The lymphatic system consists of lymph nodes (lymph glands), a network of thin lymphatic channels (similar to thin blood vessels), and organs such as the spleen and thymus.

Anyone can be affected. Most cases occur in people over the age of 60. It is the seventh most common type of cancer . Men are more commonly affected than women.

A specialist will normally arrange a biopsy of one of the swollen nodes. A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body.

If the biopsy confirms that you have a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, then further tests are usually advised. For example, you may have a CT or MRI scan, blood tests, a bone marrow biopsy or other tests. This assessment is called staging. The aim of staging is to find out how much the lymphoma has grown locally, and whether it has spread to other lymph nodes or to other parts of the body.

Multiple myeloma is often referred to simply as myeloma. It is a type of cancer that starts in the plasma cells of the bone marrow. These are protein-making cells which normally make all of the different kinds of proteins that comprise the antibodies of the immune system. In multiple myeloma, the plasma cells undergo what is referred to as a malignant transformation and thereby become cancerous. These myeloma cells stop making different forms of protein in response to the immune system's needs and instead start to produce a single abnormal type of protein referred to as a monoclonal or M protein. Multiple myeloma plasma cell populations accumulate and these collections of cells called plasmacytomas can erode the hard outer shell or cortex of the bone that normally surrounds the marrow. These weakened bones show thinning of the bone such as is seen in nonmalignant osteoporosis or what appear to be punched out or lytic bone lesions. These lesions may cause pain and fractures of the bones so damaged.

Aplastic anemia or “bone marrow failure” syndromes are characterized by drop in all blood counts , including red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells (WBCs). It is a distinct disease which requires detailed work up to exclude other causes of drop in blood counts. Aplastic anemia can vary in its severity and clinical course, from fulminant illness marked by continous or recurrent hemorrhage and major infection to an indolent process manageable with transfusion therapy alone.

Most patients with aplastic anemia seek medical attention for symptoms that occur as a result of low blood counts, which can be as follows- Bleeding, Anemia, Bleeding and anemia, Bleeding and infection, Infection & On Routine evaluation.

Leukemia is a malignancy (cancer) of blood cells. Leukemia involves the production of abnormal white blood cells ‑ the cells responsible for fighting infection. However, the abnormal cells in leukemia do not function in the same way as normal white blood cells. The leukemia cells continue to grow and divide, eventually crowding out the normal blood cells. The end result is that it becomes difficult for the body to fight infections, control bleeding, and transport oxygen.