Welcome to Blood Cancer United

Things look a little different around here. 

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has a new name: Blood Cancer United. 

You may be asking a question we’ve gotten a lot lately: why? 

There’s a simple answer: we want anyone affected by any blood cancer to know we’re here to help. 

As LLS, our name featured only two of the more than 100 recognized types of blood cancer. We heard directly from people who did not know we could help them—particularly the 20 percent of blood cancer patients who are diagnosed with something other than leukemia or lymphoma. 

That had to change. So, we got to work. 

Earlier this year, we announced our bold goal to enable blood cancer patients to receive 1 million more years of life by 2040. A new name is part of a strategic plan to meet that goal—by being inclusive of every blood cancer, it helps us reach as many people as possible. Regardless of who they are, what type of blood cancer they have, or whether they’ve heard of us before. If we can reach more people, we can help more people. 

“I'm excited about this change,” says Bryon Daily, senior manager of community outreach. “As a myeloma survivor, I feel seen. Blood Cancer United is a place where all blood cancer patients can find support.” 

At the same time, we couldn’t change who we are. We have a legacy to uphold. It had to be an extension of the work we’ve done (and continue to do) for blood cancer patients for the last 75+ years—helping us reach and help as many people as possible through research, support, and advocacy. 

There were extensive conversations with people throughout our community—patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, donors, fundraisers, and volunteers to name a few. (If you were a part of that, thank you.) There were meetings (lots of meetings) and emails (lots of emails)—and after years of work, we got to where we are now. 

A new name and a new look that welcomes all. And it’s easy to spell. 

“The word ‘united’ is transformational and inviting,” said E. Anders Kolb, M.D., President and CEO of Blood Cancer United. “I believe in the power of bringing together patients, families, scientists, volunteers, donors, business leaders, and health systems under a shared purpose. Blood Cancer United reflects who we are today and who we aspire to be—a unifying force advancing progress for every person impacted by blood cancer.”

What is changing? 

Put simply, the big changes revolve around how we present ourselves. 

Our name. Our logo. The way we look. Both online and in person. 

Hearing that patients did not know about us—and, therefore, did not know we could help them—affected us deeply. And as we set out to find a way to change that, a few things were especially important: 

1. Our name had to represent every blood cancer
2. Our name had to be inviting, an entry point for people to join our community that reinforces what really makes a difference in our mission: unity 

We wanted to support this with a new look and feel. One that helps us stand out and better reflect who we are: an organization that is compassionate, driven, and supportive. 

We want people to see Blood Cancer United and immediately know that they’re welcome here. That any support you may receive from us—through education, information, resources, and more—is support you can trust.

These changes help us achieve that. And they'll play a major role in furthering our mission to cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of all patients and their families.

What is staying the same? 

Remember when we talked about not changing who we are? 

Our history is built on doing everything we can for people affected by blood cancer. Because no matter what, they deserve our best. 

Our passion, our programs, our mission—that’s all staying the same. 

We continue to advocate for policies that enable patients to access care. And we connect patients with our support services when they need it—whether that’s free resources, connection to financial assistance, a host of support groups, or anything else. 

These are available to anyone affected by blood cancer, including patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. And that remains the case. 

We continue our commitment to blood cancer research that extends patients’ lives. We’ve invested more than $2 billion since 1949 and have seen that lead to breakthroughs in how blood cancers are treated. 

We continue to make sure that whatever has drawn you to us stays the same, even if it might look a little different. From community events like Light The Night and Big Climb to celebration initiatives like Visionaries of the Year, and including any of our programs designed to help patients and their families navigate life with blood cancer. 

Having a community that includes people like you is how we’ve gotten to this point. For that, we’re grateful. 

But if this is your first time learning about us? 

Welcome.

Get involved! 

We have “United” in our name for a reason: all of us have a role to play in reaching our bold goal. 

However you choose to do it, that includes you. 

If you’re a patient, survivor, or caregiver: 

• Head to our resources page! You’ll find plenty of information that is designed to help at any stage of a blood cancer diagnosis.
• Connect with one of our blood cancer Information Specialists—highly trained oncology nurses and social workers who can help you with the challenges a diagnosis brings.
• Visit Blood Cancer United Community, an online gathering place for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to share experiences and provide support.
• Receive peer-to-peer support via our Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection® Program, which connects blood cancer patients and their family members to volunteers with similar experiences—based on factors like age, diagnosis, and more.
• Find disease information, education support groups, booklets, nutrition consultations, and our podcast, The Bloodline with Blood Cancer United. Or you can download our health manager app, which lets you keep track of everything from side effects and medication to your grocery list. 

If you’re a researcher or a healthcare professional, maybe you’re interested in learning how we can work together. And there are a number of ways that we can make that happen. 

• A collection of research programs in our Research Grant portfolio—if you’d like to see some of the research projects we fund, you can do that right here.
• Information on our Therapy Acceleration Program, our Mission-driven, strategic venture philanthropy initiative that seeks to accelerate the development of innovative blood cancer therapeutics and change the standard of care.
• Our Clinical Trial Support Center (CTSC) Nurse Navigators, who are experts at helping healthcare professionals and patients find questions and answers about clinical trials.
• A host of Continuing Education and Continuing Medical Education programs, along with our podcast for HCPs, Treating Blood Cancers. 

And if you’re an HCP with a patient who could use support, head here to access our patient referral forms, in both English and Spanish! 

Or maybe you know someone affected by blood cancer. A friend, a family member, someone at work. 

Maybe you know someone who has dedicated their lives to achieving a world without blood cancer and want to help them get to that point a little sooner. 

If that sounds like you, a moment or two of your time goes a long way. Donating. Signing up for our email list. Grabbing apparel from our store. Keeping tabs on our blog. Following us on social media—we’re on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Threads. 

But if you want to take things a step further, we’d love for you to join us. 

• Fundraising: Maybe you’ve heard of some of our major fundraising initiatives, like Light The Night, Big Climb, Visionaries of the Year, or Student Visionaries of the Year. Or maybe you’re interested in Team In Training, which gives you an opportunity to participate in activities like marathons, triathlons, or cycling while raising money for blood cancer.
• Volunteering: The people who give their time and energy to the blood cancer community are critical in helping us achieve our bold goal. There are different ways to get involved, and if you’re interested, we’d encourage you to join our network of volunteers.
• Advocating: From making treatment more affordable for patients to improving public health to ensure patients’ safety, our advocates are in statehouses across the country and in Washington, D.C. to make sure policymakers are putting the needs of patients and their families first. It’s important work, and if you’re interested, here’s how you can get involved. 

No matter who you are or how you decide to join us, we appreciate your desire to help us reach our bold goal. 

And we can't wait to head into the future with you by our side. 

Because together, we are Blood Cancer United.

FAQs 

Is the mission changing? 

No. We are not changing our mission—just our name and look. As we evolve from being known as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to Blood Cancer United, our mission will continue to be to cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of all blood cancer patients and their families. 

How does the new brand support the bold goal? 

In 2024, we committed to a bold goal: to enable patients with blood cancer to gain more than one million years of life by 2040. Based on extensive research, we believe the new brand will strengthen our ability to meet our bold goal by galvanizing communities across the U.S.—more patients and their families, and broader groups of fundraisers, donors, researchers, healthcare providers, volunteers, and partners. Stronger communities mean more people recognize us. Greater recognition means greater impact. 

Does the change impact the way research gets funded? 

It does not. We will continue to focus our research funding on accelerating cures and treatments and investing in breakthrough capabilities that help all blood cancer patients live longer, better lives. And, thanks to the support of so many people like you, we are proud to be the largest nonprofit funder of blood cancer research, as well as a leading source of blood cancer information, education, and support. 

What research was conducted on this new name and look? 

This has been a multi-year research and creative process, and has included more than 7,000 patients, volunteers, donors, and staff. We are confident based on both qualitative and quantitative research that Blood Cancer United will help us show up consistently and distinctively; will increase patient, donor, and fundraiser consideration; and will more accurately reflect what we already know: we are and will continue to be the global leader in blood cancer. 

How will people know about the organization? 

Based on our research, the new branding will help us gain recognition, not lose it. Since 1949, this organization has had four unique names—and beginning in September, five. Each new name has expanded our reach—and Blood Cancer United is the next evolution to engage more patients, increase philanthropy, maximize our blood cancer research funding, and build awareness of blood cancer (INCLUDING leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative neoplasms). 

Will my donation still be tax deductible? 

Yes, the organization—even after LLS has become Blood Cancer United—will continue to be a 501(c)(3) organization with all monetary donations being tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by tax laws.