World Blood Cancer Day 2025 - Standing Together Against Blood Cancer

Every year on 28th May, we recognise World Blood Cancer Day.  This is a global day of awareness and solidarity with those affected by blood cancers, such as leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. This is a day to educate, remember, and most importantly, act.

Blood cancer doesn’t discriminate. It can affect anyone, at any age, anywhere in the world. Yet many people still don’t realise how prevalent it is, or how they might be able to help save a life with something as simple as a cheek swab.

Why World Blood Cancer Day Matters

Blood cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. According to recent statistics, someone is diagnosed with a form of blood cancer every 27 seconds. That’s more than a million people every year!

What makes blood cancer especially challenging is that it often progresses quickly and requires complex treatments such as, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or even a stem cell transplant. For many patients, a donor match is the only chance for survival but finding that match can be incredibly difficult.

You Could Be Someone’s Lifesaver

That’s what makes World Blood Cancer Day so powerful. It is not just about raising awareness, it’s about mobilising people to register as potential stem cell or bone marrow donors. It’s about spreading the message that you could be the one person in the world with a genetic match to save someone’s life.

Registering as a donor is safe, simple, and non-invasive. And for the recipient, it can mean the difference between life and death!

A Day of Hope, Action, and Connection

This year’s theme is centred on unity. On 28th May, people across the globe wear or share the red ampersand (&). A symbol of solidarity that stands for “& you”. This is to remind us that it takes all of us - you, me, and every person reading this, to make a difference.

You don’t need to be a doctor or a scientist to fight blood cancer. You just need to be willing to act.  Whether that means joining a donor registry, supporting blood cancer charities, sharing a survivor’s story, or educating your community.

What You Can Do Today

• Join a stem cell donor registry (NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry)

• Donate blood or platelets

• Fundraise or donate to support research and patient care

• Wear red or post the red “&” to show your support on social media

• Learn the signs and symptoms of blood cancer and encourage others to do the same

Together, We Can Beat Blood Cancer

World Blood Cancer Day is not just a date on the calendar. It’s a global reminder of how interconnected we are and how a single act of kindness can ripple out and change a life forever.

So on 28th May, wear red, speak up, and take action, because no one should face blood cancer alone.