2 out of 3 Canadians would feel helpless if they received a blood cancer diagnosis

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada tackles issue of helplessness with a new awareness campaign designed to bring blood cancer information and support programs to the forefront.

TORONTO, Jan. 25 , 2018 /CNW/ - According to a recent poll commissioned by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC), the majority (68%) of Canadians would feel helpless if they or someone close to them was diagnosed with a blood cancer, such as, leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma or Hodgkin's disease. In the same survey, only 25% of Canadians felt that sufficient services are available to blood cancer patients.

"The biggest challenge we face is that blood cancers fly under the radar for Canadians," explains Alicia Talarico, LLSC president. "Many people do not know what a blood cancer is even though it is the fourth most-commonly diagnosed cancer type in Canada affecting anyone from children to adults. For World Cancer Day, we want Canadians to know that we offer many resources and programs at no cost that could empower them when faced with a blood cancer diagnosis."

On January 29, the LLSC is launching We're In This Together – a public campaign to boost Canadians' confidence in facing a blood cancer diagnosis. 1 in 5 Canadians knows someone affected by a blood cancer so the concern for getting reliable information, accessing patient services and finding ways to show meaningful support is a reality for many people. During the week-long campaign, Canadians will learn about how to tap into the vast array of information resources and programs offered for free by the LLSC.

For Halifax native, Kris Osmond, it was about taking charge so that he could support his mom, one of the most important people in the world to him, when he learned of her leukemia diagnosis.

"I needed to find answers to endless questions circling my mind at the time," recalls Kris, who learned of his mom's diagnosis just days after starting a new job at the LLSC. "I felt terribly helpless but I wanted to be a source of strength for her. So I tried to learn as much as I could about helping support a family member through the LLSC." Read Kris' full story by visiting We're In This Together.

Luckily for Kris, as an LLSC employee, he knew exactly where to turn to when his mom was diagnosed. Contacting the LLSC was the key that unlocked the answers to all of their questions and gave them access to services that helped them further. These resources are available to everyone.

There are 137 types of blood cancers and associated disorders that affect over 138,000 Canadians today. Each year, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada offers free information and support services to 27,400 patients and their families as they face a blood cancer diagnosis. In 2017, $7.4 million was spent in the creation and delivery of services improving the lives of Canadians affected by blood cancers and for world-class cancer research taking place in cancer centres from coast-to-coast.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Canada
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada is the single largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancers in Canada. LLSC funds life-saving blood cancer research across the country, and provides free information and support services to patients and caregivers. Our mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. To find out more visit llscanada.org.

About the poll results
These are findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between December 18^th and December 21^s, 2017. For this survey, a sample of 1,006 was interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada

Angeline Mau, Communications for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, Call: 416-877-1698, Email: [email protected]