One of the rare forms of blood cancer is hair follicular leukemia. Most oncologists distinguish this malignant disease in a separate species, manifested by a characteristic clinical picture.
In most cases, hairy cell leukemia is diagnosed in men over 50 years of age. This type of cancer is slowly progressing, but the age characteristics of patients often lead to undesirable consequences of leukemia.
Symptoms of of hairy cell leukemia
Hairy cell leukemia leads to disruption of all hematopoiesis and all the symptoms of developing pathology are associated with this process.
Increased and rapid destruction of pathologically altered leukocytes in the spleen results in an increase in this organ, splenomegaly develops. The increase in size is gradual and therefore, at the first stages, is practically not detected. The growing splenomegaly mainly manifests itself only in the weight in the left side, with palpation it is possible to feel the elastic part of the spleen below the ribs.
In patients with hairy cell leukemia, in addition to splenomegaly, there are several more characteristic syndromes for this disease, these are:
- Hemorrhagic syndrome. It consists in the occurrence of frequent and sometimes causeless bleeding. The patient may complain of nosebleeds, bleeding gums, women may have uterine discharge.
- Anemic syndrome. It is manifested by a decrease in erythrocytes in the blood and external signs - pallor and jaundice of the skin, brittle hair, fatigue, cold extremities.
- Immunodeficiency syndrome is a frequent repetition of infectious and respiratory diseases.
On the photo of the skin of a patient suffering from hair follicle leukemia
Assuming hairy cell leukemia can also be on the following symptoms:
- Pain and discomfort on the left and above in the abdominal cavity.
- Rapid fatigue and severe weakness.
- Periodic rise in body temperature.
- Appearance on the skin of bruises that occur even with the slightest bruise.
- Continuous bleeding after minor cuts and scratches.
- Rapid breathing.
- Weight loss, lack of appetite.
- Enlarged lymph nodes. To probe more often it is possible the increased cervical, axillary and inguinal lymphonoduses, less often lymphonoduses of a stomach or belly. At a palpation morbidity is not present.
Causes of the disease
The name hairy cell leukemia was received because of the altered type of lymphocyte susceptible to cancer, looks like "ragged" with small and frequent thin threads of when examining their edges.
Leukemia cells accumulate in the bone marrow and drive out normal precursor cells of blood elements such as platelets, erythrocytes, and leukocytes from it. Thus, immature lymphocytes not only do not perform their basic functions to protect the body, but also interfere with the functioning of other components of our blood.
For what reasons such a pathological change in the bone marrow is not yet established, but a number of factors predisposing to the appearance of hair follicle leukemia have been identified. To their group are:
- Exposure to radiation.
- Prolonged contact with chemicals used mainly in production.
- Frequent use of products with carcinogens.
The dependence of the development of hairy cell leukemia on age and sex is also elucidated. The disease is mainly diagnosed in men who have crossed their fiftieth birthday.
The elderly age of the majority of patients with this form of leukemia is explained by the fact that this type of blood cancer for a long time develops imperceptibly for the person himself, and the physical aging of the body speeds up the appearance of cancer symptoms.
Stages of
The rarity of identifying patients with hairy cell leukemia has made this disease not yet fully understood, and so far there is no exact classification of it as cancer.
In medicine, for the convenience of prescribing a course of therapy and depending on the detected changes in blood and bone marrow, four stages of this pathology are distinguished:
- An untreated stage or initial leukemia. This stage is exposed on the changes found in the bone marrow, that is, on pathologically disturbed lymphocytes. The only symptom is sometimes only an enlarged spleen, palpated when viewed.
- Progressive stage - growth of atypical lymphocytes, decrease in the number of platelets, erythrocytes and leukocytes. The patient develops characteristic symptoms of leukemia. At this stage, by spreading cancer cells with a blood flow, metastasis occurs, the affected are more often the brain, heart tissue. A growing tumor in a distant outbreak consists of leukemia cells.
- Recurrent stage of hairy cell leukemia - this diagnosis is recorded in the card when treatment is performed and there may be relapse of the disease.
- Refractory stage is exhibited when the patient is diagnosed with leukemia no longer treatable.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia can not be made only for symptoms similar to this disease. The doctor should examine the patient, collect the entire history of life and prescribe a set of examinations that includes:
- Blood test. With hairy cell leukemia, atypical lymphocytes and pancytopenia are detected, that is, a decrease in such blood cells as platelets, erythrocytes, leukocytes. In other types of blood cancer, the number of these blood elements is increased.
- Puncture of the bone marrow and its subsequent histological examination for the detection of atypical lymphocytes.
- CT is assigned to detect tumors of internal organs and to identify enlarged lymph nodes and spleen.
Treatment of
The choice of treatment method for patients with hairy cell leukemia is influenced by several parameters. This stage of cancer, the number of leukemia cells in the bone marrow, the severity of symptoms of malignant disease.
With a significantly enlarged liver size, splenectomy is performed, this is achieved by normalizing the blood composition. Chemotherapy is also prescribed, its goal is the destruction of cancer cells and the destruction of metastases. Cladribine was widely used from chemotherapy drugs. After its use, a prolonged remission is observed in at least 80% of patients.
In addition to the main treatment for patients, the appropriate medication is selected for the symptoms. After the course of therapy, it is necessary to undergo a constant examination, which will allow us to seize a new relapse of the disease in time.
Survival prognosis
About the hairy cell type of leukemia can be said that is a disease characterized by a benign course of .
That is, it develops slowly and is well amenable to timely therapy. Conducting treatment at early stages ensures the survival of people who have been chemotherapy for at least 4 years.
After 65 years, the physical aging of the body aggravates the course of hairy cell leukemia. In patients in this age group, the symptoms of cancer are growing faster, and the surgical treatment and the effect of chemotherapy drugs are much more difficult to bear.