Every September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month highlights the millions of people affected by blood cancers and the dedicated community working to improve their lives. It is a time to honor patients and survivors, recognize the caregivers and healthcare professionals who support them, and celebrate the researchers and innovators working toward better treatments.
Since 2010, Blood Cancer Awareness Month has helped bring greater attention to blood cancers and the challenges they present. From leukemia and lymphoma to myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), these diseases affect people in different ways, but they share one common thread: behind every diagnosis is a person whose life has been changed.[1]
This month reminds us that awareness can inspire action, research can create new possibilities, and support can provide hope when it is needed most.
People Helping People
A blood cancer diagnosis can change everything in an instant. Patients and their families may suddenly find themselves navigating unfamiliar treatments, difficult decisions, and an uncertain future. Fortunately, they do not have to face that journey alone. During Blood Cancer Awareness Month, communities like Blood Cancer United[2] come together to raise funds, share stories, and spread awareness, while giving people opportunities to support patients and advance the fight against blood cancer. Whether through volunteering, participating in an awareness event, supporting a patient, or donating to cancer research, everyone can make a difference.
At OriGen Biomedical, we are proud to support these efforts and contribute to a community working toward better outcomes for patients and their families. This year, OriGen employees are serving on the Blood Cancer United’s 2026 Austin Light the Night Leadership Committee, helping plan the event, secure sponsorships, increase community participation, and raise critical funds that support Blood Cancer United’s mission. Their involvement reflects our commitment not only to raising awareness, but also to supporting the people, organizations, and research advancing blood cancer care.
The Impact of Blood Cancer
Blood cancer continues to affect hundreds of thousands of people in the United States each year, making it an important area of cancer research and treatment. While these numbers demonstrate the significant impact of blood cancer, they also tell another story, one of progress.
Over the past several decades, advances in diagnosis, treatment, supportive care, and clinical research have helped improve outcomes for many patients. New therapies are providing options for people who previously had limited treatment choices, while ongoing research continues to explore ways to make treatments more effective.
Treatment options have also expanded significantly. In addition to traditional approaches such as chemotherapy and radiation, patients may now have access to targeted therapies, immunotherapies, stem cell transplantation, and other advanced treatments. These therapies have provided new options for patients and contributed to improved survival and quality of life for many people living with blood cancer.[3]
However, challenges remain. Some blood cancers can be difficult to treat, and some patients may experience relapse or develop disease that no longer responds to standard therapies. For these patients, access to new and innovative treatment approaches can be especially important.
One of the most significant advances in this area has been the development of cellular therapies. By using living cells as part of the treatment itself, these innovative approaches are opening a new frontier in cancer care. Among them, CAR T-cell therapy has emerged as a groundbreaking treatment for certain blood cancers, offering new hope to patients with limited options for conventional therapies. [4]
Innovations in Blood Cancer Treatment: CAR T-Cell Therapy
CAR T-cell therapy represents a groundbreaking approach to treating certain types of blood cancer. Rather than relying solely on traditional medicines to attack cancer cells, CAR T-cell therapy uses a patient’s own immune cells and modifies them to better recognize and fight cancer. The process begins by collecting T cells from the patient’s blood. These cells are then genetically modified in a laboratory to express specialized receptors called chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs. These receptors are designed to recognize specific proteins found on cancer cells. Once the modified T cells have been expanded to produce the necessary therapeutic dose, they are infused back into the patient. The engineered cells can then recognize their specific target and initiate an immune response against cancer cells.[5]
OriGen Biomedical is proud to offer various products for cell culture and cryopreservation that can be used throughout the cell and gene therapy workflow. PermaLife® Cell Culture Bags are intended for use in protecting, storing, and freezing cells and tissues, and for cell culture. In addition, OriGen supplies CryoPur® Solutions, DMSO cryopreservation solutions, and accessories for fluid transfer for use during the cryopreservation process.
Join Us in the Fight Against Blood Cancer
Blood Cancer Awareness Month is a time to reflect on how far we have come and to look toward the possibilities ahead. Research has transformed the treatment landscape for many blood cancers. New therapies give patients additional options, while advances in cellular medicine are opening doors to approaches once considered impossible.
This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we honor the patients and survivors whose courage inspires us, the caregivers and healthcare professionals who stand beside them, and the researchers and innovators working to create better treatment options. Much work remains, but every discovery, every clinical trial, and every advancement brings us another step forward. Together, we can raise awareness, support research, advance innovation, and bring hope to everyone affected by blood cancer.
