Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells. It carries nourishment and oxygen to the various tissues and takes away carbon dioxide and wastes. Whole blood is a mixture of blood cells and plasma. The blood cells include erythrocytes (red blood cells), leucocytes (white blood cells) and platelets (thrombocytes).
There are various diseases infecting the blood cells. Blood cell cancer is one of the most dangerous of the kind. Diseases of the blood affect the way he body makes blood and provides immunity from other diseases.

Blood Cell Cancer

The major forms of blood cancer are Lymphoma, Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a form of cancer that affects the body's blood-making system, the lymphatic system and the bone marrow. Chronic leukemia rarely affects children; whereas acute leukemia affects both children and adults. In case of acute leukemia, immature blood cells reproduce quickly and crowd out he healthy cells. The normal marrow is pushed into a smaller area. These immature and abnormal cells, in large numbers can spread to other organs. This causes extensive damage in a type of leukemia called acute myeloid luekemia. Acute Lymphoid Leukemia is the most common type that affects children. Acute Myeloid Leukemia accounts for 50% of the Leukemia diagnosed in teenagers. Chronic Leukemia occurs when the body produces too many blood cells that are partially developed, but cannot function like mature blood cells. This type develops more slowly and is less dangerous than the acute type. The chances of chronic Leukemia increase with an increase in the age of a person. The symptoms of Leukemia include fever, fatigue, headaches, rashes, slow healing cuts, unexplained weight loss and swollen glands.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is of two types namely Hodgkin's and Non- Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In Hodgkin's disease, the abnormal cells are called the Reed-Sternberg cells. This type of cancer affects the Lymphatic system and any lymph tissue in the body. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is the more common type. It affects more males than females.

Multiple Myeloma

Multiple Myeloma is cancer of the bone marrow cells due to uncontrolled growth of plasma cells. Plasma cells multiply uncontrollably and produce too much of a single type of immunoglobulin. Multiple Myeloma is quite a rare form of cancer.