Exhibition highlights blood cancer symptoms

A new art exhibition to raise awareness of rare blood cancers is coming to Bristol.

It uses sculptures to represent common symptoms with names like 'Feverish Flora' and 'Weight Loss Wendy'.

Its drawing attention to blood cancers called myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

According to Blood Cancer UK, there are around 4,180 cases of MPN in the UK each year.

The exhibition will be on display outside the oncology clinic GenesisCare at Aztec West from 4 May until mid-June.

Christine Hamilton, 63, from Bristol, has MPN and is a patient there. She said she was "thrilled" that it was coming to her hometown.

"Living with MPN is a lifelong challenge," she said.

"Knowledge is power and I really hope the art installation encourages people to take notice of any symptoms or bodily changes, no matter how small and to get it checked out early."

MPNs are a type of blood cancer where your body produces too many of a particular type of blood cell.

The three main types are myelofibrosis (MF), essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and polycythaemia (PV).

The charity MPN Voice is one of the organisations behind the campaign.

A spokesperson, Alisia O'Sullivan, said: "More needs to be done to recognise and identify these symptoms early so that people living with the condition can seek help from medical professionals."

Five artists from across the UK were commissioned to create the ten sculptures. Bristol aerosol artist Spike Clark was one them, making 'Full Up Fred' and 'Night Sweats Nick'

He said: "I’d never heard of MPNs, which is exactly why it is so important we raise awareness of them.”

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