A hand in a blue latex glove reaching for a test tube of blood

Blood Cancer Awareness Month

Blood cancers are some of the most common cancers in children and young people aged 0-24. Blood Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) takes place every September. It is a a global event to raise awareness about blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma.

What is blood cancer?

Blood cancers are cancers which affect blood cells. The most common blood cancers in children and young people aged 0-24 are leukaemia and lymphoma.

Blood cancer in children aged 0-14

31 %

of cancers diagnosed in this age group are leukaemias
10 %

of cancers diagnosed in this age group are lymphomas

Leukaemia in children

Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer. Leukaemias are the most common group of childhood cancers, accounting for approximately 1 in 3 cases every year.

A young girl with a headscarf, smiling and hugging a young boy

Lymphoma in children

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer. Lymphomas are the third most common group of children's cancers, accounting for around 1 in 10 new cases each year in the UK.

Blood cancer in young people aged 15-24

20 %

of cancers diagnosed in this age group are lymphomas
9 %

of cancers diagnosed in this age group are leukaemias

Leukaemia in teenagers and young adults

Leukaemia accounts for around 9% of cancers found in teenagers and young adults aged 15-24. It is the fourth most common cancer in young men, and the fifth most common cancer in young women.

The face of a young woman looking thoughtful

Leukaemia in teenagers and young adults

Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Usually, white blood cells divide and grow in a controlled way. In leukaemia, this process gets out of control.