Leukemia and Lymphoma Society works toward cure

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Southern Nevada has been providing support to locals with blood cancers for the past six years.

The nonprofit organization helps patients and their families through a variety of programs, said Christina Goodman, patient services manager, including peer support groups, family support groups, patient education and financial assistance.

"Our purpose is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families," Goodman said.

Every five minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer, which originates in the bone marrow or lymphatic system, Goodman said. Every 10 minutes, someone dies of a blood cancer.

There are an estimated 785,000 Americans living with blood cancers, Goodman said. Leukemia is the No. 1 childhood cancer, she added.

The chapter's back to school program for children helps them transition between cancer treatment and school. Usually when a child is diagnosed, he or she is out of school for about six months.

It's difficult to identify the number of Southern Nevadans with blood cancers, Goodman said, but the society chapter has a database of 700 survivors. Most people who contact the chapter request financial assistance, she said.

The patient assistance program provides as much as $500 a year that Southern Nevada patients can put toward treatment, including transportation to medical facilities out of state, Goodman said.

The co-pay drug assistance program reimburses patients for as much as $1,000 for prescription drug co-payments. People receiving money from that program must have insurance and fall within an income guideline, she said.

For more information, call the society at 436-4220.