Contents
According to statistics, more than 200 thousand inhabitants of the planet annually fall ill with blood cancer of various types. Many perceive the diagnosis as a verdict, which is not surprising, since even 30 years ago the survival rate for this type of oncology did not exceed 8%.
“The concept of “blood cancer” does not exist in oncology,” emphasizes oncologist Roman Temnikov. – The term “cancer” in scientific terms means a certain group of malignant tumors consisting of epithelial tissues, that is, complexes of cells that form the integument of the body and internal organs. Blood does not consist of epithelial tissue. Thus, the term “blood cancer” includes various types of leukemia – a malignant disease of the hematopoietic system. With this disease, normal hematopoiesis is disrupted, which increases the number of immature leukocyte cells in the bone marrow, hence its outdated name – leukemia or leukemia.
What is blood cancer
Blood cancer is the name of one group of malignant diseases that arise due to mutations in bone marrow cells and disrupt the entire hematopoietic system, including the liver, spleen and lymphatic system.
Oncologists call them hemoblastoses and classify them based on the location of the mutated cells. If cancer cells appear in the bone marrow, then these are leukemias. If malignant cells are formed outside the bone marrow, then the disease is referred to as hematosarcoma. If the tumor affects mature lymphocytes, then such a rare disease as lymphocytoma develops.
Hemablastosis has unfavorable prognosis, since cancer cells can affect any organ and always the bone marrow.
Causes of blood cancer
The blood contains several very important cells with particularly important functions. These are erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes. The first ones provide the body with oxygen, the second ones are responsible for wound healing, and the third ones protect against dangerous microbes, bacteria and viruses. The degeneration of leukocytes occurs most often.
Normal, healthy cells are produced in the bone marrow, while young ones are more susceptible to various harmful factors. Regardless of the type and tissue, they can degenerate into abnormal, that is, malignant. How and why this happens is still unknown to science. Mutant cells begin to divide chaotically and uncontrollably, which inhibits the growth of their healthy relatives and displaces them.
When the invaders finally win, the bone marrow is affected, and the invaders, along with the blood, are carried to other tissues of the body. Since malignant cells have a different structure, the affected organs as a result cannot fully perform their functions. Such activity of the aggressors makes it difficult to diagnose the disease in the early stages and complicates the treatment, since different cells can respond differently to chemotherapy. By inhibiting and destroying the hematopoietic system, leukemia increases the body’s susceptibility to infections. As a result, patients develop anemia and hemorrhages, which leads to death. Nevertheless, modern medicine is able to fight cancer quite effectively, even with such a difficult diagnosis. Depending on which group of cells is affected and how quickly the process develops, cancer can be both aggressive and chronic. Chronic forms of leukemia respond better to therapy, but it is much more difficult to identify them. Often, the patient is not even aware of the disease for a very long time, and in half of the cases it is detected by chance during other tests.
Chronic forms:
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia – an increase in immature leukocytes in the bone marrow, due to an asymptomatic onset, they accumulate in tissues, which leads to an excessive number of cells throughout the body;
- chronic myeloid leukemia – degeneration of bone marrow cells, more often in men;
- megakaryocytic leukemia – the degeneration of a stem cell;
- chronic monocytic leukemia – the number of leukocytes does not increase, but the volume of monocytes increases over time.
Sharp forms:
- acute lymphocytic leukemia – an increase in the number of lymphocytes and a strong weakening of the immune system;
- acute myeloid leukemia – degeneration of myelocytes;
- lymphoblastic leukemia – degeneration of lymphocytes, more often in children 1 – 5 years old;
- erythromyeloblastic leukemia – increased development of erythroblasts (normoblasts) triggers the bone marrow themselves, an increase in the number of red cells;
- myeloid leukemia – disturbances in the DNA of blood cell bodies, due to which the mutated cell interferes with and displaces healthy cells and their deficiency;
- megakaryoblastic leukemia – an increase in megakaryoblasts and undifferentiated blasts in the bone marrow, often occurs in children with Down syndrome;
- monoblastic leukemia – a large accumulation of monoblasts in the peripheral blood and bone marrow.
Scientists have not yet been able to find out the exact causes of the development of blood cancer, but they were able to identify provocative factors:
- radioactive radiation and excess background radiation;
- ecological problems;
- harmful chemicals (benzene, pesticides);
- poor nutrition;
- radiation or chemotherapy for the treatment of other cancers;
- HIV and other serious illnesses;
- overweight;
- smoking and alcohol abuse;
- heredity;
- Down syndrome.
Anyone can get leukemia. However, according to doctors, people over 50 years of age are at risk, since at this age the likelihood of cell regeneration increases, and treatment is less effective. In this case, children and adolescents are most often ill with leukemia. Doctors note that the younger the patient, the easier it is to achieve remission.
Stages of blood cancer
Chronic leukemia:
- Stage I – there is only one clone of cells that have arisen from one malignant cell – this stage can stretch for years;
- Stage II – the formation of metastases;
- III and IV stage – an increase in the liver and spleen, chronic anemia, generalized damage to the lymph nodes.
Chronic leukemia can turn into acute.
Acute leukemias:
- Stage I – initial with general and nonspecific signs, responds well to treatment;
- Stage II – expanded – cells cluster into groups, forming tumor clots, but there are no metastases yet, so the treatment is still effective;
- Stage III – the number of cancer cells grows and spreads to other tissues, lymph nodes are affected, metastases are observed throughout the body;
- Stage IV – metastases affect other organs, chemotherapy is ineffective, due to the different response of different tumors to drugs, in women the disease affects the uterus and mammary glands.
In the absence of therapy, death occurs in 2 to 3 months or even faster.
Symptoms of blood cancer
In the early stages:
- headaches and dizziness;
- poor appetite;
- fever for no reason;
- weakness and fatigue;
- frequent infections;
- sudden weight loss.
Late stages:
- bluish tint of lips and nails;
- fainting;
- tachycardia;
- heat;
- breathing problems and convulsions;
- frequent nosebleeds;
- pain and aches in the bones and joints;
- skin rash;
- swollen lymph nodes;
- bruises on the body;
- poorly healing wounds;
- enlargement of the liver and spleen and bloating.
Blood cancer treatment
In recent years, medicine has made a big leap forward and has learned how to effectively fight and even defeat certain forms of blood cancer. But the main condition is still the early detection of the disease.
Diagnostics
Sometimes a simple blood test is enough to detect leukemia, but more often you have to do more complex tests and procedures. One of the main types of research is a bone marrow puncture. The resulting material is examined under a microscope. The main attention is paid to the structure, chemical composition of bone marrow cells and the number of leukocytes. To exclude the spread of malignant cells to other organs of the body, patients are given a spinal puncture, cerebrospinal fluid studies, X-rays of the skull, chest organs, ultrasound of the lymph nodes, liver and spleen.
“Changes in the blood formula should alert, or rather the presence of a large number of immature elements against the background of a reduced volume of platelets and erythrocytes,” clarifies oncologist Roman Temnikov.
To diagnose leukemia at an early stage, the following laboratory tests are required:
Detailed complete blood count. It may show an increase in leukocytes and ESR parameters, with a simultaneous lack of platelet and erythrocyte mass.
cytogenetic analysis. It allows you to identify the presence of atypical chromosomes and clarify the type of oncological process; for this, cells are additionally taken from the bone marrow, bloodstream and lymph nodes.
Immunophenotyping research. It is based on the reaction of specific antibodies with antigens and helps to identify chronic leukemia from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Puncture of the bone marrow. It is taken with a thin long needle from the areas least covered with muscle fibers, mainly from the sternum, in parallel, the form of leukemia is determined – whether it is chronic or acute. The analysis also allows identification by morphological characteristics and cytogenetic type and determine the susceptibility of leukemia to certain chemotherapy drugs.
Myelogram. It shows the ratio of atypical and healthy components in the bloodstream. Leukemia is indicated by an increase in the volume of blast cells over 5%.
Cytochemical analysis. It allows you to identify specific enzymes.
– All these laboratory studies are carried out in special oncology hospitals. The doctor determines the number of diagnostic procedures individually for each patient. oncologist Roman Temnikov.
Modern treatments
The tactics of treatment will be determined by the attending physician, depending on the form and stage of leukemia. As with other malignant oncological diseases, chemotherapy is primarily used to destroy cancer cells. Unfortunately, the side effects of chemo affect the entire body. Patients develop weakness, vomiting and diarrhea, and hair falls out.
Further, the oncologist selects the tactics of maintenance therapy, the purpose of which is to prevent the further development of the disease. As a rule, these are general tonic and hormonal drugs, antibacterial and antiviral agents.
In severe cases, a donor bone marrow transplant may be required. This is a very dangerous and expensive operation, while the money for which patients and their relatives are forced to look for on their own. Before transplantation, bone marrow is destroyed in patients to kill all malignant cells, and then immunity is suppressed so that the body does not reject the cells of someone else’s bone marrow.
Prevention of blood cancer at home
To date, there are no special measures for the prevention of leukemia. Therefore, the recommendations of oncologists come down to the rules common to all types of cancer – to lead a healthy lifestyle and avoid stress. If there is a hereditary predisposition to malignant tumors, doctors recommend diagnosing 5 years earlier that this disease was discovered in a relative.
– Cancer of the hematopoietic system is one of the most unpredictable diseases, so the best way to prevent it is to undergo examinations at least once every six months and lead a healthy lifestyle, recommends Dr. Temnikov.
Popular questions and answers
Answered popular questions about blood cancer oncologist Roman Temnikov.