Leukemia Awareness

September is Leukemia Awareness Month. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. Leukemia occurs most often in adults age 55 and older, and is the most common cancer in children under age 15.

Leukemia is either acute (fast-growing) and worsens quickly or chronic (slower-growing) and worsens over time.

In 2026, more than 67,790 people are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia. In addition:

• Leukemia accounts for 3.2% of all new cancer cases.
• The overall 5-year survival rate for leukemia has more than quadrupled since 1960.
• 68.6% of leukemia patients survive 5 years or more.

The diagnosis of leukemia requires specific blood tests, including an examination of cells in the blood and marrow.

Treatment and prognosis depend on the type of blood cell affected and whether the leukemia is acute or chronic. Chemotherapy and blood and marrow transplant are often used to treat leukemia.

Blood and marrow transplant (BMT) specialists at The University of Kansas Cancer Center are nationally recognized hematologists/oncologists. Leukemia patients in our blood and marrow transplant program have access to the most advanced treatment options available, including clinical trials.

To learn more about these treatments and our BMT program, call 913-588-1227 or toll-free 844-323-1227.

Be part of the cure

Thousands of patients with leukemia depend on the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Registry to find a donor to save their life. NMDP (formerly Be The Match) is the largest marrow and stem cell registry in the world.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center BMT program is the only institution in Kansas to be an NMDP-approved bone marrow collection center.

Here, you do not have to find your own donor. If you require a matching donor for BMT, your transplant team at the cancer center will find a donor for you. If one of your siblings is a match, he or she can donate. If not, we will search the NMDP Registry and other registries to find a matching unrelated donor.

In addition to being the state’s only NMDP-approved collection center, The University of Kansas Cancer Center:

• Recruits potential donors in Kansas and western Missouri to the NMDP Registry
• Educates donors about the registration and donation process

Our leukemia research

Researchers identify potential target to treat AML

Scientists have identified a gene that predicts survival outcomes for people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), one of the most common types of leukemia diagnosed in adults. Researchers analyzed the cancer cell gene expression, drug sensitivities and medical outcomes data of more than 800 people with AML from across the country. This included donated samples from patients at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. The team found that people with elevated activity of a gene called PEAR1 are more likely to die sooner from AML.

The study is part of the Beat AML project, sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Tara Lin, MD, director of KU Cancer Center’s Acute Leukemia Program and medical director of the Clinical Trials Office, serves as site principal investigator for the Beat AML trial. According to Dr. Lin, these findings, which were published in Cancer Cell, could lead to better and more effective ways to treat AML. Learn more about research in treating AML.

Precision Medicine Initiative Aims to Improve Leukemia Treatment

The University of Kansas Cancer Center is part of the myeloMATCH trial, a large, coordinated effort to improve patient outcomes through targeted treatments for people with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. The cancer center was the first among more than 100 sites to enroll a participant in the trial.

myeloMATCH is the largest coordinated effort in the United States to address these myeloid cancers and includes treatment trials and protocols developed by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Canadian Cancer Trials Group, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and SWOG Cancer Research Network. Learn more about this precision medicine initiative.