is a sub-type of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Read our AML information online or order our booklet about AML.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a fast-growing type of blood cancer that affects myeloid blood cells. Read our AML information online or order our booklet about AML.

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) is a type of blood cancer that affects cells called promyelocytes, which are white blood cells at an early stage of development. Read our APL information online or order our booklet about APL.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a slow-growing (chronic) blood cancer that affects white blood cells in your bone marrow called lymphocytes. Read our CLL information online or order our booklet about CLL.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a type of blood cancer that affects a group of white blood cells known as myeloid cells. Read our CML information online or order our booklet about CML.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called monocytes.

We are currently working on some new information about CMML. If you are affected by CMML, or you are a healthcare professional, please get in touch with Abi on ahowse@bloodcancer.org.uk if you'd like to help shape the new information.

In the meantime, all our general information will be helpful if you have CMML. We have information about what happens after diagnosis, covid and blood cancer, side effects, living well with blood cancer, watch and wait, and support for family and friends.

Our Support Service is also here for you - we can help you find out more information about CMML. You can also find other people living with CMML in our online community forum.

Leukaemia is the most common cancer in children under 15. Over 650 children and young adults are diagnosed with leukaemia every year in the UK. Read our childhood leukaemia information online.

Hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes.

We are currently working on some new information about hairy cell leukaemia. If you are affected by hairy cell leukaemia, or you are a healthcare professional, please get in touch with Abi on ahowse@bloodcancer.org.uk if you'd like to help shape the new information.

In the meantime, all our general information will be helpful if you have hairy cell leukaemia. We have information about what happens after diagnosis, covid and blood cancer, side effects, living well with blood cancer, watch and wait, and support for family and friends.

Our Support Service is also here for you - we can help you find out more information about hairy cell leukaemia. You can also find other people living with hairy cell leukaemia in our online community forum.

Large granular lymphocytic leukaemia (LGLL) is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes.

We are currently working on some new information about LGLL. If you are affected by LGLL, or you are a healthcare professional, please get in touch with Abi on ahowse@bloodcancer.org.uk if you'd like to help shape the new information.

In the meantime, all our general information will be helpful if you have large granular lymphocytic leukaemia. We have information about what happens after diagnosis, covid and blood cancer, side effects, living well with blood cancer, watch and wait, and support for family and friends.

Our Support Service is also here for you - we can help you find out more information about large granular lymphocytic leukaemia. You can also find other people living with large granular lymphocytic leukaemia in our online community forum.

Mast cell leukaemia is a sub-type of mastocytosis, which is a type of blood cancer.

Mast cell leukaemia affects your mast cells, which are part of your immune system.

Although we don't currently have information on our website about mast cell leukaemia specifically, our Support Service can talk you through the condition and answer any questions you have.

All our general information will be helpful if you have mast cell leukaemia. We have information about what happens after diagnosis, covid and blood cancer, side effects, living well with blood cancer and support for family and friends. You can also find other people living with blood cancer in our online community forum.

The NHS website also has information about mastocytosis.

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are an important part of your immune system. Read our lymphoma information online or order a booklet about your type of lymphoma.

Burkitt lymphoma is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. Read our Burkitt lymphoma information online or order our booklet about Burkitt lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Read our DLBCL information online or order our booklet about DLBCL.

Follicular lymphoma is a type of slow-growing blood cancer called non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). It affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Read our follicular information online or order our booklet about follicular lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Read our Hodgkin lymphoma information online or order our booklet about Hodgkin lymphoma.

MALT lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is part of a group of blood cancers called marginal zone lymphomas.

We are currently working on some new information about MALT lymphoma. If you are affected by MALT lymphoma, or you are a healthcare professional, please get in touch with Abi on ahowse@bloodcancer.org.uk if you'd like to help shape the new information.

In the meantime, all our general information will be helpful if you have MALT lymphoma. We have information about what happens after diagnosis, covid and blood cancer, side effects, living well with blood cancer, watch and wait, and support for family and friends.

Our Support Service is also here for you - we can help you find out more information about MALT lymphoma. You can also find other people living with MALT lymphoma in our online community forum.

Mantle cell lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes.

We are currently working on some new information about mantle cell lymphoma. If you are affected by mantle cell lymphoma, or you are a healthcare professional, please get in touch with Abi on ahowse@bloodcancer.org.uk if you'd like to help shape the new information.

In the meantime, all our general information will be helpful if you have mantle cell lymphoma. We have information about what happens after diagnosis, covid and blood cancer, side effects, living well with blood cancer, watch and wait, and support for family and friends.

Our Support Service is also here for you - we can help you find out more information about mantle cell lymphoma. You can also find other people living with mantle cell lymphoma in our online community forum.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are an important part of your immune system. Read our non-Hodgkin lymphoma information online or order a booklet about your type of lymphoma.

Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Although it has a different name, it is the same condition as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

SLL and CLL are two forms of the same illness. In SLL, the abnormal lymphocytes are mainly in your lymph nodes, whereas in CLL they are mainly in your blood and bone marrow.

SLL and CLL are treated in the same way. For information, read our CLL information online or order our booklet about CLL.

Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM) is a slow-growing and rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It affects blood cells called plasma cells. Read our WM information online or order our booklet about WM.

Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called plasma cells. Read our myeloma information online or order our booklet about myeloma.

Myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS for short, are a group of conditions where the bone marrow doesn’t work properly and produces faulty blood cells. MDS is a type of blood cancer. Read our MDS information online or order our booklet about MDS.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of different blood cancers. The three main types are polycythaemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and myelofibrosis, which are listed below.

Read our MPN information online or order a booklet about MPN.

Polycythaemia vera (PV) is a form of blood cancer. In PV, your body produces too many red blood cells. PV is one of several types of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Read our PV information online or order our booklet about MPNs including PV.

Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) is a slow-growing form of blood cancer. In ET, your body produces too many platelets (a type of blood cell). ET is one of several types of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Read our ET information online or order our booklet about MPNs including ET.

Myelofibrosis is a type of blood cancer that causes scar tissue to form in your bone marrow (the spongy material inside some of your bones, where blood cells are made). Myelofibrosis is one of several types of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Read our myelofibrosis information online or order our booklet about MPNs including myelofibrosis.

MDS/MPN overlap syndromes are a group of blood cancers which combine features of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).

The World Health Organisation classifies five conditions as MDS/MPN overlap syndromes:

• chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML)
• MDS/MPN-ring sideroblasts-thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T)
• atypical chronic myeloid leukaemia (aCML)
• MDS/MPN-unclassifiable (MDS/MPN-U)
• juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML)

If you have an MDS/MPN overlap syndrome, you can order our booklets about myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) - but check with your doctor which chapters/pages are relevant for you from each booklet.

All our general information also will be helpful if you have MDS/MPN overlap syndrome. We have information about what happens after diagnosis, covid and blood cancer, side effects, living well with blood cancer and support for family and friends.

Our Support Service is also here for you - we can help you find out more information about MDS/MPN overlap syndrome. You can also find other people living with MDS/MPN overlap syndrome in our online community forum.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a blood condition that happens when plasma cells (a type of white blood cell) develop unusually in your bone marrow. MGUS is not cancer. Read our MGUS information online or order our booklet about MGUS.