If you or someone you care about gets diagnosed with blood cancer, your world can turn into a flurry of unfamiliar tests.

To help put the hearts and minds of patients and their loved ones at ease, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society created a Lab and Imaging Test Video series to explain how different blood tests, imaging tests, lab tests, biopsies, and personalized medicine approaches work.

Through simple and gentle storytelling, each of the videos in the series address the three big questions patients often have: What is the test? Why did the doctor order it? And what can be expected? What’s more, it delivers a message of hope, a reminder that LLS will never let you face cancer alone.

Overview video script

If you or someone you love receives a blood cancer diagnosis, you start looking to the doctors, nurses, and researchers who can save the day.

But what about the unsung heroes, the ones who shine a light into the darkest corners where cancer hides?

Yes, we’re talking about…THE EXTRAORDINARY LEAGUE OF BLOOD CANCER TESTS!

Now these tests may seem strange to you.

You may be skeptical.

When you encounter one for the first time, you may ask, “What’s its purpose? What does it reveal? What can I expect to happen?”

These are crucial questions and the better they’re answered, the more empowered you’ll be to take cancer head on.

So, what special powers do these tests have?

Some have the transformative ability to turn a few drops of blood into a magnificent window into the inner workings of the human body.

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Other tests can use bone marrow to zero in on whether cancer or another disease is affecting blood cell production.

When doctors need more than just blood or bone marrow to diagnose disease or assess your progress, they call in the Surgical Special Forces tests to remove the cells they need.

Still other tests are uniquely built to go small, down to the molecular level. They let doctors know if the traits your parents and ancestors passed down to you will affect how you respond to treatement.

Sometimes your doctor will need a look at the big picture, so they’ll call up a test from the elite imaging squad. These tests use things like x-ray machines, ultrasound devices, and other high-tech scanning equipment to see things invisible to mere humans like us.

Still, it’s one thing to know what these are for; it’s another thing to know how they operate.

You may wonder: How will I get ready for a particular test? What kind of instruments will be used? What will it feel like? How long will it take? What can I expect in the hours or days after it’s done? What will it tell my doctor?

You’ve got so many questions!

But don’t worry!

To help you understand the different types of tests you might encounter, LLS has created a series of videos that get the real backstory on members of the The Extraordinary League of Blood Cancer Tests.

You’ll learn the role each test plays, what you can expect, and how each test fits into your treatment.

So be not afraid!

Though we live in a world where blood cancer wants to keep you and your doctors in the dark, The Extraordinary League of Blood Cancer Tests will always be there to bravely light the way.

The Team

Script, concept, creative direction and account management: Cliff McCloe

Art direction and animation: Kristen-Lehua Barcheski and Tori Sleeper

Produced by Splainers for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society