Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Waldenström’s disease… Today, there are a multitude of types of lymphoma, which makes understanding them very complex for patients.
- Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system, the main part of the body’s immune system.
- There are over 80 different types of lymphoma, including Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cutaneous lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Waldenstrom’s disease, and more.
- “Faced with the hundred or so types or subtypes of lymphomas that make up this family of blood cancers, patients and their loved ones can feel helpless,” warns the patient association ELLyE (Ensemble Leucémie Lymphomes Espoir).
On the occasion of this month of awareness of blood cancers, ELLyE patient association (Leukemia Lymphoma Hope Ensemble) alert on the lack of information suffered by people with lymphoma.
More than 80 different types of lymphoma
Lymphomas are the 5th most common cancer in adults and the first in adolescents and young adults. More than 23,000 new cases of lymphoma are diagnosed in France each year, a figure that has increased by 4% every 12 months since the 1970s.
“While cancers are the leading cause of death in France, blood cancers, including lymphomas, remain largely unknown,” indicates the ELLyE association in a press release.
Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system, the main component of the body’s immune system. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) classification, there are more than 80 different types of lymphomas, including Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cutaneous lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Waldenström’s disease, etc.
“Faced with the hundred or so types or subtypes of lymphomas that make up this family of blood cancers, patients and their loved ones can feel helpless. These cancers are complex, each with its own particularity and personalized care,” the non-profit organization emphasizes.
“In 2024, what patients and their loved ones suffer most from is loneliness when faced with questions about their illness or the stages of their treatment journey,” also indicates Christophe Pozuelos, coordinator of the ELLyE association and in total remission from follicular lymphoma.
Lymphomas: information meetings throughout the month of September
In order to help patients, the ELLyE association is organizing information spaces and meetings throughout the month of September in 19 cities within the hematology departments of partner hospitals.
“The events that we organize throughout the month of September as part of Blood Cancer Month allow patients and their loved ones to interact outside the framework of the medical consultation,” specifies Christophe Pozuelos. “Being able to meet other patients to share concerns or questions is reassuring. These meetings very often allow people to talk about subjects that patients and their loved ones do not dare to discuss with caregivers,” he concludes.
