Oncology

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells that are found in the bone marrow.¹

It is the second most prevalent blood cancer after non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, affecting approximately 7,000 Canadians in 2011, with the average age of diagnosis being 62 years for men and 61 years for women.²

Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosed in men, with an estimated 23,600 Canadian men diagnosed in 2014. ¹

The death rate has been declining significantly by almost 4% per year between 2001 and 2009, likely due to detecting prostate cancer earlier and to better treatment options.¹

Anemia is a condition caused by a low level of healthy red blood cells (RBCs).¹ Cancer or cancer treatment (such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy) can affect the bone marrow so that it doesn’t make enough healthy red blood cells.¹

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. When lymphoma occurs, some of the cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and out of control. Because there is lymph tissue throughout the body, the cancer cells may spread to other organs, or even into the bone.¹