(BPT) - For the growing number of cancer survivors in the United States, many face the shared question: will my cancer come back? In fact, fear of cancer recurrence is one of the top concerns among people with cancer and their loved ones.1
Cancer can impact people in many ways and every person diagnosed with cancer can have a different outcome than the next. Blood cancer is a common type of cancer known for recurrence. Diffuse-large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a particularly aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, as many as 40 percent of people with DLBCL will not respond to initial treatment, or sadly their cancer will return.2,3
“People with an aggressive blood cancer like DLBCL may feel anxiety around their cancer returning or relapsing,” said Meghan Gutierrez, chief executive officer, Lymphoma Research Foundation. “A strong support system is incredibly helpful for patients and survivors and will create an environment where they feel comfortable to share these concerns, and continue to monitor any symptoms with their healthcare provider.”
Coping with the Possibility of Blood Cancer Recurrence:
For people with blood cancers, the possibility of their cancer returning is real and common, which can bring with it a range of emotions and concerns, but there may be ways to minimize this anxiety:
Staying Informed About Your Health:
For those who have a type of blood cancer where relapse is common, staying informed and engaged about one’s health is important. A few ways to do this are:
Learn More:
You can help educate yourself about DLBCL and other blood cancers in this short educational video from Genentech.
1 Armes J, Crowe M, Colbourne L, et al. Patients’ supportive care needs beyond the end of cancer treatment: a prospective, longitudinal survey. J Clin Oncol. 2009; 27:6172-9.
2 American Cancer Society. About B-Cell Lymphoma https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/about/b-cell-lymphoma.html Accessed August 9, 2019.
3 Dornan D, et al. Therapeutic potential of an anti-CD79b antibody-drug conjugate, anti-CD79b-vc-MMAE, for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood 2009; 114:2721–2729.