The bone marrow is the primary site of development of most blood cancers, which are referred to as hematologic cancers. Blood cancers occur when abnormal blood cells grow out of control, interfering with the normal function of the body’s immune system and the body’s ability to produce new blood cells.
For blood cancers, treatment options range from active surveillance without cancer-directed therapy to standard chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted agent treatments. A correct diagnosis is necessary before treatment decisions can be made for the more than 100 different types of blood cancers that have now been identified.