Is there a cure for blood cancer? Signs, symptoms, stages and treatment of blood cancer Can blood cancer be cured.

The tactics by which the treatment will be carried out must be drawn up correctly. It is based on the results that it showed.

When choosing a course of therapy, a specialist must take into account several factors: the type and stage of the disease;

• the nature of the course of the pathological process;
• general well-being of the patient;
• age category of the patient;
• the body's response to certain drugs.

To date, the treatment of leukemia is carried out using several methods that have long proven their high efficiency in blood cancer:

1. , a fundamental method of treatment of blood cancer.
2. and used as auxiliary methods.
3. , which is the gold standard used in the treatment of blood cancer.

Chemotherapy in the treatment of leukemia

The chemotherapeutic method in the treatment of blood cancer is recognized in the world oncological practice as the main one, because thanks to chemistry, patients achieve the longest periods of remission.

Treatment of leukemia with chemotherapy drugs consists of 2 stages:

1. Primary destruction of the bulk of mutated cells. For this purpose, antitumor drugs with high aggressiveness are used.
2. A repeated course of chemistry aimed at destroying the malignant cells that have survived after the first stage. Its purpose is to prevent the development of a relapse of the disease.

Modern anticancer drugs are highly effective and have a minimal risk of serious side effects.

Preparation and administration of chemotherapy

Despite the fact that chemotherapy drugs used in modern hemato-oncology are recognized as quite safe for the human body, they affect each patient in different ways. In order to choose the drug and correctly draw up a course of therapy, the attending physician conducts preliminary preparation for the procedure, which begins with a study of the physical parameters of the patient.

Further preparatory measures are to conduct a series of diagnostic studies, which include the following procedures:

1. Blood tests that reveal the quantitative composition of healthy and damaged blood cells.
2. ECG, echocardiography and ultrasound of the heart, evaluating his work.
3. Functional tests that determine the condition of the lungs.
4. Diagnostic examination of the liver and kidneys.
5. Tests for hepatitis and HIV.

If young men are to undergo chemotherapy, they are advised to save sperm before starting chemotherapy, because there are high risks after a course of treatment for the development of infertility.

Treatment of leukemia with anticancer drugs lasts approximately 2 years, until the tumor cells are completely destroyed. The success of therapy is confirmed by the normalization of the blood composition, the absence of malignant cells in the bone marrow biopsy material and the restoration of healthy hematopoietic tissues.

Chemotherapy for leukemia is done in one of several ways:

• oral use of drugs;
• intravenous or transcatheter administration medicines;
• by injection into the cerebrospinal fluid or spine.

Worth knowing! All small patients and some adults use a special Ommaya reservoir for the procedure. This is a specific catheter implanted in the ventricles of the brain. The advantage of this method is its low invasiveness and minimum pain that accompanies the injection of chemotherapy drugs into the spinal column by injection.

Courses and drug regimens

Chemotherapy for leukemia is carried out in several cycles lasting 3-7 days, after which a certain break is made, allowing the body of a sick person to recover. During recovery period the bone marrow begins to produce healthy cells, and the patient's condition improves by reducing the influence of side effects. Anthracyclines (Daunorubicin) and antimetabolites (Cytarabine) are used to treat blood cancer.

Treatment of leukemia is usually carried out according to the following scheme:

1. administered for 7 days at a dose of 100-200 mg/m2/day by continuous IV infusion.
2. administered in the first 3 days of the course. The infusion of this chemotherapy drug should be an IV bolus, and the dosage is 45 mg/m2/day IV bolus.

Most often, leukemia requires 4 cycles of such therapy, during which the patient regularly donates blood, which allows the doctor to monitor the patient's condition.

rehabilitation period

After the chemotherapy treatment of leukemia, the patient's body needs to recover. The recovery period takes some time. Its duration is directly dependent on the type and dose of drugs, the individual tolerance of chemotherapy treatment, and the general health of the patient.

The rehabilitation course should include the following activities:

• psychological support;
• special dietary nutrition complex;
• therapeutic physical and respiratory gymnastics.

For some people, chemotherapy has a very strong effect, causing physical and nervous exhaustion. It is recommended that such patients take sick leave for the entire rehabilitation period or switch to part-time employment. To assess and monitor your condition, you need to regularly take blood tests.

Bone marrow transplant for leukemia

In the treatment of blood cancer, bone marrow transplantation is the best therapeutic measure, thanks to which a complete healing of a sick person is possible, since healthy hematopoietic tissues that have taken root begin to produce normally functioning blood cells.

Features of the procedure, indications and contraindications for transplantation

Treatment of leukemia with bone marrow transplantation can be done in 3 ways:

• cord blood transfusion;
• transplantation of hematopoietic tissue of the bone marrow;
• transplantation of stem cells from the bloodstream.

Depending on the method of obtaining biomaterial, 2 types of transplantation are distinguished:

• autotransplantation (the patient's own hematopoietic tissue);
• allogeneic, carried out by donor stem cells.

The main indication for such an operation in the treatment of blood cancer is a severe form of oncology and the ineffectiveness of other methods. Among the contraindications to transplantation are acute infectious processes, functional insufficiency of vital organs and poor general condition of the cancer patient.

Preparation and transplant

The transplantation method, which is used to treat leukemia, consists of 4 stages:

1. Preparatory. It lasts 1-2 weeks and consists in preparing for the upcoming procedure of the recipient's body, namely, an aggressive course of chemotherapy, during which the maximum number of hematopoietic tissue cells is destroyed.
2. The transplant procedure itself is similar to a blood transfusion.
3. Decreased immunity of a cancer patient.
4. Engraftment of stem cells.

rehabilitation period

Leukemia treatment does not end with bone marrow transplantation. For its successful engraftment, a long rehabilitation period is required, which begins immediately after the operation. All the time of rehabilitation (1.5-3 months) the patient is in the antibacterial chamber under the constant supervision of specialists. The operated person must be prescribed antiviral drugs and antibiotics that reduce the risk of infection entering the body, as well as symptomatic treatment that stops possible side effects. A patient can be discharged only if his body has not rejected the donor material within a certain time.

Use of radiotherapy for blood cancer

Radiation therapy for leukemia is prescribed quite rarely, but if specialists decide that it is necessary in the treatment of blood cancer, beams of ionizing rays are directed to the areas of location lymph nodes. Such a directed action aims to destroy as many mutated cells as possible, because it is in the lymph nodes that there are accumulations of atypical elements.

How often is radiation therapy used for leukemia, what is its benefit?

The treatment of leukemia with radiation is rarely prescribed, since its effectiveness in cancerous lesions of the blood has not been fully investigated. Basically, radiation therapy is used in cases where emergency destruction of abnormal cells is required - before bone marrow transplantation or a reduction in the size of a tumor that grows in the immediate vicinity of the trachea and exerts pressure on it, as a result of which a person's breathing is blocked.

Courses, how many should there be

Treatment of leukemia by irradiating mutated cells with ionizing rays is usually carried out for two weeks. During this time, 8-10 sessions are performed.

Rehabilitation after the treatment of leukemia with radiation therapy

Irradiation, like chemotherapy, has a negative effect on the body of a cancer patient, so the treatment of leukemia with the help of radiation rays should be accompanied by a number of rehabilitation measures, which include:

• avoidance of stressful situations;
• normalization of the daily routine;
• long walks;
• nutrition correction;
• phytotherapy.

Treatment of leukemia depending on the stage of spread of oncopathology

Treatment of leukemia is carried out by several methods, depending on the extent of the lesion and:

1. Preleukemia (hidden form). If the disease was detected at this stage, therapeutic measures are not required for the patient to have sufficient dynamic observation.
2. First attack (). At this stage, the treatment of leukemia is carried out with aggressive chemotherapy, which can be supplemented by radiation courses.
3. Remission (complete, incomplete). When the disease subsides, dynamic observation of the patient is continued, supplemented by symptomatic therapy that eliminates the negative signs present.
4. Secondary attack (relapse). If the disease has reached this stage, the only chance for survival is a bone marrow transplant.
5. End-stage leukemia. The final, incurable stage of the disease, in which all medical measures are reduced to palliative therapy, alleviating painful symptoms.

Where to treat blood cancer?

In the modern world, the questions of whether it is possible to cure and where to treat blood cancer become very acute, because every day the number of patients with leukemia of various ages and social groups is growing at an alarming rate. How to treat blood cancer is determined by oncologists and hematologists for each individual patient after various diagnostic methods and.

Some methods of treatment in the form of chemotherapy are carried out within the country, while only specialized clinics in Israel, Germany, the United States and other highly developed countries are engaged in bone marrow transplantation, and therefore the cost of treating blood cancer is very high. Not all countries provide support and provide state assistance in the treatment of oncology, and the vast majority of the costs associated with the fight against this disease falls on the shoulders of the patients themselves, their families and friends.

Informative video

By themselves, oncological blood diseases manifest themselves in different ways and have a fairly large number of symptoms, which can also indicate common diseases. That is why it is necessary to know together how blood cancer affects the human body in order to diagnose it in time and cure it later. Today we will learn how to identify blood cancer and much, much more.

What is blood cancer?

Usually this is a combination of various pathologies, due to which the hematopoietic system is completely suppressed, and as a result, healthy bone marrow cells are replaced by diseased ones. In this case, almost all cells can be replaced. Cancers in the blood usually divide and multiply rapidly, thereby replacing healthy cells.

There is both chronic blood cancer and acute leukemia, usually malignant neoplasm in the blood has different varieties according to the type of damage to certain groups of cells in the blood. It also depends on the aggressiveness of the cancer itself and the speed of its spread.

chronic leukemia

Usually, the disease mutates the leukocytes; when mutated, they become granular. The disease itself proceeds rather slowly. Later, as a result of the replacement of diseased leukocytes with healthy ones, the function of hematopoiesis is impaired.

Subspecies

• Megakaryocytic leukemia. The stem cell is modified, multiple pathologies appear in the bone marrow. Subsequently, diseased cells appear, which divide very quickly and fill the blood only with them. The number of platelets increases.
• Chronic myeloid leukemia. The most interesting thing is that men are more affected by this disease. The process begins after the mutation of bone marrow cells.
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This disease is asymptomatic at first. Leukocytes accumulate in the tissues of organs, and there are a lot of them.
• Chronic monocytic leukemia. This form does not increase the number of leukocytes, but it does increase the number of monocytes.

Acute leukemia

In general, there is already an increase in the number of blood cells, while they grow very quickly and divide rapidly. This type of cancer develops faster, which is why acute leukemia is considered a more severe form for the patient.

Subspecies

• Lymphoblastic leukemia. This oncological disease is more common in children from 1 to 6 years. In this case, lymphocytes are replaced by patients. It is accompanied by severe intoxication and a drop in immunity.
• Erythromyeloblastic leukemia. In the bone marrow, an increased growth rate of erythroblasts and normoblasts begins. The number of red cells increases.
• myeloid leukemia. Usually there is a breakdown at the level of DNA of blood cells. As a result, diseased cells completely crowd out healthy ones. At the same time, a deficiency of any of the main ones begins: leukocytes, platelets, erythrocytes.
• Megakaryoblastic leukemia. A rapid increase in the bone marrow of megakaryoblasts and undifferentiated blasts. In particular, it affects children with Down syndrome.
• monoblastic leukemia. During this disease, the temperature constantly rises and general intoxication of the body occurs in a patient with blood cancer.

Causes of blood cancer

As you probably know, blood is made up of several basic cells that perform their function. Red blood cells deliver oxygen to the tissues of the whole body, platelets allow clogging wounds and crevices, and white blood cells protect our body from antibodies and foreign organisms.

Cells are born in the bone marrow, and in the early stages are more susceptible to external factors. Any cell can turn into a cancer cell, which will subsequently divide and multiply endlessly. At the same time, these cells have a different structure and do not perform their function 100%.

The exact factors by which cell mutation can occur are not yet known to scientists, but there are some suspicions:

• Radiation and background radiation in cities.
• Ecology
• Chemical substances.
• Incorrect course of drugs and drugs.
• Bad nutrition.
• Severe illnesses such as HIV.
• Obesity.
• Smoking and alcohol.

Why is cancer dangerous? Cancer cells initially begin to mutate in the bone marrow, where they endlessly divide and take nutrients in healthy cells, plus releasing a large amount of waste products.

When there are too many of them, these cells already begin to spread through the blood to all tissues of the body. Blood cancer usually comes from two diagnoses: leukemia and lymphosarcoma. But the correct scientific name is still precisely “hemoblastosis”, that is, the tumor arose as a result of a mutation of hematopoietic cells.

Hemoblastoses that appear in the bone marrow are called leukemia. Previously, it was also called leukemia or leukemia - this is when a large number of immature leukocytes appear in the blood.

If the tumor originated outside the bone marrow, then it is called hematosarcoma. There is also a more rare disease of lymphocytoma - this is when the tumor affects mature lymphocytes. Blood cancer or hemablastosis has a poor course due to the fact that cancer cells can affect any organ, and in any form, the lesion will necessarily fall on the bone marrow.

Once metastases begin and the cancer cells spread to different types of tissue, they subsequently behave differently and the treatment itself becomes worse because of this. The fact is that each such cell perceives treatment in its own way and may respond differently to chemotherapy.

What is the difference between malignant blood cancer and benign? In fact benign tumors do not spread to other organs and the disease itself proceeds without symptoms. Malignant cells grow very quickly and metastasize even faster.

Symptoms of blood cancer

Consider the very first signs of blood cancer:

• Headaches, dizziness
• Bone pain and joint pain
• Aversion to food and smells
• The temperature rises without certain signs and diseases.
• General weakness and fatigue.
• Frequent infectious diseases.

The first symptoms of blood cancer can also indicate other diseases, which is why the patient rarely sees a doctor at this stage and loses a lot of time. Later, other symptoms may appear that relatives and friends pay attention to:

• Pallor
• Yellowness of the skin.
• Drowsiness
• Irritability
• Bleeding that does not stop for a long time.

In some cases, the lymph nodes of the liver and spleen may greatly increase, causing the abdomen to swell in size, there is a strong feeling of bloating. At later stages, a rash appears on the skin, and the mucous membranes in the mouth begin to bleed.

If the lymph nodes are affected, you will see their hard seal, but without painful symptoms. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor and do an ultrasound of the desired areas.

NOTE! Enlargement of the spleen of the liver may also be due to other infectious diseases, so an additional examination is necessary.

Diagnosis of blood cancer

How to recognize blood cancer in the early stages? Usually this disease is determined already at the first. Later, a puncture of the brain is done - a rather painful operation - using a thick needle, they pierce the pelvic bone and take a sample of the bone marrow.

Later, these analyzes are sent to the laboratory, where they look at the cells under a microscope and then say the result. In addition, you can do an analysis for tumor markers. In general, doctors conduct as many examinations as possible, even after the detection of the tumor itself.

But why? - the fact is that leukemia has a lot of varieties and each disease has its own character and is more sensitive to certain types of treatment - that is why you need to know what exactly the patient is ill with in order to understand the doctor how to properly treat blood cancer.

Stages of blood cancer

Usually, the division into stages allows the doctor to determine the size of the tumor, the degree of its involvement, as well as the presence of metastasis and the impact on distant tissues and organs.

1 stage

First, as a result of the failure of the immune system, mutant cells appear in the body, which have a different look and structure and are constantly dividing. In this phase, the cancer is treated quite easily and quickly.

2 stage

The cells themselves begin to flock and form tumor clots. This makes the treatment even more effective. Metastasis has not started yet.

3 stage

There are so many cancer cells that they first affect the lymphatic tissues, and then spread through the blood to all organs. Metastases are distributed throughout the body.

4 stage

Metastases began to deeply affect other organs. The effectiveness of chemotherapy is significantly reduced due to the fact that other tumors begin to react differently to the same chemical reagent. Pathology in women can spread to the genitals, uterus and mammary glands.

How is blood cancer treated?

Chemotherapy is usually used to treat this disease. With the help of a needle, chemicals are injected into the blood, which are aimed directly at the cancer cells. It is clear that other cells also suffer, resulting in: hair loss, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, decreased immunity and anemia.

The problem with this therapy is that, of course, the reagents themselves are aimed at destroying only cancer cells, but they are very similar to our own. And later they can mutate and change their properties, due to which any reagent simply ceases to work. As a result, more toxic substances are used that already adversely affect the body itself.

Malignant blood disease is a very nasty disease, and compared to other tumors, it is very fast, so if it is not diagnosed and treated in time, the patient dies within 5 months.

There is another pretty dangerous method treatment when a bone marrow transplant is in progress. At the same time, with the help of chemotherapy, the bone marrow of the patient is completely destroyed in order to completely destroy the cancer cells.

NOTE! Dear readers, remember that no healers and healers can help you cure this ailment, and since it develops very quickly, you definitely need to see a doctor on time. At the same time, you can use: vitamins, decoctions of herbs of chamomile, yarrow, sea buckthorn oil - they have anti-inflammatory properties and will help stop the blood if something happens. Do not use folk remedies type: tinctures of fly agaric, hemlock, celandine and other agents with sending substances. You must understand that in this case the patient's body has a very weakened effect, and this can simply finish him off.

Can we cure blood cancer or not?

Can blood cancer be cured? It all depends on the degree and stage of cancer, as well as on the type itself. In acute leukemia, the disease is usually very aggressive and fast - doctors need more chemotherapy courses, so in this case the prognosis is more sad. For Chronic leukemia, things are much rosier, as the disease spreads and develops less quickly.

blood cancer in children

In fact, this disease is quite common in young patients from 1 to 5 years. This is mainly due to the radiation that mothers receive during pregnancy, as well as with a genetic disorder inside the child.

In this case, the disease proceeds in the same way as in adults, with all the accompanying symptoms. The difference is that children are much more susceptible to recovery - this is due to the fact that the regeneration of cells and tissues in babies is at a much higher level than in adults.

20.10.2018

One of the insidious diseases is blood cancer. Even at the 4th stage, it is difficult to find and see, they are in the blood and circulate throughout the body.

Cancer cells that have arisen from one malignant cell begin to multiply intensively, provoking the appearance of specific white bodies in the blood. They suppress and crowd out healthy blood cells.

Their number is decreasing before the disease called "leukemia". This disease is manifested by the lack of healthy cells in the blood, children are susceptible to it. But their doctors achieve 95% stable remission, in adults - 15-20%.

Causes of blood cancer

There are three types of blood cancer:

1. Leukemia is malignant changes in blood cells.
2. Lymphoma is a malignant tumor in the lymphatic system.
3. Myeloma - malignant formations in the blood plasma.

The life expectancy of patients with leukemia depends on the form of the disease: acute or chronic. Analyzes and examinations do not allow doctors to determine the form of the disease.

Symptoms of blood cancer

• General weakness, lethargy, shortness of breath and fatigue.
• Bleeding gums, frequent discharge from the nose with blood.
• Fever, chills, increased susceptibility to any infection.
• Increased sweating, especially at night.
• Rapid weight loss, nausea, anorexia.
• Enlarged liver and lymph nodes.
• Abdominal pain and enlargement.
• Aches and pains in the joints, back.
• Dizziness, distraction, blurred vision.
• Rash and dark spots (bruises, bruises) on the skin.
• Frequent urge and difficulty urinating.
• Cough, shortness of breath, pale skin.

In the disease, cancer cells accumulate in the bone marrow, crowding out normal blood-forming cells. A blood test will show the lack of cells necessary for normal life. Leukemia cells, penetrating with the bloodstream into different organs, exacerbate clinical symptoms.

Flaw erythrocytes, which supply oxygen to cells, causes fatigue and weakness, headaches, inability to concentrate, and fever. Leukocytes ensure the normal functioning of the immune system. Their deficiency causes susceptibility to any infection.

Leukemia cells also spread to other parts of the body. At the same time, lymph nodes (under the arms, on the neck), liver, spleen, abdomen, and joints increase. There is a cough, shortness of breath, headaches, joint pain, rash and dark spots on the skin, face and hands swell, appetite disappears. With the accumulation of malignant cells in the spinal cord and brain, neurological reactions may occur.

Types of blood cancer

Malignant blood diseases are classified:

According to the speed of development:

1. Acute leukemia.
2. Chronic blood cancer.

By type of affected hematopoietic cells:

1. Leukemia
2. erythremia
3. Hematosarcomas (lymphoma, lymphosarcoma)

Acute leukemia arises from immature blood cells and progresses rapidly, resulting in an aggressive course of the disease. It is usually observed at a young (up to 30 years) age.

Chronic leukemia is a violation of the hematopoietic system, a mutation of mature leukocytes and their gradual displacement of healthy bone marrow cells, which leads to a deterioration in hematopoiesis. It proceeds slowly, at the beginning of the process it is almost asymptomatic. It leads to the formation of secondary tumors in the lymph nodes, liver and spleen with further damage to the whole organism.

Hematosarcoma - arises from hematopoietic cells malignant tumor outside the bone marrow, passing to the lymph nodes. In the future, metastases penetrate into the bone marrow and other organs.

In children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is more often recorded (in a third of cases). At the age of 2 to 5 years, it is diagnosed in patients with genetic disorders, hereditary predisposition or exposed to ionizing radiation. The first manifestations of a blood disease: weakness, sweating, pallor, absent-mindedness, fatigue, memory impairment, causeless temperature fluctuations, bleeding, dizziness and sleep disturbance.

In the future, there may be observed: blood from the nose, rash and spots on the skin, joint pain, enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, liver.

Diagnosis of blood cancer

It is necessary to carry out examinations prescribed by a doctor, which include:

• blood test (general and detailed);
• blood chemistry;
• computed tomography of the head and abdomen;
• chest x-ray;
• bone marrow biopsy.

Examinations are necessary for the correct diagnosis, determining the type of disease, the degree of damage to the bone marrow, how aggressive the process of the disease is. It is important to outline a strategy of action and the right tactics to combat the disease.

Treatment of blood cancer

Chemotherapy is the main treatment for blood cancer. Cytotoxic drugs are used. Six months of treatment is inpatient, then outpatient. The first weeks of continuous intravenous and intra-arterial administration of solutions of prescribed drugs. The duration of treatment is at least 2 years.

Stem cell transplantation can be done to enhance the healing process after chemotherapy. These cells are extracted not only from the bone marrow, but from the blood of a donor. The transplanted stem cells create the normal blood cells lost during chemotherapy. The procedure is exhausting and comes with some risks, but it can be beneficial.

If it is possible to destroy the tumor, an infusion of donor blood is performed to replenish the patient's red blood cells and platelets. In some cases, radiation therapy is used to consolidate a positive result. It is necessary to observe the strictest regime, to exclude contact of the patient with the outside world in order to avoid infection. If a relapse occurs, a bone marrow transplant may be offered. The effectiveness of this operation depends on the compatibility of the blood of the donor and the patient.

At different stages of the disease, leukemia manifests itself differently. Life expectancy directly depends on the stage of the disease and the type of leukemia. Rarely, blood cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, as the symptoms are similar to other, less dangerous conditions. When leukemia enters the 4th stage, it is no longer possible to help the patient.

The process becomes almost irreversible. The cell mutation proceeds rapidly and irresistibly, all human organs and tissues are damaged. Survival rate - 5%. Life expectancy is very short. It is difficult to answer the question of how many people live with blood cancer. Much depends on the characteristics of the patient's body, the stage of leukemia, the effectiveness of the treatment method.

Survival in leukemia

If we talk about blood cancer, how long people live, then doctors give a prognosis for 5-10 years, this does not mean that remission cannot last longer. For each person, this is an individual indicator. It all depends on the body's response to treatment, the type and stage of leukemia, and the tendency of the tumor to develop.

Leukemia, life prognosis

Adults live 5 years, some are completely cured - about 40%. With relapse (secondary leukemia), a certain percentage of patients achieve repeated remission.

Five-year survival: 22% in men, 26% in women. The figures are higher at the age of 30-49 (67%), lower after the age of 80 (23%).

Survival with combined treatment:

• men - survival rate 1 year -71%, 5 years - 54%; 10 years - 48%;
• women: 1 year - 66%, 5 years - 49%, 10 years - 44%.

Compared to 1990, the current survival rate has increased by 7%. 4 out of 10 people are completely cured (2014 data).

Patients with chronic leukemia have a better prognosis than those with acute leukemia. Acute proceeds rapidly, is difficult to treat, and in 85% of cases lymphoblastic leukemia passes.

Recovery from blood cancer proper treatment may occur in 60-95% of cases. Patients with leukemia can live long years, patients achieve stable remission and lead a normal life. The prognosis for children is favorable with proper treatment.

blood cancer called a whole group of diseases, which are characterized by malignant degeneration of cells. This is an outdated name for leukemia, which was previously called leukemia.

They are usually classified:

• by origin,
• according to which blood cells and their blasts are affected by the pathological process;
• by the rate of progression;
• according to the degree of quantitative and qualitative changes reflected in the leukocyte formula.

Types of blood cancer

Often, under the definition of “blood cancer, two groups of diseases are combined:

• leukemia;
• tumors of the lymphatic system, including lymph nodes, tonsils, ducts, lymphoid tissue gastrointestinal tract etc.

The most common forms of blood cancer are:

• leukemia, or malignant degeneration of blood cells;
• myeloma - neoplasms in the blood plasma;
• lymphoma is a malignant tumor in the lymphatic system.

In the first two types of the disease, the pathological process occurs in the bone marrow and leads to a violation of its function of synthesizing varieties of blood cells in a normal form. These include leukocytes, platelets and erythrocytes.

Bone marrow damage causes:

• frequent occurrence of infectious diseases;
• anemia
• the formation of bruises, bruises.

With myeloma, the production of a special substance begins, which weakens the skeletal system and has a stimulating effect on the production of proteins that negatively affect vital organs and systems.

In lymphoma, it primarily affects lymphatic system, which leads to a significant decrease in the body's defenses and the ability to resist various diseases.

According to the form of the course, blood cancer is acute and chronic.

The acute form in most cases leads to the death of the patient a few weeks or months after the onset of the pathological process.

Causes of leukemia

The exact cause of the development of this serious disease is still unclear. Often it affects babies up to 5-7 years old, it is often found in the elderly, as well as in those working in hazardous industries.

There are some factors that provoke the development of pathology:

1. The impact of ionizing radiation - among radiologists, people working in enterprises with increased radiation hazard (for example, nuclear power plants) or living near such facilities or radioactive waste disposal sites.
2. Genetic predisposition: if parents or close relatives have blood cancer, the likelihood of developing it increases by 40%. oncological diseases– by 8%.
3. The influence of mutagenic and harmful substances: alcohol, cigarette smoke, nicotine, certain drugs, paints and varnishes.
4. The entry of viruses into the body that contribute to the degeneration of bone marrow and blood cells.
5. Genetic pathologies - for example, Down's syndrome.

Some blood cancers may also be associated with the following:

1. Unhealthy food. Presence in the diet a large number fatty, salty, smoked, pickled foods, semi-finished products, sausages with the addition of preservatives, nitrates, nitrites, flavors, dyes leads to slagging and intoxication of the body and significantly increases the risk of malignant degeneration of cells.
2. Promiscuous sex life.
3. Exposure to chemicals (benzene, etc.).
4. Blood disorders such as myelodysplastic syndrome.
5. The presence of hepatitis B and C and some other diseases.

Symptoms of the disease

Features of the course of blood cancer and its symptoms vary depending on the specific form of the process. At an early stage, there may be:

• fast fatiguability;
• feeling of weakness;
• apathy;
• general malaise;
• heat;
• disruption of the digestive system;
• enlargement of the spleen and liver;
• anemia;
• nausea;
• frequent infectious diseases;
• swollen lymph nodes.

As the pathology progresses, the following appear:

• bleeding of mucous membranes;
• cachexia;
• signs of hemorrhagic diathesis;
• bleeding from the gums, nose;
• excessive sweating, especially at night;
• weight loss;
• anorexia;
• headache;
• bloating due to an increase in the abdominal cavity;
• pain in the abdomen, bones, back;
• decreased visual acuity;
• inability to concentrate;
• the appearance of a rash on the skin, dark small spots;
• decrease in the amount of urine excreted;
• difficulty urinating;
• cyanosis of lips, nails;
• anxiety;
• fainting;
• severe uncontrolled bleeding.

Changes also affect the cardiovascular system. In the later stages are fixed:

• severe pain in the region of the heart;
• feeling of pressure and tightness in the chest;
• palpitation (irregular rhythm);
• tachycardia;

From the side respiratory system observed:

• dyspnea;
• hoarse labored breathing.

The clinical picture depends on the specific form of cancer.

For leukemia characteristic:

• anemia;
• recurrent infectious diseases;
• pain in bones and joints;
• difficulty breathing.

At lymphoma symptoms vary depending on the location of the tumor. It can be in the armpit, on the neck, or in the groin.

With myeloma appear:

• bleeding from the gums and nose;
• bleeding cuts, abrasions and other skin lesions.

Can blood cancer be cured?

The prognosis for this treatment dangerous disease may be favorable for early diagnosis, strictly following the instructions and passing all the necessary procedures.

Methods are used such as:

• chemotherapy;
• taking corticosteroids;
• well antiviral drugs and antibiotics;
• bone marrow transplantation;
• the use of immunomodulators to increase the body's defenses.

by the most effective ways are chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.

Chemotherapy

This is the main treatment for blood cancer. Its essence is the use of the strongest medicines to destroy cancer cells.

Refusal of a course of chemotherapy can almost be equated to signing a death warrant for yourself: the patient has no chance.

The process is complex and lengthy. Within six months, patients are injected with chemicals in huge doses, which lead to the complete destruction of leukocytes. Their absence in the body causes a significant increase in vulnerability, susceptibility and sensitivity to any pathogens, infections. Patients are isolated from the outside world. Inpatient treatment is prescribed.

After the completion of the main complex, measures are taken to consolidate the result, including a number of complex medical procedures. Often there is a need for radiation therapy of the brain.

Chemotherapy leads to very serious consequences for the body. As a result of exposure to the strongest drugs, the following changes occur:

• hair follicles are damaged and mostly die;
• the activity of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted;
• bone marrow cells are significantly damaged;
• the reproductive system suffers.

Bone marrow transplantation

This operation is possible only in the presence of a bone marrow donor. They can be the next of kin or a person with compatible blood counts. The chances of recovery and life extension increase in direct proportion to the number of matches in the blood.

The essence of the process is the destruction of all bone marrow cells in the patient, followed by the introduction of a concentrate of donor cells through a dropper. The procedure is very difficult and dangerous. As a result of its implementation, immunity is sharply reduced, and patients need long-term (up to 3 or more months) observation. Transplantation is prescribed exclusively according to indications - in most cases, young patients.

In addition, it is exceptionally expensive: the cost of transplantation ranges from 130 to 170 thousand euros.

Or a disease of the bone marrow develops from just one cell, uncontrollably dividing in a short period of time. As a result, it begins to grow in the form of a tumor, displacing all normal cells. The tumor seems to be dispersed throughout the bone marrow, and the cells with the outflow of blood begin to circulate and spread to the pelvic bones, the inner part of the sternum.

Why blood cancer develops

All functions and organs in the body are closely interconnected. Universal cages:

• erythrocytes, as helpers of the immune system, after nucleation and maturation in the bone marrow, begin to travel around the body and saturate all cells with oxygen
• leukocytes - perform a protective function against the invasion of microbes and viruses
• platelets - maintain the integrity of the blood composition, stop bleeding if necessary.

A number of provoking factors (chemical reagents, radiation, radiation, immunodeficiency virus) can lead to a trigger mechanism when one of the cells begins to lose contact with all the others, in particular with the body, divide uncontrollably, thereby reviving new carcinogenic cells.

As a result, they begin to occupy a large part in the bone marrow, and when there is nowhere to go, they go beyond the bloodstream, penetrate into other organs and tissues, forming colonies in the liver, heart, lymph nodes, kidneys, brain, lungs.

How is the treatment carried out

Today, not only Israeli and German doctors, but also our Moscow and St. Petersburg doctors are engaged in the treatment of blood cancer. Leukemia is not a sentence, as they thought 10 years ago, and when asked whether cancer can be cured, they say with confidence - “yes”.

The main treatment is chemotherapeutic with the appointment of anticancer drugs to suppress the growth of cancer cells, inhibiting their main functions. It is malignant cells and tissues that are capable of rapidly dividing, so doctors try to select drugs in a complex aimed at suppressing and destroying pathological cells.

Chemotherapy remains an indispensable procedure to this day, and patients must repeat courses for several years as maintenance therapy. This is extremely important, since it is simply impossible to destroy all malignant cells in the body at once.

Blood cancer and treatment at the initial stage - stationary. Of course, chemotherapy leads to hair loss, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, anemia, depression reproductive functions immune system, but unfortunately, doctors have not yet come up with a different way to fight blood cancer.

Today the latest drugs against cancer are being developed, which could not affect the entire body as a whole, but specifically on a cancerous tumor. It remains to be hoped that the patients still wait longer effective treatment drugs that can cure blood cancer and give a greater chance of survival.

If the patient is doomed, then only bone marrow transplantation, which is usually performed on children and adolescents with a genetic hereditary predisposition, will save.

This is an excellent alternative to long-term and merciless courses of chemotherapy, but a rather complicated, expensive and dangerous operation (according to doctors) is fraught with infection of the brain at the time of removal of pathological cells from the brain, and it is not so easy to find a suitable donor today.

Thanks to the latest technologies Bone marrow transplantation is also acceptable today for adults, when the tumor-like body can no longer be eradicated in any other way. At the same time, pathological cells circulate in almost all vessels, and have spread to literally the entire body.

Blood cancer is a serious form of oncology and requires far from a single course of chemotherapy, in particular subsequent long-term rehabilitation. Although, according to many doctors, it is possible to cure cancer today if you believe and strive to live on.

How to recognize blood cancer

The concept of blood cancer refers to several diseases in the hematopoietic system at once. All of them are somewhat different from each other, proceed in different ways and, of course, are treated in a special way. On initial stage leukemia patient begins to complain of dizziness, vomiting, motion sickness when moving like "seasickness". If you do not treat the disease and do not take any measures, then with leukemia at a late stage will appear:

• bluishness on the lips and nails
• pain in the heart
• feeling of tightness in the chest
• rapid forced heartbeat
• temperature increase up to 38-39 gr
• tachycardia
• increased heart rate
• dysfunction in the respiratory system
• hoarseness
• labored breathing
• severe convulsions
• bleeding that cannot be stopped.

The appearance of a tumor in the hematopoietic system is a rather mysterious phenomenon. Sometimes people who do not have any previous risk factors get sick. That's why it's so important to lead healthy lifestyle life, to be examined in a timely manner at least 1 time in 0.5 years.

Stage 4 blood cancer is considered the most dangerous, when cells force and grow almost throughout the body, penetrating into neighboring healthy organs and tissues, metastasizing to distant foci. It is noted at the same time fast growth a tumor that cannot be stopped, further leads to damage to the bones, lungs, meninges, possibly to the formation of fatal pancreatic cancer.

blood cancer in children

IN childhood up to 6 years of age, boys are more likely to get blood cancer. Can cause disease hereditary factor, or radiation teaching a baby still in the womb, when children have in their blood:

• blanching of the body
• weakness
• drowsiness
• nausea
• joint and bone pain
• excessive fatigue
• enlargement of the spleen, liver and lymph nodes in size
• decreased appetite and body weight indexation.

The disease develops secretly, like a sore throat with the appearance of bleeding gums and from the nasal cavity, as well as rashes on the skin. The children's cancer process develops more often in a chronic form, and the clinical symptoms are not at all characteristic and short-lived.

In the cell substrate during the diagnosis, immature cells are detected, as in the acute stage of leukemia, forming colonies and a large tumor-like body. With the addition of neurological symptoms against the background of disorders in the brain tissues and membranes in children:

• dizzy and migraine-like headache
• diagnosed with neuroleukemia, difficult to treat.

Only a selection of medical preparations by specialists in the complex will allow children to achieve a stage of remission.

Diagnostics

A complete blood count is one of the defining methods for diagnosing cancer. Allows you to identify the nature and degree of development of the tumor body.

Additionally carried out:

• puncture sampling from the bone marrow for examination of the composition under a microscope
• cytology to identify the type of tumor, the degree of spread in the bone marrow
• biochemical analysis
• immunohistochemistry to determine the nature of the tumor, the number and sensitivity of protein cells to certain administered drugs.

Blood cancer is treated in combination, in combination with drugs, taking into account the nature and degree of development of the tumor, the presence of metastases.

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