13 Blood Cancer Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore

Blood cancer, leukemia, leukemia or leukemia - these names define a type of malignant tumor that affects the bone marrow and is characterized by a high rate of metastasis. The disease is most often diagnosed in older people and children. A tumor occurs in the bone marrow as a result of the replacement of normal hematopoietic cells with malignant ones. This leads to disruption of the normal functioning of the hematopoietic system. The body stops producing platelets, leukocytes and red blood cells in the quantities necessary for life, producing white blood cells instead.

In the acute form of the disease, which occurs in children in 95% of cases, cells called blasts mutate. In the chronic form of leukemia, they degenerate into malignant mature blood cells. With the appearance of metastases, lymph nodes, kidneys, lungs, spleen, liver, etc. are affected.

Healthy organ tissue is gradually displaced, which leads to the following complications:

the likelihood of developing infections increases;
anemia appears;
the risk of hemorrhage increases.

Classification

According to the nature of the flow, the following are distinguished:

acute form of blood cancer with characteristic transience, headaches and convulsions, vomiting, bruising on the skin, weakness and decreased vitality;
a chronic form with a slow course, weakness, bleeding gums, weight loss, increased body temperature, and frequent infectious diseases.

Chronic and acute forms of leukemia do not flow into one another.

According to the features of the clinical picture, the following are distinguished:

Lymphocytic leukemia, occurring in most cases in children 2-8 years old (boys - 80% of cases). The main reasons: genetic predisposition, infection of the mother during pregnancy. Symptoms of lymphocytic leukemia:

enlarged lymph nodes, pale skin, breathing problems;
sudden weight loss, fatigue, weakness;
hardening or change in the size of the testicles;
the appearance of ulcers when the skin is injured.

Acute myeloid leukemia most often develops after age 50. The cause is DNA defects in immature bone marrow cells. The symptoms of the disease are:

dizzy, feeling weak and unwell;
no appetite;
pain appears in the joints and bones;
Infectious diseases are becoming more frequent;
increased bleeding is observed.

Acute monoblastic leukemia is diagnosed quite rarely. It can occur in a chronic or acute form. Main symptoms:

enlarged lymph nodes;
the appearance of scattered hemorrhages on the body;
enlargement and hyperemia of the testicles in men;
pale skin;
abdominal pain and a feeling of heaviness in the liver area;
stomatitis;
arthralgia.

Multiple myeloma most often affects people over 43 years of age. The disease manifests itself as anemia, frequent bacterial infections, arthralgia, fractures, and bleeding.

Chronic myelocytic cancer in adults is diagnosed mainly in men 27-50 years old. The course is long-lasting and asymptomatic. Main symptoms:

feeling of aching bones;
weight loss, nausea and vomiting, discomfort and pain in the abdominal cavity;
body temperature rises, shortness of breath is observed;
Lymph nodes enlarge, dizziness and headaches are observed.

Lymphocytic cancer is practically asymptomatic. The main manifestations are:

frequent infections;
discomfort in the liver area;
enlarged lymph nodes;
sweating and weakness.

Monocyte chronic blood oncopathology is diagnosed more often in patients over 57 years of age. The course is practically asymptomatic.

What is blood leukemia - symptoms and characteristics

04.09.2021

The bone marrow copes with one of the most complex functions performed by the body as a whole. He is responsible for hematopoiesis.

If, for some reason, cells undergo uncharacteristic changes, they acquire cancerous properties and actively divide and

spread throughout the body. After some time, the mutated cells destroy healthy ones, as a result of which it develops

oncological disease. Despite the high number of deaths, cancer can be cured, especially in children.

The main difficulty is that due to the long-term absence of symptoms of leukemia, it is difficult to diagnose it in time.

Therefore, unfortunately, cancer discovered in late stages, when nothing can be done.

What is blood leukemia - symptoms and characteristics

This disease is a symbiosis of several ailments. Leukemia is not one neoplasm, but a very large number of altered blood vessels

cells, it quickly affects all internal organs. Therefore, it is very difficult to understand in time that a patient has leukemia.

The disease is accompanied by the following symptoms:

migraine;
joint dysfunction ;
pale skin;
persistent colds and infections;
severe bleeding due to minor cuts;
unexplained weakness.

Leukemia, based on the nature of its effect on the body, is divided into acute and chronic. An additional classification is based on the type of mutated cells.

Manifestations of the disease depend on its forms.

Acute leukemia. The cause of this disease is pathogenic changes in blasts - blood that have not yet had time to mature.

Characteristic signs: bone and joint pain, flu-like symptoms, including fever; bleeding; the appearance of bruises and hematomas

unknown origin; spots on the skin that turn red or purple; exhaustion; enlarged lymph nodes.

If another type of leukemia appears, lymphoblastic or myeloid , additional symptoms will be an increase in internal organs -

liver and spleen. These two types of illness most often develop in boys who are not yet 6 years old.

Chronic leukemia. During the disease period, cells mutate either during maturation or when they are fully formed. Chronic

leukemia is characterized by increased levels of white blood cells in the blood and bone marrow . This disease can last for 20(!) years.

It affects, to a greater extent, not very young people. Why does chronic leukemia develop? In the first couple of days it manifests itself as rapid fatigue and

slightly enlarged lymph nodes, which many do not pay attention to. By doing this, people give the disease a chance to progress and develop.

In the final stages of leukemia, the following symptoms appear: anemia, constant weakness, elevated body temperature that cannot be brought down,

as well as sweating. The disease may be accompanied by heaviness in the right side, sudden weight loss and reluctance to eat food.

There is another type of leukemia - monocytic. It is not similar to any of the above species as it has only one symptom -

anemia, which can be detected by a blood or during a routine doctor's .

A rare type blood cancer is hairy cell leukemia, the symptoms of which appear after a very long period of time. The disease develops

slowly, it affects, to a greater extent, men who have lived over 50 years. Its peculiarity is that this disease affects the spleen, as a result

causing the organ to significantly increase in size. Other signs include decreased appetite and profuse night sweats.

You need to know that the acute form of leukemia does not become chronic, and it, in turn, does not have periods of exacerbation. Because of this, the return of leukemia

impossible, and symptoms that become stronger over time indicate the progression of the disease and a decrease in the number of healthy cells.

Published in Oncology Premium Clinic

Causes

The main reasons due to which this oncopathology may occur are:

genetic predisposition;
severe viral diseases that led to weakening of the body;
ionizing radiation;
medications, long-term use of antibiotics, chemicals (polymer materials, paints, varnishes, household chemicals);
frequent stress.

But modern diagnostics show that oncology may have nothing to do with risk factors. There are cases when diagnostics revealed pathology in a person who had no apparent reason for the development of the disease.

Types of leukemia

More than half of all cases are acute leukemia of various forms, characterized by an aggressive increase in the number of poorly differentiated blast (immature) cells.

Chronic leukemia develops slowly, over several years, is found mainly in people over 40 years of age; in childhood, adolescence and adulthood, the development of the disease has its own characteristics.

In blood cancer, the stages differ from the gradation traditional for most malignant tumors, since cancer cells in this case immediately spread through the circulatory system throughout the body. However, during the development of the disease, the following stages are distinguished:

initial - asymptomatic;
expanded - symptoms of impaired hematopoietic processes appear;
remission, complete or incomplete, when symptoms disappear or become less pronounced;
relapse - the influence of malignant processes manifests itself again;
terminal stage - the functioning of all important organs is disrupted, cure is almost impossible.

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Symptoms and signs of leukemia

A feature of blood cancer is the similarity of symptoms, especially in the early stages, with other diseases. Among them:

fatigue, weakness, decreased vitality and immunity;
the appearance of bruises on the body with minor mechanical impact;
frequent rashes of unknown etiology, poor wound healing;
enlargement of the liver, spleen and other organs;
pain in bones and joints;
memory impairment, insomnia or drowsiness;
decreased hemoglobin level, anemia.

Provided timely treatment, the doctor can prescribe effective therapy and cure the disease.

The following signs indicate the transition of the disease to a severe stage:

weight is significantly reduced;
mucous membranes often bleed;
the skin turns yellow or becomes very pale;
wounds heal poorly or fester;
There is bloating and pain in the hypochondrium.

The formation of dense subcutaneous nodes (lymphatic tissue tumors) in the areas of natural folds helps determine blood cancer in children.

Causes and risk factors for developing blood cancer

Factors that contribute to the development of blood cancer are:

Ionizing radiation (radiation therapy, for example)
Carcinogens and chemicals (varnishes, paints, petroleum products, some medications)
Bad habits: smoking, alcohol (in people who smoke, the risk increases by about 15%)
Heredity (if blood cancer is present in family members, the risk is increased by 30-40%)
Genetic diseases (for example, Down syndrome)
Viruses (some viruses that change the DNA structure of cells can cause blood cancer)

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When to see a doctor

You should seek help from an oncohematologist if your health condition worsens if the following symptoms and signs are present:

a sharp deterioration in health;
unreasonable increase in body temperature;
the appearance of rashes and bruises on the body;
poor wound healing;
pain in bones and joints;
symptoms of anemia;
hemoglobin levels and immunity are reduced.

Signs of deteriorating health in any case are a reason to contact the oncology center so that the doctor can prescribe additional tests and adjust the treatment.

Diagnosis of leukemia in the oncology center

Diagnosis of leukemia in the oncology center, located at 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskaya Lane, is carried out in several stages:

initial examination by a doctor with medical history;
general and biochemical blood test;
taking tests using modern diagnostic techniques: MRI, ultrasound, PET/CT, radiography, scintigraphy, SPECT.

One of the most informative diagnostic methods is bone marrow puncture (immunohistochemistry of punctate, cytochemical and cytogenetic analyses).

Highly qualified oncology specialists use the latest diagnostic equipment, which guarantees high diagnostic accuracy and safety for patients.

Treatment

Leukemia

Therapy is carried out in several stages:

Destroying a large number of cancer cells. To achieve this, high doses of chemotherapy drugs are used. The body is exposed to a large toxic effect, which arises from the drugs themselves and from the toxins that are released during the disintegration of the tumor. This stage is called induction of remission.
A course of maintenance chemotherapy, the drugs here are less toxic, but they do not allow the tumor to grow again. This stage is called consolidation of remission.
A repeated course of highly toxic chemotherapy drugs in order to destroy the maximum number of tumor cells. This stage is called reinduction of remission.
The last stage using cytostatic drugs is the stage of maintenance therapy. It is designed to destroy remaining cancer cells.

In the case of an aggressive form of leukemia, a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant is necessary. Cells are obtained from the patient himself at the stage of consolidation of remission. If it is impossible to collect cells from the patient himself, a donor is needed, which complicates this procedure.

Myeloma

Treatment of this disease depends on the stage and aggressiveness of the process. They resort to the use of local radiation therapy, cytostatic drugs, prescribe glucocorticoids and symptomatic therapy.

Lymphoma

For Hodgkin's lymphoma, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are used in various combinations. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. They resort to bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.

Blood cancer in all its manifestations is the most difficult to diagnose and treat; courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy are selected individually, with accompanying treatment of side effects. As with all cancers, prompt specialized care is required, which includes diagnosis, drawing up a treatment plan, carrying out the necessary procedures, eliminating side effects, supportive therapy and psychological assistance. Prognosis for blood cancer depends on the timeliness of the actions of the patient and the doctor; EuroCityClinic specialists will help you not to miss time and receive highly qualified care.

Treatment of blood cancer at the oncology center

When developing tactics in the treatment of blood cancer, the type of pathology and individual characteristics of the patient are taken into account. Oncology doctors provide effective treatment using the following methods:

chemotherapy, which is the process of introducing chemical drugs into the body that have a destructive effect on the tumor, using innovative syringe and infusion pumps;
targeted drug therapy, during which only tumor cells are destroyed;
radiation therapy (radiotherapy).

Stages of blood cancer:

Stage 1 – an increased number of granular leukocytes is observed in the blood.

Stage 2 – rapid division of abnormal cells, during which tumor mass accumulates in the blood.

Stage 3 – rapid growth of the tumor mass. Blast cells travel with lymph and blood throughout the body and form metastases in nearby organs.

Stage 4 – the appearance of malignant tissues in various organs.

Treating oncology under compulsory medical insurance – what is needed for this?

You can receive FREE medical care at the Oncology Center under the State Guarantee Program of Compulsory Medical Insurance (Compulsory Medical Insurance) and High-Tech Medical Care.

The service is valid for all Russian citizens.

To find out more details, as well as for what nosologies and services this program works, please call +7, or you can read in more detail here.

Treatment and diagnosis of oncology are expensive medical services. The examinations alone cost a lot of money, and this is only the beginning of an already difficult path. Therefore, many patients are forced to postpone cancer treatment, since financial losses can literally ruin them. In this regard, the Sofia Clinic offers a number of services under the health insurance policy. Free cancer treatment under compulsory medical insurance is available to all Russian citizens. First of all, patients with very serious diagnoses, for whom treatment is a matter of life and death, can count on it. Such cancer patients are provided with quotas, which are financed from the federal and local budgets. As part of treatment under compulsory medical insurance, the following procedures are performed:

PET/CT;
radiation therapy;
chemotherapy;
IHC;
surgery.

The decision to provide free oncology treatment under compulsory medical insurance is made by three commissions - the clinic, the health department and the medical institution itself. You can shorten this path if you immediately contact us and ask what procedures our clinic issues quotas for. The doctor (therapist or oncologist) will prepare a statement with the diagnosis and information about what diagnostics you have already undergone. You will need to submit to the regional health authority:

medical direction;
application for treatment of cancer under the compulsory medical insurance policy;
Russian passport and insurance policy;
SNILS;
consent to the processing of personal data;
pension certificate (for pensioners).

Benefits of onco

The success of oncology treatment greatly depends on the level of the clinic. And it’s not just about the professionalism of doctors and specialists conducting diagnostics. All therapeutic procedures must be performed using modern and high-tech medical equipment. The same applies to devices on which diagnostics are carried out. The data obtained with their help must be as accurate as possible so that the doctor can determine the location of the lesion and the stage of oncological pathology. And don’t forget about patient comfort. Diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases takes a lot of time. Patients often have to spend the whole day within the walls of a medical facility, and some patients are undergoing inpatient treatment. Therefore, it is important that the environment and atmosphere be as favorable as possible. Onko took into account both his own 30 years of experience and the experience of foreign medical institutions. This allows us to diagnose cancer tumors and treat cancer patients with maximum efficiency, safety and comfort. See for yourself:

Each of our doctors is a highly qualified specialist with many years of experience both in Russia and in hospitals in the USA, Europe and Israel. We employ leaders of domestic medicine, as well as competent international consultants.
Diagnostics and therapeutic procedures are carried out in beautiful and cozy rooms. We have decorated our departments in a stylish design so that the interior looks as little as possible like a hospital room. Also for patients and their accompanying people there is a café and a restaurant on the roof with panoramic views of the city.
High safety and quality levels have been repeatedly confirmed by numerous certificates and awards. We carry out our activities in strict accordance with domestic and international standards, which allows us to minimize side effects and significantly increase the chances of recovery.

Make an appointment

Our oncology clinic is located in the very center of Moscow, close to several metro stations - Novoslobodskaya, Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya, Belorusskaya and Mayakovskaya. For visitors arriving by car, there is ample parking available on the medical grounds. Our employee will help you find your way around the clinic, take you to the right department and tell you where this or that office is located.

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