Blood cancer - symptoms, signs, stages, diagnosis and treatment. Why does blood cancer happen?

Blood cancer has several other names - leukemia, leukemia. It can be seen from them that this disease is characterized by the presence in the blood of a large number of white blood cells. These cells destroy the bone marrow, thereby preventing the normal process of hematopoiesis, and can penetrate the liver and spleen. The greatest danger in leukemia is the fact that cancer cells are not localized in any one place, as is the case in most cases of cancer, but spread throughout the body, affecting organ after organ. Doctors distinguish between two forms of the disease: acute and chronic leukemia.

The reasons

So far, no one has been able to identify the causes of blood cancer. Cases of repeated occurrence of this disease within the same family have been noted, which makes it possible to assume the existence of some kind of gene defect that makes a person vulnerable to leukemia. Possible risk factors include various forms of exposure, such as radioactive or x-rays. Also, some toxic substances (benzene) or specific viruses are considered as the culprits. But science also knows cases when the disease affects a person for no apparent reason, so scientists still have quite a long and painstaking work to finally find out what exactly contributes to the appearance of leukemia in people.

Symptoms

The symptoms of blood cancer are not very specific, which makes it possible to suspect this particular disease. The patient feels tired and overwhelmed, looks pale, his temperature rises. All these signs can be easily attributed to any other disease, for example, a banal acute respiratory disease. Leukemia is suspected if the patient has unexplained bleeding from the nose and gums, and even the slightest touch of the skin causes bruising and blue spots on the skin. Loss of appetite, unreasonable weight loss and profuse sweating in a dream can also indicate blood cancer. The final diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a study of blood and bone marrow tissues.

But even if the disease is confirmed, there is no reason to panic. Still leukemia. In 60-80% of cases, it is possible to clear the blood of malignant cells. However, blood cancer is also famous for its relapses. In 80% of cured patients, the disease can return in the first 2 years after recovery, which is why it is so important to carefully monitor your health and not miss the very first symptoms of this formidable disease.

Blood cancer is a serious disease that can occur in men, women, and even children. However, today blood cancer cannot be considered a verdict. Treatment of the disease in adults can often be successful. But this circumstance largely depends on how early the correct diagnosis is made, and how early the therapy process begins. This circumstance largely depends on the patient, because only he is able to listen to his body and suspect something is wrong. That is why it is important to know the early symptoms of blood cancer well.

Description of the disease

Blood cancer is the common name for a group of diseases that doctors usually refer to as hemoblastoses. They may have slightly different symptoms, and each type of disease may have its own differences. However, they have one thing in common - the mechanism of their occurrence. It is associated with a violation of hematopoiesis - the process of creating new blood cells - red blood cells (erythrocytes), or white blood cells (leukocytes and lymphocytes). The process of hematopoiesis is very complex, and in the course of it, the embryos of blood cells (stem cells) undergo many transformations. At some point, due to a mutation in the DNA of stem cells, this process may be disrupted, and as a result, instead of normal cells (leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets), cells will appear that are not able to perform their functions, but can only divide indefinitely.

As a result, the blood can no longer fully perform its main functions - providing tissues with oxygen and protecting the body from infections. Signs of such a process are a weakening of health, an increase in various infectious diseases, and the occurrence of anemia. But more than that, defective blood cells can attack healthy tissues, primarily bone tissue, and also release toxic substances. Accumulations of defective cells can be observed throughout the body. This may be evidenced by such signs as severe pain and intoxication of the body. The work of the main organs is disrupted - the heart, brain, liver and kidneys.

Doctors distinguish between two types of leukemia - acute and chronic. The main difference between these types is the rate of development of the symptoms of the disease. Acute leukemias develop over weeks or months, while chronic leukemias can progress over years. In this case, the patient may not observe any visible signs of the disease. Chronic and acute leukemias differ in their etiology and cannot pass into each other.

Also, in some cases, the pathological process develops mainly in the bone marrow, and in other cases in the lymph nodes. The last type of disease is called lymphoma. Lymphomas are regional diseases, in contrast to leukemias, which are systemic in nature.

Acute leukemias are divided into:

  • monoblastic,
  • lymphoblastic,
  • myelomonoblastic,
  • erythromyeloblast,
  • myeloid,
  • undifferentiated,
  • megakaryoblastic.

In the case of chronic leukemia, the following classification is adopted:

  • myeloma,
  • basophilic leukemia,
  • myelocytic leukemia,
  • eosinophilic leukemia,
  • myelomonocytic leukemia,
  • neutrophilic leukemia,
  • myeloid leukemia,
  • sesari disease,
  • essential thrombocytopenia,
  • monocytic leukemia,
  • erythremia,
  • lymphocytic leukemia,
  • histiocytosis X,
  • franklin heavy chain disease,
  • Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.

The most common disease from the group of chronic leukemias is lymphocytic leukemia, which is most often observed in older adults.

The reasons

As in the case of many other cancers, it is still not known exactly which factor is the determining factor for the occurrence of blood cancer. However, scientists suggest that the following circumstances have a negative impact:

  • heredity (up to 40% of cases of leukemia are due to hereditary causes);
  • some viral diseases;
  • poor environmental conditions;
  • bad habits;
  • radiation exposure of the body, for example, in the treatment of other types of cancer;
  • ultraviolet irradiation in solariums;
  • exposure to toxic substances, primarily benzene;
  • immunodeficiency states;
  • uncontrolled use of medicines (according to some reports, cephalosporin and penicillin antibiotics can provoke blood cancer).

Acute forms of leukemia are more common in children, while chronic forms are more common in adults. However, most of the patients with hemoblastoses (60%) are adults. In men and women, the disease is observed with approximately the same frequency. However, there are varieties of leukemia that mainly affect women, such as multiple myeloma. In old age, as a rule, cancer is more severe, and the chances of being cured of it are less.

Blood cancer, symptoms in women and men

How to recognize such a disease as blood cancer in time? Symptoms in women and men in most cases are the same. That is, the signs of the disease do not depend much on the gender of the patient.

A variety of the disease can leave its mark on what exactly the patient feels, suffering from such an ailment as blood cancer. Symptoms for different types of leukemia may vary. However, there are common features that are common to all variants of the disease.

Common symptoms for all types of blood cancer include:

  • prostration;
  • daytime sleepiness and/or insomnia;
  • tachycardia;
  • frequent infectious diseases that are difficult to treat;
  • chronic (within several weeks) fever to a subfebrile level;
  • excessive sweating, especially at night;
  • poor wound healing;
  • frequent bleeding (from the nose and gums);
  • pallor and dryness of the skin;
  • loss of appetite and weight;
  • purulent inflammation and hemorrhagic rashes on the skin;
  • deterioration of memory and attention;
  • aversion to smells;
  • change in taste sensations.

If a person has some of the symptoms from the list, then he should not wait for the development of a potential disease, but should consult a doctor for advice. Of course, many of these signs may be evidence of less dangerous ailments, for example, somatoform autonomic dysfunction of the nervous system (or vegetative-vascular dystonia, as it is commonly called in everyday life). However, you should not diagnose yourself. After all, a simple blood test can tell a lot about a specialist.

As already mentioned, if the body is struck by blood cancer, the symptoms in women and men are generally the same. However, the representatives of the fair sex can also experience phenomena that are characteristic only for them. With the development of a disease such as blood cancer, symptoms in women include unusual phenomena associated with the menstrual cycle and female genital organs:

  • heavy and frequent uterine bleeding,
  • too long periods
  • severe pain at the beginning of the menstrual cycle.

In some variants of blood cancer, such a sign appears as an increase in lymph nodes, primarily axillary and cervical. Normally, no lymph nodes should be palpable in a person, with the exception of the submandibular and inguinal (and even those are usually palpable with difficulty).
In the early stages, cancer usually develops unnoticed. Therefore, patients, as a rule, take the signs of the disease for the usual malaise, cold, overwork.

As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more noticeable. There are severe pains that are not removed with the help of traditional painkillers. In some varieties of the disease, they can be felt in the bones, and sometimes in the stomach. Bones become brittle and deformed, joints become inflamed, convulsions appear, problems with the kidneys, liver and spleen, heart failure, depression, insomnia occur. The skin acquires a blue tint, especially in the area of ​​​​the lips and nails, dark circles appear under the eyes.

Diagnostics

If there are suspicious signs, then the person needs to be examined. If blood diseases are suspected, the examination is carried out by a hematologist. If a malignant blood disease is detected, then further treatment is carried out by an oncologist or oncohematologist.

First, the doctor examines the patient, writes down the entire set of symptoms from his words. But in order to determine whether a patient really develops cancer, and if so, what kind of disease it is, these actions are not enough - it is necessary to carry out various diagnostic procedures. The simplest of them, but by no means the least informative, is a complete blood count. The ratio of different types of blood cells and their number can immediately tell the doctor if the patient has any pathology in the hematopoietic system. Normally, less than 10% of immature blood cells are observed in a person's blood. If their number exceeds this indicator, then this is a reason to sound the alarm.

Symptoms of leukemia may also include low levels of platelets and hemoglobin. However, the final diagnosis is still made using another diagnostic method - histological analysis. Material for analysis is taken using a bone marrow biopsy, usually in the pelvic bone. To determine the type of disease, methods such as immunophenotyping and cytogenetic research are used.

Diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound, MRI, radiography and CT are also used. With their help, metastases in other organs, the degree of damage to internal organs and lymph glands can be detected.

Treatment

Treatment of leukemias and lymphomas is a complex and lengthy process that can take many years. At the same time, one must be prepared for the fact that with many varieties of the disease and in the last stages of the disease, a complete cure is impossible, only the patient's life can be extended for a sufficiently long time.

From time to time, during the course of the disease, improvements (remissions) may occur, the cancer may recede. However, this circumstance is not a reason to stop therapy, because the remission may end suddenly and the disease will return with renewed vigor.

Leukemias are treated mainly with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Treatment with drugs - cytostatics can slow down the reproduction of pathological cells, prevent the formation of metastases.

The number of chemotherapy courses depends on the type of disease and its stage. Usually the first course of chemotherapy is the most intensive. It can take from 2 to 6 months. If after the first course improvement is noticeable, then maintenance courses of chemotherapy of shorter duration are carried out. Chemotherapy courses are always carried out in a hospital, as they involve intravenous administration of drugs. In addition, taking cytotoxic drugs can be accompanied by unpleasant side effects - nausea, vomiting, hair loss.

For pain, painkillers are taken, including the narcotic type, for inflammatory processes - glucocorticosteroids. To reduce the risk of bleeding, drugs that improve blood clotting are prescribed. Blood transfusions may also be used.

If chemotherapy fails, a bone marrow transplant is performed. In this case, donor bone marrow, which produces healthy blood cells, is transplanted in place of the patient's bone marrow. However, a bone marrow transplant is an expensive procedure and may not always guarantee success.

Treatment also includes interventions to change the patient's lifestyle. Tobacco products and alcohol are prohibited. Also, patients with leukemia are prescribed a special diet. It should contain a minimum of animal proteins and fats, a maximum of vitamins, natural antioxidants and vegetable fiber. Since the patient's immune system is weakened, it is necessary to carefully monitor so as not to inadvertently catch a cold. Therefore, it is necessary to dress warmly when going out. On the other hand, it is absolutely impossible to refuse walks - they are useful because they saturate the blood with oxygen and mitigate the negative effects of anemia on the body.

Prevention

Since the exact reasons for which cancer occurs are not known exactly, it is difficult to protect yourself from this disease with one hundred percent probability. Nevertheless, it is recommended to carefully monitor your health, strengthen your immune system, avoid overwork, exercise regularly, give up bad habits (smoking and drinking alcohol), avoid radiation exposure and contact with carcinogens. Particular attention should be paid to unpleasant symptoms for those people whose blood relatives suffered from leukemia. This category of citizens is recommended to undergo regular examinations and take blood tests.

Blood cancer is a rare oncological disease that occurs in most cases in childhood or old age. It initially affects the hematopoietic system, namely the bone marrow, which begins to produce mutated cancer cells instead of healthy blood cells.

The bone marrow contains blood stem cells that develop into: white blood cells - leukocytes that provide protection against viruses, infections and bacteria, red bodies - erythrocytes that deliver oxygen to tissues, and platelets that are responsible for blood clotting.

The entry into the circulatory system of affected atypical cells, which are functionally passive and less differentiated, leads to the inhibition of healthy mature platelets, leukocytes and erythrocytes. This process is blood cancer.

Blood cancer is a unifying concept for many types of malignant lesions of the hematopoietic organs. According to this, it has many names that represent a common essence, but with some differences:

  • Leukemia is the process of formation of affected immature leukocytes, which multiply in the bone marrow with subsequent entry into the circulatory system. This name is a more correct medical term among such similar concepts as blood cancer, leukemia, aleukemia and leukemia;
  • Leukemia is a synonym for leukemia used in the last century. The disease is so named for the type of affected blood cells - leukocytes;
  • Hematosarcoma determines the process of formation and growth of a malignant tumor outside the bone marrow - right in the peripheral circulatory system;
  • Leukemia is the literal translation of the term leukemia. The name comes from the concomitant increase in the number of normal and atypical white blood cells, which changes the color of the blood when viewed under a microscope;
  • Lymphadenosis is hyperplasia of peripheral lymphoid tissue seen in leukemias;
  • aleukemia is an analogue of leukemia;
  • Hemoblastosis is a unifying concept for leukemia and hematosarcoma. The term got its name because of the defeat of the most immature blood cells (blasts), regardless of their type and the formation of the lesion.

Thus, it would be more appropriate to call blood cancer hemoblastosis, which includes a combination of oncological processes in the hematopoietic system.

Classifications

Blood cancer is classified according to the characteristics of the course, the degree of maturation (differentiation) of cancer cells, cytogenesis (method of reproduction), the immune phenotype of damaged cells, the number of leukocytes and blast cells. As they mature (differentiate), leukemias are:

  • undifferentiated;
  • blastic;
  • citation.

The first two types are similar to stem and blast cells of the initial four levels of development. They tend to have an acute course of the disease. In cytic leukemia, the damaged cells resemble procytic and cytic progenitor cells, and are less malignant or chronic.

Thus, according to the nature of the course of oncology, acute and chronic forms are distinguished, which do not flow into each other, manifesting themselves as independent diseases.

Acute leukemia

Acute leukemia (AL) is characterized by the development of cells that, when mutated, have lost the ability to mature (grow up): undifferentiated and blast. It is characterized by the predominance of blasts (up to 80%) in the blood, the destruction of intermediate cells (leukemic failure), the manifestation of aneosinophilia, abasophilia, and a high rate of anemia.

The uncontrolled growth of immature cells has two periods:

  • elementary proceeds without a pronounced symptom complex;
  • extended stage comes on abruptly and is characterized by profuse manifestations (bone pain, fever, weakness and dizziness);
  • acute form without timely emergency hospitalization, it ends fatally within a few weeks.

OL according to cellular genesis is divided into several types:

    Lymphoblastic leukemia It is formed from damaged lymphoblasts belonging to the T-system of lymphopoiesis (the formation of lymphocytes) and having glycogen around the nucleus. Atypical lymphoblasts do not contain lipids and quickly spread to the lymph nodes (LN) and spleen, increasing them.

    But the most extensive infiltration occurs in the bone marrow tissue. According to cytogenesis, lymphoblastic leukemia is divided into T- and B-cell forms, with an 80% predominance of the latter.

    The disease affects mainly children under the age of six (80%), but it is characterized by loyalty to therapy: a long-term (up to 10 years) remission occurs with a 90% probability;

    myeloid leukemia infiltrates the bone marrow tissue with the spleen and liver, as well as the kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract and mucous membranes with mutated myeloblast cells, which are characterized by the presence of glycogen and sudanophilic inclusions, as well as lipids.

    Often there is the development of "leukemic pneumonitis" (30%) and "leukemic meningitis" (25%) as a result of damage to the lungs and brain, respectively. This form is characterized by ulcerative and necrotic formations on the mucous membranes (in the oral cavity, pharynx, on the tonsils);

  • Monoblast and myelomonoblastic leukemia- these are myeloid forms that lead to uncontrolled proliferation of monoblasts, myeloblasts or promonocytes against the background of eosinophilia of bone marrow tissues. These species also appear as necrotic lesions and ulcers on the surfaces of internal organs;
  • Erythromyeloblastic leukemia- a rare form of OL (1.5%), which develops from erythroblasts (or other erythropoiesis cells with nuclei) together with monoblasts, myeloblasts. This process provokes anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukocytopenia, as well as an increase in the liver with the spleen;
  • Megakaryoblastic leukemia is also a myeloid form. It is characterized by the simultaneous development of undifferentiated blasts and such blast leukocytes as megakaryoblasts, megakaryocytes and aggregates of platelets, the number of which reaches 1500 * 10 9 /l;
  • undifferentiated leukemia consists of homogeneous undifferentiated hematopoietic cells that progress in the bone marrow tissues, LU, spleen, lymphoid formations, on the walls of blood vessels, mucous membranes, myocardium, kidneys, brain and its membrane.

    The defeat of the oral mucosa leads to necrotizing gingivitis and tonsillitis (necrotic sore throat), which may be accompanied by a secondary infection that causes sepsis. Leukemic cells tend to destroy the walls of blood vessels, cause anemia, and also disrupt platelet formation.

OL is diagnosed according to the data of sternal punctate: when determining 10-20% of blasts in the bone marrow.

chronic leukemia

Chronic leukemia is characterized by the replacement of hematopoietic cells with mutated both immature and fully mature (cytic) forms, which contributes to the development of various cytopenias with further metastasis to tissues.

In chronic leukemia, even immature cells affected do not lose their ability to develop, reaching the peak of maturation. The main properties of genesis are:

  • low percentage of blasts (up to 30);
  • presence myelocytes and promyelocytes;
  • simultaneous finding eosinophilia and basophilia;
  • low speed development of anemia.

The disease has two stages of development:

  • first(monoclonic) is characterized by the presence of a single clone of cancer cells and a benign long-term course;
  • second(polyclonal) is characterized by rapid malignant development and the appearance of secondary clones.

The main subtypes of chronic leukemia are myelocytic, lymphocytic and monocytic forms.

Myelocytic

Chronic myelocytic leukemia (myeloproliferative disease or myelosclerosis) manifests itself as hyperplasia of the bone marrow against the background of the growth of granulocytes, consisting of fully differentiated (mature) cells. This form includes the following subspecies:

    Chronic myelocytic leukemia is a common disease (15% of all leukemias), the cytogenetic marker of which is the Philadelphia chromosome. The substrate of the tumor is the formation of granulocytes, formed from neutrophils (mainly), myelocytes, promyelocytes and metamyelocytes.

    The disease is characterized by stages: chronic, intermediate and blast transformation, which leads to a blast crisis, disloyalty to treatment and death;

    Chronic neutrophilic leukemia characterized by an increase in the number of immature mutated neutrophils in the blood containing enzymes (located in granules) that can destroy foreign external elements. The disease is rare and mostly occurs in the elderly.

    The tumor is based on clones of a single stem cell with damaged chromosomes. The disease manifests itself in weakness, profuse sweating and heaviness in the hypochondrium, eventually increasing the spleen with the liver;

  • Chronic basophilic leukemia is a disease of the myelocytic series, which is characterized by an increase in the number of affected basophils in the blood. The symptom complex and course are similar to chronic neutrophilic leukemia;
  • Chronic eosinophilic leukemia progresses against the background of uncontrolled proliferation of eosinophil progenitor cells. This leads to eosinophilia in bone marrow and peripheral blood;
  • Erythremia (polycythemia vera) is a myeloproliferative disease characterized by benignity and transformation of all three types of blood cells: erythrocytes, platelets and neutrophilic leukocytes.

    The source of tumor development is the precursor cell of myelopoiesis. The disease tends to affect red, granulocytic and megakaryocytic hematopoietic sprouts, with an emphasis on red, which leads to excessive production of atypical red blood cells.

    Foci of such hematopoiesis are formed in the liver and spleen, blood oversaturates tissues and organs, which leads to hemorrhages, hyperplasia and thrombosis;

  • Essential thrombocythemia It consists in excessive intake of giant defective platelets into the blood, the functions of which are impaired, which is fraught with blockage of small vessels. As a result, thrombosis, strokes and heart attacks are possible. In the later stages, abnormal cells settle in the kidneys and liver, causing these organs to enlarge.

The set of myelocytic leukemias differs in the content of cells mutated from procytic and cytic precursors in the myeloid series. And the variety of forms arose as a result of the fact that granulocytic, megacarciocytic, eosinophilic, monocytic and basophilic sprouts have a single antecedent cell.

lymphocytic

Lymphocytic leukemia is relatively benign against the background of damage to immunocompetent tissues. It has two types:

    Chronic lymphocytic leukemia accompanied by Sezary's disease, which is lymphomatosis of the skin, T-cell lymphocytic leukemia, B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, and B-cell hairy leukemia, is often detected in men over forty.

    This species is 95% likely to be composed of early B cells similar to prolymphocytes and small lymphocytes. Their combination affects the bone marrow, LU, greatly increasing in size, and compresses nearby organs.

    At the same time, the spleen increases sharply and to a large extent, and the liver slightly less. The disease manifests itself as anemia (sometimes autoimmune), thrombocytopenia, lymphadenopathy and granulocytopenia against the background of bright immunosuppression and a tendency to infectious manifestations.

    This form has a high survival rate, but a blast crisis is also likely;

    Paraproteinemic lymphocytic leukemia represents a combination of 3 diseases: myeloma, primary Waldenström macroglobulinemia and Franklin heavy chains. This form of oncology has a different name - a malignant immunoproliferative disease due to the ability of atypical cells to synthesize homogeneous immunoglobulins and their fragments (paraproteins).

    The most common is multiple myeloma, which occurs mainly in people 40 years of age and older. It is named after the place of the main localization - myelon (bone marrow). The disease spreads to the flat bony tissues of the hips, spine, ribs, and skull, causing osteoporosis or osteolysis.

    Complications occur during the destruction of bone tissues and manifest themselves in the form of chronic fractures and pain in the bones, and due to the synthesis of paraproteins, amyloidosis, paraproteinosis of organs and paraproteinemic coma develop.

The lymphocytic form combines diseases characterized by the process of replacing the majority of white blood cells with mature atypical lymphocytes.

You can listen to a report on the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the following video:

monocytic

The monocytic form of chronic leukemia is characterized by monoclonal mitosis (growth) of tumor cells. It includes the following types:

    Chronic monocytic leukemia characterized by an increase in the number of the largest white bodies (monocytes) in the blood, which causes the growth of the spleen, pain in the bones and heart, fever, fatigue and sweating.

    This type is manifested by hemorrhages in the mucous membranes (gums, nose) and skin, as well as concomitant infection. Its distinguishing feature is a significant increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR);

  • Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia is a form in which many cells preceding granulocytes and monocytes are detected. It occurs against the background of weakening of stem cells, which leads to uncontrolled growth of daughter cells. She is characterized by the appearance of anemia, thrombocytopenia, as well as high sensitivity to various infections;
  • It is typical mainly for children, but it is also diagnosed in the adult population (often in men). Its feature is an increase in the number of mononuclear dendritic cells, which leads to damage to the skin, eyes, bones, lungs, and also the facial part of the skull.

Chronic monocytic leukemia combines cancer processes characterized by an excessive quantitative increase in monocytes in the bone marrow and peripheral circulatory system against the background of normal or low leukocytosis. This process is characterized by a long asymptomatic course, the only manifestation of which is anemia.

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Blood cancer (leukemia or hemoblastosis) is an oncological disease that is characterized by the appearance of neoplasms in the hematopoietic system, lymphatic system and bone marrow. It occurs in young children (up to five years old) and in the elderly 60-70 years old.

The reasons

Human bones are filled with tubular tissue, which takes part in the formation of blood cells. The body produces several types of blood cells. Particularly important cells are leukocytes (white blood cells). They protect the body from various infections.

After the bone marrow is damaged by cancer cells, the process of formation of a very large number of leukemic cells begins. However, they are immature leukocytes. As a result of the absence of normal white blood cells, anemia develops in a person. His body cannot resist bacteria and viruses. Then the cancer enters the lymph and affects many internal organs.

The exact cause of the disease is unknown. Experts identify factors that contribute to its development.

  • hereditary predisposition. By inheritance, the child is given the predisposition of blood cells to mutate under certain conditions. If the mother or father had blood cancer, the risk of developing the disease in a child increases by approximately 3-4 times.
  • Harmful radiation. A high risk of developing leukemia in people working in nuclear power plants, radiologists and radiologists. People living near radiation facilities or radioactive waste disposal sites are also at risk.
  • carcinogens. Carcinogenic substances include pesticides, certain drugs, drugs, alcohol, and nicotine.
  • Some viruses. There are viruses that can provoke a mutation of blood cells and cause the development of the disease.

Symptoms

The first symptoms of blood cancer are not specific, and rarely the patient goes to the doctor. But still they indicate the beginning of the development of the disease. Main features:

  • general weakness, dizziness;
  • headaches, bone pain;
  • periodic minor increases in body temperature that are not associated with infectious or colds;
  • aversion to certain foods and smells.

Later, the patient manifests increased irritability or unusual drowsiness, weight loss, pale or icteric skin color. In some types of illness, the above symptoms are accompanied by heaviness in the hypochondrium, bloating and an increase in the abdomen. Many patients dramatically increase the liver and spleen.

Signs of the disease include a small rash on the skin, increased bleeding of mucous membranes.

With a tumor of the lymphatic tissue, the first symptom of blood cancer is an enlarged lymph node. It can be found in the natural folds of the skin (in the armpits, in the groin, on the neck, above the collarbones) in the form of a painless dense node under the skin.

stages

The stages of blood cancer indicate the degree of its development. They take into account the size of the tumor, the penetration of malignant cells into neighboring organs, the presence of metastases.

  1. First stage. The initial stage of the disease, which is caused by disturbances in the activity of the immune system. Atypical cells begin to divide uncontrollably, degenerating into malignant ones.
  2. Second stage. The formation of clusters of malignant cells, the formation of tumor tissue.
  3. Third stage. Cancer cells travel through the body with the bloodstream and lymphatics. Metastases are actively developing. But even at this stage, there is a chance of successful treatment of blood cancer.
  4. Fourth stage. Malignant tumors develop in many organs. Treatment at this stage cannot bring complete recovery.

Only after determining the stage of the disease, the doctor prescribes its treatment.

Most often, the disease occurs in children 2-5 years old, mainly in boys. The main reasons are heredity (violation of the genetic apparatus of cells) and the harmful effects of radiation on the mother's body during pregnancy.

The most common symptoms of blood cancer in children include pain in the joints and bones, pale skin, fatigue, drowsiness, and general weakness. In addition, in sick children, the lymph nodes, spleen and liver are enlarged. They refuse to play, they lose their appetite and, naturally, their body weight decreases. An early manifestation of the disease may be angina. Often, the manifestations are increased bleeding and a rash on the skin.

Most often, blood cancer in children manifests itself in the form of neuroleukemia. Neuroleukemia is a lesion by malignant cells of the central nervous system (substances of the brain, cranial nerves, meninges). Symptoms of this form are headaches, dizziness and other neurological signs.

Blood cancer is not a death sentence. Children's survival rate for this disease is much higher than that of adults. According to statistics, more than 72% of children are cured of the disease.

Treatment

In the treatment of the disease, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation are used.

Chemotherapy is the intravenous administration of potent chemotherapy drugs that can destroy cancer cells. Although this is an effective method of treating the disease, it is quite lengthy and very complicated. Within six months, the patient is given large doses of chemotherapy drugs. The absence of leukocytes in his body leads to an increase in the patient's susceptibility to various infections and bacteria. Therefore, he is in a hospital and is protected from the external environment. Chemotherapy has many side effects. The most complex of them are damage to the cells of the bone marrow, the reproductive system, and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

In the treatment of blood cancer, the method of bone marrow transplantation shows good results. First, the patient destroys all the cells of his bone marrow. After that, a concentrate containing donor cells is injected into him through a dropper. This procedure is very complicated. In addition, it is necessary to choose the right donor - a person with compatible blood in all respects.

We will analyze what blood cancer is, symptoms, types, and as a result, there is oncology. Cancers can attack any organic system of the human body. Cancer of the blood is rapidly multiplied by cancer cells that affect healthy cells, disrupting their function. In addition to the blood and lymphatic system, the bone marrow suffers, which can also be at the center of the attack.

Mechanisms for providing protection against infections and preventing severe bleeding are violated. Laboratory analysis helps. To do this, you need to pass a general blood test from a finger. Blood cancer in women is less common than in men.

Blood cancer symptoms in women

Symptoms of blood cancer in women, in the early stages, are manifested by signs:

  • aches in the joints;
  • difficult to recover bleeding;
  • weakness, lethargy, apathy;
  • fever;
  • flu symptoms;
  • frequent infectious diseases.

Knowing the symptoms of hemoblastosis, you can save the life of yourself and your loved ones. Therefore, if a person notices any of the above symptoms, then he should visit the clinic and consult a doctor.

Causes of blood cancer

Blood cancer causes:

  • hereditary factor;
  • weakened immunity;
  • as a result of complications of an infectious type;
  • alcohol abuse;
  • smoking cigarettes taking drugs.

Blood cancer - its types, types

There are many different types of hemoblastosis: leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and rarer types such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).

There are three main types of hemoblastosis:

  • Leukemia - multiple cancer cells that affect the bone marrow or blood the ability of the circulatory system to produce normal blood is severely impaired.
  • Lymphoma - affects the lymphatic system, which is responsible for removing fluid from the body. Lymphocytes are one of the types of white blood cells.
  • Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells of the white blood cells responsible for the production of antibodies to diseases and infections.

Leukemia can be chronic or acute. In acute leukemia, symptoms may come on quickly. With acute blood cancer, symptoms appear: nausea, vomiting, gagging, dizziness, motion sickness, heavy sweating at night, a sharp decrease in body weight.

Symptoms

Knowledge about the first symptoms of hemoblastosis will help in early diagnosis and its effective treatment. Hemoblastosis can cause many different symptoms. Some of them are common to all species, others are more specific to certain species. For example, lymphomas can be characterized by enlarged lymph nodes. One of the most common symptoms of myeloma is bone pain.

The appearance of the disease may be recognized by the symptoms:

Leukemia symptoms

Leukemia is characterized by the acute destruction of healthy red blood cells. Includes symptoms of anemia, weakness and severe fatigue, difficulty breathing while performing daily activities of a regular kind.

Vulnerability of the nervous system, impaired protection against infection and swelling of the lymph nodes. Blood tests contain higher levels of white blood cells. A certain manifestation of leukemia is also associated with cough, nausea, abdominal fullness and extreme fatigue.

Lymphoma Symptoms

Blood cancer symptoms of lymphoma include swollen lymph nodes because this type of cancer mostly happens around the lymph cells. Swelling of the lymph nodes is mostly painless. Symptoms include weight loss, appetite loss, fever, sudden onset of chills, and night sweats. A certain variety of leukemia is also associated with cough, nausea, abdominal fullness, and extreme fatigue.

Myeloma Symptoms

Initially, there may be no symptoms. But with the gradual progression of the disease, there is a general feeling of fatigue, soreness, susceptibility to infection, difficulty breathing, bouts of numbness and chest pain. Kidney problems may develop. Taken blood tests indicate a violation of the maturation of granulocytic leukocytes.

Blood cancer, symptoms in women may appear after another cancer, such as colon or breast cancer. The first symptoms of blood cancer can appear suddenly, so once every half a year it is necessary to undergo a medical examination and take a general blood test.

stages

There are different ways to distinguish blood cancer in different stages according to the symptoms and rate of metastasis.

  1. The first phase is characterized by an increased presence of lymph nodes. This is due to the number of lymphocytes. The level of risk at this stage is intermediate, since at this stage the cancer prognosis has not yet spread and does not affect other organs.
  2. The second stage is characterized by an increase in the spleen, liver and lymph nodes. There is a huge fluctuation in the growth of lymphocytes. The level of risk is still moderate.
  3. The development of anemia occurs in the third stage. These organs remain swollen. In general, two or more organs are affected in the third stage of the malignancy.
  4. The fourth and final phase is marked by a sharp drop in the platelet rate. In the last stage of development, cancer can also affect the lungs, in addition to those organs that have already been affected. The third and last phase are more risky in terms of the patient's life.

Oncology can manifest itself unexpectedly at the last stage.

Treatment

The oncology dispensary offers several treatment options if you have the first signs of blood cancer. General directions of treatment:

  • Radiation therapy.
  • biological therapy.
  • Stem cell transplant.

The latest news on the curability of hemoblastosis

According to the latest data, researchers have invented a drug that tries to block the enzyme responsible for metastases. An overabundance of the protein responsible for the expansion and growth of cancer cells may be blocked.

A few years ago, only dreamed of curing hemoblastosis. But according to practitioners and educators involved in scientific research, the first stage of hemoblastosis can be cured. A diet rich in greens and antioxidants (fresh vegetables and fruits, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds) will help cure the disease.

Practitioners and advocates of alternative therapeutic measures to treat even stage 2 and 3 cancers. Stay away from the damaging effects of herbicides and chemicals. There are needs to minimize risky radiations and replace them with healthy food, rest, and regular exercise.

General symptoms

Include:

  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Fatigue.
  • Feeling weak or short of breath.
  • Bruising on the body or bleeding wounds.
  • Enlarged lymph nodes.
  • Swelling of the stomach or discomfort in the abdomen.
  • Frequent and repeated infections.
  • Fever.
  • Night sweats.
  • Pain in bones and joints.
  • Itchy skin.
  • It's hard to do everything.
  • Pain in the ribs.

If someone is experiencing some or all of these symptoms, then it is highly recommended to visit a health center, have a blood test and, if necessary, undergo further tests if blood cancer is suspected.

How long patients live depends on:

  • general condition of the body;
  • age;
  • methods of treatment;
  • diets;
  • lifestyle;
  • individual attitude and faith in healing.

It is estimated that in a year (more than 1 million people), recovery of the body after various stages of hemoblastosis was found. Statistics includes all three types of hemoblastosis. There are also recovery after lung cancer.

But it is important to remember that many of the symptoms can also occur in other, much more common and less serious diseases. While these symptoms don't always indicate blood cancer, early diagnosis is fundamental to improving treatment outcomes, so it's always best to have a blood test to check for symptoms of concern. To refuse from bad habits.

In any case, you need to hold on to life with all your might.

Follow a healthy lifestyle and live happily ever after.

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