Spotting the Signs of Blood Cancer and Seeking the Right Care
Feeling unusually tired, experiencing repeated infections or noticing unexplained bruising can easily be put down to everyday life or a less serious illness. However, these can also be among the symptoms of blood cancer, particularly when they persist, recur or appear alongside other unexplained changes.
Blood Cancer Awareness Month, held every September, provides an opportunity to increase understanding of blood cancers and encourage people to seek medical advice when something does not feel right.
Every year, more than 40,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancer in the UK while more than 310,000 people are currently living with or in remission from the disease. Unlike many other cancers, blood cancer does not usually present as a lump or tumour. Instead, it affects the blood, bone marrow, or lymphatic system, often causing symptoms that can be mistaken for less serious conditions.
Greater awareness can help people recognise potential warning signs and seek medical advice sooner.
Recognising the Symptoms
Symptoms of blood cancer can vary depending on the type of cancer and the individual, but may include:
- Persistent fatigue
- Unexplained bruising or bleeding
- Frequent or recurring infections
- Unexplained weight loss
- Night sweats
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Breathlessness
- Bone or joint pain
Experiencing one or more of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that someone has blood cancer. Many have much more common explanations. However, symptoms that persist, recur or cannot otherwise be explained should not simply be ignored.
What Is Blood Cancer?
Blood cancer is a term used to describe cancers that affect the blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic system.
The three main types of blood cancer are:
- Leukaemia
- Lymphoma
- Myeloma
Leukaemia alone accounts for around 9,900 new cancer diagnoses in the UK each year.
Within these groups are many different individual types and subtypes of blood cancer, which can behave differently and require different approaches to treatment.
These cancers can affect the production and function of blood cells, impacting the body’s ability to fight infection, carry oxygen, and control bleeding.
Why Blood Cancer Can Be Difficult to Diagnose
Unlike some cancers, there may be no obvious lump or single symptom that immediately points towards blood cancer.
Fatigue may initially be attributed to stress or a busy lifestyle. Repeated infections may appear unrelated, while weight loss, night sweats or breathlessness can have numerous possible causes.
This can make diagnosis challenging. However, where symptoms continue, become more severe or occur together, further investigation may be appropriate.
Depending on the suspected condition, investigations can include blood tests and, where necessary, imaging, biopsies, bone marrow tests or referral to a specialist.
Early diagnosis can play a significant role in ensuring patients receive timely access to specialist care, treatment and support. While advances in treatment have significantly improved outcomes for many people living with blood cancer, delays in diagnosis can sometimes allow the disease to progress, potentially affecting treatment options and prognosis.
The Impact of Blood Cancer on Everyday Life
A diagnosis of blood cancer can be life-changing, affecting not only the individual but also their family and loved ones.
The impact can begin before treatment has even started. Receiving an unexpected cancer diagnosis can bring uncertainty about health, work, finances and family life, alongside decisions about treatment and concern about what the future may hold.
Blood cancer itself can cause debilitating fatigue, recurrent infections, pain or breathlessness. For some people, this can make working, caring for children, exercising or carrying out ordinary daily activities much more difficult.
Treatment may include:
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted therapies
- Radiotherapy
- Stem cell transplantation
- Ongoing monitoring and support
Treatment can bring its own physical and emotional challenges and may continue for a considerable period. Some people may need time away from work or additional help at home, while partners and relatives can find themselves taking on caring responsibilities.
Every patient’s experience is different, and many people require long-term care and follow-up following treatment.
When Opportunities to Diagnose Blood Cancer Are Missed
Because the symptoms of blood cancer can have many different causes, a diagnosis will not always be made at someone’s first appointment. A delay in diagnosis also does not, by itself, mean that medical care has been negligent.
The difficulties surrounding diagnosis are reflected in figures highlighted by Leukaemia UK, which show that 37% of people diagnosed with leukaemia receive their diagnosis through A&E. There can, however, be cases where concerns arise about whether opportunities to identify a serious underlying condition were missed.
For example, someone may have visited their GP on several occasions with persistent fatigue, recurrent infections, unexplained bruising or other symptoms. Blood tests may have produced abnormal results requiring further investigation, or the combination and progression of symptoms may have indicated that further tests or specialist assessment were needed.
In these circumstances, questions may arise about whether:
- The patient’s history and pattern of symptoms were appropriately considered.
- Appropriate blood tests or other investigations were arranged.
- Abnormal or changing test results were recognised and followed up.
- The patient was advised to return or undergo further investigation when symptoms persisted.
- A referral to haematology or another specialist should have been made sooner.
- There were avoidable delays after a suspected diagnosis in arranging further tests or starting treatment.
These cases can be particularly complex. Establishing medical negligence involves more than showing that the eventual diagnosis could have been made sooner. It is also necessary to consider what should reasonably have happened at the time and whether an avoidable delay actually affected the patient’s condition or outcome.
What Difference Could an Earlier Diagnosis Have Made?
For someone who discovers that opportunities to diagnose their cancer may have been missed, one of the most difficult questions can be: would things have been different if it had been found sooner?
The answer will depend on the particular type of blood cancer, how it developed and the length and circumstances of any delay.
In some cases, an earlier diagnosis may have enabled treatment to begin sooner or before the disease progressed further. A delay might have resulted in a person becoming more unwell, requiring additional or more intensive treatment, spending longer in hospital or experiencing complications that could otherwise have been avoided.
For others, the delay may have affected their prognosis.
This is why medical negligence claims involving delayed cancer diagnosis usually require careful consideration of both the standard of care provided and the effect any identified failings had on the individual patient.
What Can Compensation Help With?
Where medical negligence has caused avoidable harm, compensation is intended to reflect the impact of that harm and, where possible, help meet the person’s resulting needs.
The consequences of a delayed blood cancer diagnosis can be very different from one person to another. Depending on the circumstances of a successful claim, compensation may take account of matters such as:
- Pain and suffering caused by the avoidable harm.
- Loss of earnings and the impact on someone’s future ability to work.
- Care or assistance provided by relatives or professional carers.
- Rehabilitation and psychological support.
- Additional treatment or therapy required because of the delay.
- Travel and other expenses associated with treatment and medical appointments.
- Practical support where illness or treatment has affected someone’s independence.
For someone living with the long-term consequences of cancer or intensive treatment, compensation may therefore provide important financial security and help fund the care and support they need moving forward.
Every case is different, and specialist legal advice can help establish whether the treatment provided fell below the appropriate standard, whether this caused additional harm and what the person’s future needs may be.
Questions About a Delayed Blood Cancer Diagnosis?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with blood cancer and you are concerned that earlier symptoms, abnormal test results or other warning signs were not appropriately investigated, our specialist Medical Negligence team can help you understand what happened.
We can consider the treatment you received, explain whether further investigation may be appropriate and, where medical negligence has caused avoidable harm, advise you about your options.
We understand that seeking legal advice while dealing with cancer and its consequences can feel daunting. Our team will take the time to listen to your experience and provide clear, compassionate advice based on your individual circumstances.
You can get in touch on 0800 987 8800 or make a free online enquiry here, and we will contact you. Alternatively, email us at medneg@bmcf.co.uk
