The Portuguese Association Against Leukemia (APCL) has launched an awareness campaign about lymphoma, on the occasion of World Lymphoma Day, which falls on September 15.

The initiative, titled “Blowing Bubbles for Lymphoma,” aims to alert the population to the symptoms of this disease, which is the seventh most common type of cancer in Portugal.

The campaign is supported by public figures such as Tui, Madalena Abecassis and Joana Cruz, who are challenging Portuguese people to make bubbles and share these moments on social media using the hashtag #bolasdesabaopelolinfoma. The concept of soap bubbles is meant to symbolize one of the main symptoms of lymphoma: the growth of spherical lymph nodes.

According to Maria Gomes da Silva, professor of hematology at the University of Nova de Lisboa and director of the Clinical Hematology Service at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Lisbon, “It is important to know that the increase in lymph nodes in the neck, supraclavicular area, armpits or groin, is one of the main signs of this disease.

Data from the 2020 Global Cancer Observatory reveal that around 2,300 new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma occur annually in Portugal. This is the most common type of lymphoma, a malignant tumor that affects lymphocytes, the cells of the immune system responsible for defending against infection.

Manuel Abecassis, President of APCL, highlights the importance of health literacy, noting that “initiatives like this are very important, as they help increase literacy, and therefore improve health outcomes.”

The campaign, developed in partnership with Roche, aims not only to increase knowledge about the disease but also to support those affected by lymphoma.

Public Relations/HN