Leukemia

Introduction

Leukemia is a blood cancer involving the abnormal reproduction of white blood cells.

Normal WBCs flush out bacteria, viruses, and fungus from your body. But in leukemia, WBCs don’t work as they should. They develop excessively and crowd out red blood cells and platelets.

Common symptoms are:

  • Anemia: tiredness, weakness, fatigue
  • Poor blood clotting: people with leukemia bruise or bleed easily
  • Excessive sweating, in particular at night time (referred to as “night sweats”)
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Tenderness in the bones
  • Enlarged however painless lymph nodes (in neck and armpits)
  • Petechiae (red spots) at the pores and skin due to expansion of the liver or spleen
  • Frequent fever or chills
  • Recurring infections
  • Exposure to radiation, chemicals or carcinogens
  • Smoking history
  • History of chemotherapy or radiation therapy
  • Have been identified with a genetic disease which includes Down syndrome

Your physician may conduct a:

  • Complete blood count (CBC): This test examines the quantity and maturity of diverse blood cell types. A blood smear looks for cells which can be atypical or immature.
  • Biopsy of the bone marrow: A massive needle will be used to extract marrow out of your pelvic bone for this test. It can tell your physician approximately the kind of leukemia you have and the severity of your circumstance.
  • Spinal tap: In this test, fluid surrounding the spinal cord is withdrawn and checked for cancer cells. It can tell your physician in case your leukemia has stepped forward to the brain.
  • Imaging tests: CT, MRI, and PET scans can detect the spread of the condition to different parts of the body.

Treatment for the condition might rely upon the kind of leukemia the patient is diagnosed with. Common treatment options are:

  • Chemotherapy: For leukemia patients, chemotherapy treatment is administered through tablet or intravenously (through the vein). The drugs utilized in each of these techniques will kill the most cancer cells present in the blood and bone marrow.
  • Biologic therapy: Biologic therapy, additionally referred to as immunotherapy, assists the affected person’s immune system to fight and attack most cancer cells. The drugs used in this remedy will enhance the body’s natural defences.
  • Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy targets unique genes and proteins which can be involved in the growth and survival of most cancer cells. It prevents cells from living longer than normal and destroys most cancer cells.
  • Stem cell transplant: Cancers like leukemia can damage stem cells. In a stem cell transplant, patients receive new cells so that it will progressively develop into new, healthy blood cells and will replace damaged stem cells.
  • Radiation in selected patients: Radiotherapy treats leukemia by damaging the DNA (the genetic material) of cancerous cells and limits their growth and reproduction.

Patients are our number one priority. We are committed to their health and wellbeing. It is this dedication that guides us to give our very best, and our multidisciplinary team of trained professionals work together to ensure quality care. If you’re showing any symptoms of Leukemia listed above, consult the team of experts at Haemato Oncology Care Centre (HOCC) without any delay.

Because Blood Count Matters, Count On Us.