World Leukaemia Day: Why early detection is the key to saving lives

From fatigue and bruising to recurrent infections, leukaemia symptoms are often neglected. World Leukaemia Day draws attention to the importance of early detection and diagnosis

World Leukaemia Day, observed every year on September 4, is dedicated to raising awareness about leukaemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Patient organisations and advocacy groups worldwide collaborate to highlight its symptoms, the importance of early diagnosis, and the lived experiences of patients.

 

According to World Health Organization-linked data from the Global Cancer Observatory, leukaemia accounted for about 2.5 per cent of all new cancer cases and 3.1 per cent of all cancer deaths globally in 2020. That year alone, there were 487,294 new cases and 305,405 deaths. In India, Globocan 2022 data shows leukaemia is the most common type of blood cancer, with around 49,000 new cases annually.

 

World Leukaemia Day 2025 theme

 

The campaign is coordinated by advocacy groups including Leukaemia Care, the CML Advocates Network and the Acute Leukaemia Advocates Network. It aims to improve public recognition of symptoms, strengthen medical training, and amplify patient voices to improve survival and quality of life.

 

This year’s theme, 'What does leukaemia mean to you?', encourages patients, survivors and families to share personal stories. The initiative seeks to dispel misconceptions, highlight emotional and social impacts, and connect communities across borders.

 

Key goals of the campaign

 

Raise awareness of symptoms: Fatigue, bruising or bleeding, recurrent infections, fever, night sweats and breathlessness can often be overlooked.

 

• Encourage early diagnosis: Prompt medical advice reduces late-stage or emergency diagnoses.
• Support healthcare professionals: Training doctors to spot leukaemia enables faster referrals and better outcomes.
• Amplify patient voices: Personal stories make the disease more visible and relatable.
• Provide advocacy tools: Toolkits, posters and social media campaigns help spread the message.

 

Understanding leukaemia

 

Leukaemia begins in the bone marrow and produces abnormal white blood cells, which crowd out healthy cells. The resulting shortage of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets leads to fatigue, anaemia, frequent infections and easy bruising.

 

The four main types are:

 

• Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL): More common in children and young adults but can occur at any age.
• Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML): The most common acute form in adults, especially those over 65.
• Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL): The most common chronic type in adults over 65, often slow to develop.
• Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML): More common in older adults, often silent for years.

 

With awareness, early diagnosis and timely treatment, patients’ chances of survival and quality of life can improve significantly—a message World Leukaemia Day seeks to reinforce.    For more health updates, follow #HealthwithBS