What we often call "blood cancer", specialists, or rather oncologists, are accustomed to call it "hemoblastozam." In fact, such a disease is not the only disease, this includes a whole group of various tumors that affect diseases of the hematopoietic tissue. This also includes the case when cancer cells occupy the human bone marrow, hemoblastoses themselves are called leukemia.
Leukemia characterized by the fact that during the disease there is a transformation of a special type of cells into malignant. At the same time, cancer cells begin to spread very rapidly, and they also replace completely normal blood and bone marrow cells. Everything will also depend on which particular blood cells were turned into cancer cells. So there are several types of leukemia: a violation of the normal maturation of leukocytes and a defect in lymphocytes.
In addition, all leukemia are divided into chronic and acute. Acute leukemia can cause almost uncontrolled growth of immature red blood cells. But with chronic leukemia in almost all organs, the level of mature cells increases significantly. It should be noted that acute leukemia develops in a more severe form, so such a disease requires immediate treatment. Fortunately, leukemia is not a very common cancer disease. According to specialists, in the year of the whole disease twenty-five people per hundred thousand. Moreover, scientists were able to note that most often leukemia occurs in young children, from three to four years old, as well as in older people from sixty to sixty nine years old.
Leukemia - causes
In order for a person to get sick with leukemia, he needs only one hematopoietic cell, which was mutated into a cancerous cell. Then it begins to divide quickly enough, spread, and at the same time gives rise to tumor cells. And gradually, such infected cells take the place of quite normal ones.
The following causes of mutation in the chromosomes of completely normal cells are possible:
- the main reason is - exposure to ionizing radiation;
- carcinogens, this includes various medications, including a certain amount of chemicals;
- heredity;
- viruses.
Leukemia - Symptoms
Naturally, it is unrealistic to make such a terrible diagnosis as leukemia yourself, although pay as much time as possible to your well-being. At the same time, remember that with acute leukemia there is weakness, fever, severe bleeding, pain in the limbs. The following complications can join such leukemia: stomatitis, tonsillitis. An increase in the spleen, lymph nodes and even the liver may also be observed.
But chronic leukemia is characterized by its weakness, fatigue, and very fast, weight loss, appetite, liver and spleen increase. In the last stage, infectious complications will appear, and the tendency to blood clots also increases.
Leukemia - diagnosis
The diagnosis itself is made by an oncologist on the basis of a general blood test, as well as a biochemical blood test. All necessary bone marrow examinations are also performed. And if leukemia is not treated, a fatal outcome is possible.
Leukemia - treatment and prevention
In order to cure acute leukemia, a combination of several drugs that affect the tumor is used simultaneously, and the patient is given doses of glucocorticoid hormones. Supportive manipulations are very important, for example, quick treatment of infections that will join, transfusion of blood components and so on.
In chronic leukemia, antimetabolites are used, drugs that can inhibit the growth of malignant cells. In addition, they use the introduction of radioactive substances and radiation therapy.
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