Leukemia does not carry a verdict if detected at an early stage. Knowing what symptoms may be signs of a blood disorder will help you be vigilant and seek advice from a specialist in a timely manner.
How to recognize blood cancer?
The onset of the disease often does not give clear signals that a serious disorder has occurred in the body. Chronic leukemia in the first phase is almost asymptomatic.
Such emerging signs are similar to a number of other diseases:
- appetite impairment,
- emaciation,
- decreased tone,
- enlargement of organs: liver, spleen.
Acute leukemia also signals itself blurred:
- impotence,
- syncope,
- dizziness,
- anemia,
- dyspnea,
- memory impairment,
- high temperature,
- "bruises" under the eyes,
- liver or spleen may increase in size,
- bleeding,
- bifida through the body for no particular reason,
- sleep disturbance: increased drowsiness or insomnia,
- frequent sore throats,
- infectious diseases occur that are difficult to treat;
- enlarged lymph nodes,
- bone pain,
- poorly heal wounds, there is a tendency to suppuration.
This is the first diagnostic technique that will give information: has the leukemia process started in the body? If there is an increase in white blood cells( with a decrease in certain types of cancer) and a lack of quantitative ratio compared to the norm of other types of blood cells, this indicates the presence of pathology and the doctor will prescribe other types of diagnostics for clarification.
Specialists advise every person to check blood every year for routine prevention through regular analysis. If the family has had any kind of cancer, then it is recommended to be checked once a half a year.
Is it possible to treat oncology of the hematopoietic system in adults and children?
The methods of care for leukemia are the same for patients of different age category. The child's body responds to medical procedures better than the adult.
The earlier the disease is detected, the more hope for a positive result of treatment. Chronic leukemia has a chance to stop the negative process and return the necessary balance until the appearance of the acute phase: the detection of blast cells in the blood. If this happens, the outlook deteriorates sharply.
Children often have acute leukemia. And the treatment started in the first stage can lead to healing. In adults, also timely treatment is promising.
The main therapeutic methods for leukemia: chemotherapy and if this method is not enough, then they resort to a bone marrow transplant. If the ill person is not treated, then his illness "eats" for six months.
Due to the fact that the disease of blood cancer in childhood, the body stops producing blood necessarily to the procedures add blood transfusion. This helps to some extent to maintain immunity.
Chemotherapy
In the case of acute leukemia, the procedure is designed to kill all immature cells in the blood. It is important that no pathological element remains, because it can make a new wave of appearance of immature cells.
In chronic leukemia, the procedure is aimed at depriving the vital functions of granular white blood cells.
Chemotherapy has the task of: maximum elimination of abnormal cells with as little harm as possible to the body.
The specialist selects the drugs for each case, taking into account the data:
- type of pathology,
- how much the disease is started,
- the age of the patient,
- what other problems the patient has.
The most common procedure for chemotherapy is intravenous infusion. More often it is carried out in a hospital. In some cases, when there is no threat of complications, the patient can receive chemotherapy in the dispensary.
Induction therapy
Specialists after careful diagnosis of the patient develop the tactics of the main course of treatment. It can be immediately intensive therapy with high doses or trial treatment with small doses with subsequent increase.
Procedures are performed with observation of the body's reaction, blood is taken for analysis. The therapy takes several weeks.
The first main course is called induction therapy. At its passage negative reactions of an organism are possible. Therefore, attract different kinds of specialists: a therapist, a nutritionist and others, to adapt the course of treatment to a specific patient as much as possible.
Supportive
If the induction course is passed successfully, the patient is prescribed treatment that underpins the main course - maintenance therapy. It is performed with the participation of drugs aimed at stabilizing remission and preventing relapse.
This kind of therapy can be performed at home, it is more gentle in intensity. Intravenous infusions are replaced by taking tablets. Supporting course can last up to three years.
If after the main course abnormal cells are not completely destroyed, then before the maintenance therapy the patient undergoes treatment, which is called consolidation therapy. It is aimed at complementing the action of induction therapy and lead to remission.
Negative effects of
Drugs designed to kill cancer cells of the blood, damage to a large extent and healthy cells of the body.
Suffer:
- Bone marrow tissue of , but this is not life threatening.
- The state of the digestive system often has a deviation from the norm. Among the unpleasant symptoms with chemotherapy is the appearance of nausea. The doctor can reduce this phenomenon by a more careful selection of drugs and the prescription of medications that alleviate this trouble. The mood during the procedure is of great importance on whether there will be side effects. If the drugs cause constipation, the doctor prescribes the means that help to overcome it. In the case of diarrhea, sometimes specialists are forced to replace chemotherapy drugs.
- Hair bulbs are destroyed. Hair loss during the course is a cosmetic drawback, but has no negative effects on health. Over time, the hair itself is restored.
- Reproductive system fails.
Drugs that are used for chemotherapeutic procedures, have a high degree of toxicity and cause significant health damage. However, they give patients a chance to save their lives.
Bone marrow transplantation
If the course of chemotherapy does not bring the expected result, specialists apply a bone marrow transplant.
The procedure consists of the following:
- Bone marrow does not work properly, it induces abnormal cells. The hematopoietic cells of the bone marrow are completely destroyed.
- Produce a replant in the bloodstream of donor cells of the bone marrow. They should take root in the cavity of bones and reconstruct the work of the bone marrow.
The transplant procedure is a serious test for the patient's body. To get a successful result, the patient undergoes a full examination with the participation of specialists of different profiles. The procedure itself should be performed by highly qualified personnel.
Autoimmune transplant
If a person who has been ill after the procedures has received relief and entered the stage of remission, then specialists can decide to take a material from him for a possible bone marrow transplant. The selected donor cells undergo purification, so that the diseased cell does not enter the body during transplantation.
The bone marrow intended for the procedure is stored at very low temperatures. In case of an exacerbation and indications of the need for a transplant, the patient, thus, becomes himself a donor.
Allogeneic
If the donor is a different person, then the experts carefully select the biomaterial for compatibility. Such a replanting is called allogeneic.
The procedure depends on how well the donor is selected. There is a threat that the patient's body will come into conflict with the planted material, rejection will begin.
There are options when the donor material "attacks" the patient's body, the situation can be dangerous for life.
Blood transfusion
If a patient suffers from serious bleeding or a blood test shows a deficiency of platelets or red blood cells, the patient's condition is facilitated by blood transfusions.
In some types of leukemia, this procedure must be carried out systematically.
Before transfusion, donor blood is tested. Therefore, the procedure for the patient benefits, is completely harmless.
Sometimes a blood transfusion causes the body's reaction in the form of side effects:
- allergic rash,
- dyspnea,
- vomiting.
Prevention of disease
The causes of the disease are not fully established. Therefore, of course, it is right to give up harmful habits and strive for a healthy lifestyle.
Pay attention to such factors:
- Avoid contact with chemicals harmful to health.
- Do not expose the body to prolonged ionizing radiation.
- Maintain a positive attitude.
- If the family had patients of any kind of cancer once every six months to do a blood test.