The disease has many forms of manifestation, integrating the variety of diagnoses determining each species. The whole range of these disorders has a common theme: the need for early diagnosis. In most cases this helps improve the prognosis for healing.
What is blood cancer?
Group of pathologies that are caused by disorders of hematopoiesis and changes in blood cells. Mutation can happen with any kind of cells that make up the blood.
Types of
Blood cancer is classified by the type of blood cells that have been affected. The rate of progression of the disease is different in chronic leukemia and another form of pathology - acute leukemia.
Chronic leukemia
The pathology of the blood happens if there is a mutation of mature leukocytes. Modifying, healthy cells become granular white blood cells.
Distinguish:
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia. The disorder initiates the process of mutation of the hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. It occurs more often in the male part of the population.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Pathological lymphocytes first accumulate in the tissues: liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and then are found in the blood on the periphery. Such a development of the disease makes its course insignificant and invisible, especially at the beginning.
- Chronic monocytic leukemia. Another form of the previous diagnosis. There is an increase in the number of monocytes in the bone marrow and in the blood. In this case, the leukocytosis is normal or low.
- Megakaryocytic leukemia. The disease occurs due to the modification of the stem cell. A pathology in the bone marrow arises. A mutant cell generates other units like themselves that have the property of endlessly dividing. In the peripheral blood, there is a multiplication of the number of platelets.
Acute leukemia
The disorder manifests itself in the uncontrolled increase in the number of immature blood cells.
Pathology is more severe than the chronic form of because of its rapid progress toward more advanced stages.
Main types:
- Lymphoblastic leukemia. Not ripening of the blood cells of lymphocytes due to impaired bone marrow function. Unhealthy transformations involve in most of the lymphocytes responsible for the production of antibodies. In this regard, the patient may have manifestations of intoxication. Hemopoietic organs, lymph nodes. Pathology occurs at a young age, and most often in the childhood period from 1 to 6 years.
- Myeloblastic leukemia. The disease is distinguished by the presence of DNA breakdowns in immature blood cells. Due to the displacement of healthy cells randomly multiplying blasted mutated cells in humans, there is a lack of mature platelets, white blood cells, erythrocytes. The kind of chromosomal breakdown, and what kind of blood cells in deficit will determine the type of disease.
- Monoblastic leukemia. Pathology in its manifestations is similar to the previous description. Negative process can cover mostly only the bone marrow. This same process initiates an increase in the spleen and lymph nodes. The course of the pathology provokes the patient frequent cases of fever, besides there are signs of intoxication.
- Megacaroblastic leukemia. Diagnosis means the presence of megakaryoblasts and undifferentiated blasts in the bone marrow and blood. Megacaryoblasts are distinguished by a colored nucleus. In the bone marrow and blood, there may be ugly megakaryocytes and parts of their nuclei. Pathology often affects children with Down syndrome.
- Erythromyeloblastic leukemia. When the pathological process of this type of disease is just beginning its development, a large number of erythroblasts and normoblasts are observed in the bone marrow tissue. There is an increase in red cells, but they have no destruction. They are able to differentiate to erythrocaryocyte. At a later stage in the bone marrow there are many myeloblasts.
Paraproteinemic hemoblastosis
This name has a violation if the tumor is affected by B-lymphocytes. Their secretion is characterized by pathological proteins.
Species:
- Diseases of heavy chains. Plasma produces heavy chains that represent incomplete immunoglobulins. It turns out a structural mutation of the protein, where the heavy chains are the correct fragments, but there are no light chains.
- Myeloma( myeloma).The disease is more common in older people. Tumor cells in the bone marrow secrete paraprotein. The small cells that make up the tumor form cavities in the structure of the bones. This leads to osteoporosis.
- Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia. Refers to rare diseases. A disorder that is characterized by macroglobulinemia. Tumor damage to the bone marrow leads to a hyperviscosity syndrome. Pathological formation consists of lymphoplasmocyte cells.
Hematosarcoma
An oncological formation outside the bone marrow, which is created by cells of the hematopoietic tissue.
- Lymphoid form. The disease is under study. For the most part this form is found in preschool children. This is due to the fact that the age period coincides with the development of the immune system, and children are prone to lymphatic reactions to negative changes in the body. With violations of the lymphoid form, the lymph nodes increase.
- Immunoblastnaya form. There is a disease in the elderly. Oncology affects the lymphatic tissue. In the blood on the periphery, leukemia may appear. Pathology refers to large cell cancers. The tumor consists of mutated elements. There is a significant increase in lymph nodes.
- Histiocytic form. The oncological disease is aggressive and often pessimistic. With this type of hematosarcoma, extranodal lesions occur. May be affected by pathology:
- internal organs,
- soft tissue,
- skin,
- bone,
- spleen,
- CNS,
- bone marrow,
- liver.
Lymphoma
Pathology is an oncological lesion of the lymphatic system. The purpose of the system is to protect the body from the effects of infections. The disease puts in jeopardy this immunomodulating function.
The nature of the tumor is the result of a chaotic division of lymphocytes. Tumors are often painless and can be disposed as nodes in different places. The disease also manifests itself in the increase in the size of the lymph glands.
Types of pathology:
- Lymphoma of Hodgkin. With histological examination, it can be seen that tumors of this species contain Reed-Sternberg cells. The disease occurs in people younger than thirty-five. The initial stages are marked by an increase in lymph nodes. Further development of the pathological process affects all body systems.
- Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Disease of the lymphatic system, when the malignant nature of the tumor process encompasses the lymph nodes. Specific cells inherent in Hodgkin's lymphoma in the structure of the formations are not found.
- B-cell lymphoma. The tumor is rapidly progressing. This type of lymphoma often has an unfavorable prognosis. The disease is characterized by an increase in lymph nodes. The study confirms the change in their internal structure. The tumor is initiated by malodifferentiated cells. The age of people who have this pathology is middle and older.
Lymphostasis( lymphedema)
The disease manifests itself in the defeat of the lymphatic system, which leads to insufficient work. Lymph circulation occurs with difficulties.
The fluid retention in the tissue causes her edema. Often the result is a significant increase in the size of the lower limbs.
Angioma
The so-called diseases associated with the defeat of the tumor process of blood vessels or lymphatic.
Because the vessels have a ubiquitous dislocation, the tumor can also occur in any organ or tissue, on the surface of the skin or inside the body.
Education can be of different shapes and sizes. Lymphangiomas do not have a characteristic color, are colorless. Hemangiomas are usually red with the presence of blue.
If education progresses, it destroys surrounding tissues and can be life threatening. Often is congenital, the cause of the occurrence is not clear.
Lymphosarcoma
Tumors of a malignant nature caused by cells of the lymphoid direction, determine this group of diseases. Pathology covers the lymph nodes and other organs.
The disease occupies a tenth of malignant hemoblastoses. Most often involved in the process of cells of B-cell origin.
Causes of
Many types of blood cancer are not so investigated to tell the direct causes of the disease. Experts have a hypothetical list of factors, from what happens this violation in adults.
- Often the disease has a hereditary cause.
- Regular regular exposure to the body of radioactive exposure. In the risk zone are people who have a kind of service or work to stay in zones with active ionizing radiation or in case of environmental disasters.
- The ingestion of viruses, vital activity, which leads the bone marrow and blood cells to malignant alterations.
- Cell mutations due to exposure to harmful agents. This is a wide range of substances: among them there may be medicines, representatives of household chemicals, nicotine.
Is pathology contagious?
It is known that this disease can not be transmitted from one person to another. Pathology arises as an internal reaction of the body to the challenges of the environment or in connection with a genetic predisposition. Therefore, even if blood drops from a sick person get into the blood of a healthy person, the disease will not pass to the first.
Symptoms and signs in women and men
The pathology spreads with the blood flow through the body, and for a while can be unnoticed. The disease affects people, depending on whether the man or woman is not seen. According to statistics, the number of women with cancer is more.
Symptoms that may be signals about this disease are often similar to the symptoms of other diseases. Therefore, the early stage is missed. If a symptom takes on a chronic form or if there is a combination of symptoms, then it is worthwhile to consult a specialist.
Characteristic features:
- Cases of infectious diseases have become more frequent.
- Possible pain in the bones and joints.
- In the blood, the level of hemoglobin is lowered.
- Lymph nodes in the neck or in the axillary region have increased in size.
- There are cases of bleeding, the blood turns worse.
- Frequent temperature increase.
- Sweating during a night's sleep.
- The liver or spleen is enlarged.
- Vessel fragility is observed.
Early stage of acute leukemia
- Blood test signals an increase in ESR, anemia and changes in the quantitative presence of leukocytes.
- Weakness of health.
- Frequent cases of infectious diseases: colds and others.
How the developed form of
manifests When the progression of acute leukemia is deteriorating blood test.
- The quantitative presence of cells decreases:
- of erythrocytes,
- of hemoglobin,
- of platelets,
- of leukocytes.
- The level of ESR is markedly increased.
- Inhibition of hematopoiesis - there are many blast cells.
Late
At this stage, the well-being deteriorates noticeably.
- Severe bleeding may occur.
- The temperature often rises, spasms are possible.
- Breathing becomes difficult.
- There are constant pains in the abdomen, it can bother the heart.
- Sometimes the lips and nails get a cyanotic color. Pale skin.
Symptomatic of chronic type of leukemia
The initial stage almost does not manifest itself. A blood test indicates the presence of granulocytes or granular white blood cells.
At a later stage:
- increases the presence of blast cells,
- intoxication,
- enlargement of the liver and spleen,
- lesion of the limeways.
Lymphoma-specific manifestations of
- Lymphonoduses have grown significantly in size, but they do not hurt. Their decrease with time does not occur.
- Symptoms:
- sweating,
- weakness,
- worsening digestive function,
- emaciation,
- fever.
Symptoms of multiple myeloma
- A blood test shows an increased content of ESR.
- Weakness,
- weight reduction.
- Painful sensations in the bones( during movement, pain is present in the ribs and spine).
- Bones show a tendency to fracture.
- Because of the negative processes in the vertebrae and their displacement, spinal cord oppression is possible.
- Drowsiness,
- nausea.
- Frequent infectious diseases.
- Deterioration in kidney function.
- The viscosity of blood is higher than normal.
Stages of
When determining the stage of a problem, consider the size of the tumor, whether pathology is spreading to adjacent tissues, whether metastasis occurs.
The first
As a result of a malfunction in the immune system, there are atypical cells prone to chaotic division. This process leads to the appearance of a cancer cell.
The second
At this stage, the accumulation of cancer cells and the appearance of tumor tissue. Stage, when treatment can still be effective.
Third
Pathological cells with blood flow to all systems and organs. The spread of cancer cells also occurs through the lymphatic system.
The metastasis formation process is active. Signs of the disease are pronounced. Only a third of patients can be treated at this time. The chronic form of leukemia with the use of chemotherapy adds to the patient up to seven years of life.
Fourth
At this stage, pathological cells caused damage to other body tissues. Metastases provoke cancer of some internal organs.
Severe health condition. A complete cure is impossible. A lethal outcome may occur within a few months.
How many live with blood oncology?
The lifespan of a patient depends on the form of the cancer and how timely the treatment is started. Patients with chronic leukemia have a better prognosis than patients with acute disease.
But if chronic leukemia has become acute, then the lethal outcome comes in six months, maybe in a year.
With the timely access to a specialist and proper treatment, life extension from five to seven years is possible.
The acute form of leukemia in the early stages is completely curable. At later stages, the disease often causes death.
Characteristics of the disease in children
The child's organism is more reagent to all challenges of the external environment. Often, negative factors are so powerful in their power for the becoming organism that immunity can not cope and allows the appearance of an atypical cell in the blood.
One such immature cell is enough to trigger a disease that leads to blood cancer. Especially often oncological blood disease occurs in children from two to five years.
Tumor process in the child's organism triggers the same factors as in the adult population:
- chromosomal cell breakdown;
- if the mother was exposed during the pregnancy to ionizing radiation exceeding the norm;
- is an unfavorable environmental condition of the environment, in which it is possible to get into the body of harmful substances that cause cell mutation.
Symptoms that signal the onset of the disease are not specific. Parents need careful attention to frequent adverse symptoms, so as not to miss the onset of serious problems.
Symptoms and first signs of blood cancer in children:
- fast fatigue,
- lymph node enlargement,
- loss of appetite,
- pallor of the skin,
- bone pain without the ability to identify specific problem location,
- drowsiness,
- weight reduction,
- enlargement of the liver, spleen,
- frequent infectious diseases,
- increased bleeding,
- small bruises on the body,
- intoxication,
- pain in the legs.
Forms of the disease
Children are sick and acute form of leukemia and chronic. Acute leukemia occurs most frequently in childhood.
Early diagnosis allows complete cure of this formidable pathology. Statistics show about 75% of the full recovery of children who became ill with an acute form of leukemia.
Diagnosis
Changes in the blood composition will reveal a general and biochemical analysis. The beginning of the disease is indicated by a decrease in the number of basic blood cells that make up the blood.
The picture shows the cancer of the blood of patients with leukemia
A biopsy in the bone marrow provides information about the course of the disease, the specification of the species and the degree of aggression.
Computed tomography is used to see if there is metastasis and how much it has spread.
How to cure
After determining the type of disease, chemotherapy is administered. This procedure is aimed at suppressing abnormal cells.
If after exacerbation of the course of chemotherapy occurs an exacerbation of the disease - recommend bone marrow transplantation.
Is hemoblastosis curable or not?
The ability to get rid of the disease depends on how timely the treatment is started. In the early stages of the disease can be completely cured. This is especially true of the acute form of pathology.
In chronic form, if there is no acute flow with the presence of blast cells, a cure is possible. The life expectancy of a person after this incident can be up to 20 years.
Video about important signs of blood cancer: