ALMOST half of Northern Ireland adults cannot name a single blood cancer symptom despite it being the third biggest cancer killer in the UK, according to new research.
The study also found one in four would be unlikely to go to their GP if they had any of the main blood cancer symptoms - fatigue, bruising, swollen lymph nodes and night sweats.
When people were asked to list the common signs of blood cancer, the charity’s survey found 48 per cent did not know any.
The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 adults was commissioned by Blood Cancer UK to mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month. It said the findings highlight an urgent need to raise public awareness.
One in 19 people will be diagnosed with blood cancer, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, at some point in their lives, which kills more people every year in the UK than either breast or prostate cancer.
Irene Grey from Co Antrim (38) was diagnosed with JAK2 positive Essential Thrombocythemia (JAK2 ET) in February 2019. She said she had spent years "asking myself what’s wrong with me" as she experienced symptoms such as sweating and headaches.
"At the time I put it down to the stress of undergoing fertility treatment, being busy at work," she said.
"The thought that I might have blood cancer never occurred to me. From as early as 2014 I went back and forth to my GP. At one stage they thought it might be coeliac disease and blood tests showed that my platelet count was outside of the normal range but as it kept going up and down no one pushed it any further.
"It wasn’t until I lost a lot of weight in a very short space of time that I went to the GP again and a doctor I hadn’t seen before wondered why I hadn’t been seen by haematology. From there it was a very short space of time to being diagnosed with JAK2 positive Essential Thrombocythemia.
"My surgeon described it as my bone marrow being like a light switch always in the on position which means I’m making platelets constantly. This means I’m at much higher risk of blood clots and of developing other blood cancers such as leukaemia."
Kate Keightley from Blood Cancer UK said it is "extremely concerning to continue to see such low public awareness of the signs".
"We fear many people might also be confusing breathlessness, a fever and tiredness with Covid-19 and cases are being left undiagnosed," she said.
"At the moment, we know that too many people are being diagnosed late, which often reduces the chance of survival, so it is so vital people get symptoms checked out as soon as possible.
"If you have symptoms that cannot be explained and are persistent, you should urgently make an appointment with your GP. While it is unlikely to be anything serious, it’s so important to get checked out."
