Blood Cancer- Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Health Desk- Cancer is a disease in which cells inside the body divide abnormally. Under normal circumstances, healthy cells grow and divide according to the needs of the body, but in cancer, cells grow and divide abnormally. Cells die or get damaged as they age and healthy cells take their place.

What is blood cancer?

Blood cancer, also known as leukemia, is a type of cancer that is related to the blood and bone marrow. There are several categories of blood cells, including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets, leukemia is associated with cancer of the WBCs and is rarely associated with red blood cells and premature platelets. It can affect a person of any age. There are two types of leukemia – acute and chronic leukemia. In acute leukemia, the condition develops and worsens rapidly, while in chronic leukemia, the condition worsens over time. There are different treatment options for leukemia, but depending on the type of leukemia the patient has, the treatment method is decided.

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How many types of blood cancer are there?

There are three main types of blood cancer:

1. Leukemia- This type of blood cancer is known to cause overproduction of white blood cells, which are unable to fight infection. Leukemia can be divided into four categories. Which are as follows:

First: Acute lymphocytic leukemia (it affects the white blood cells of the bone marrow and spreads very rapidly).

Second: Acute myeloid leukemia (it originates in myeloid cells, which are found in white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. It also spreads very rapidly).

Third: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (this starts in the lymphocytes located in your bone marrow but spreads slowly).

Fourth: Chronic myeloid leukemia (it affects myeloid cells and develops slowly).

2. Lymphoma- This form of blood cancer affects your lymph system. This is a network of nerves located in your lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus gland. Lymphoma arises in two types of lymphocytes:

First: B cells (Hodgkin lymphoma)

Second: T cells (non-Hodgkin lymphoma)

It inhibits your immune activities and causes swelling in the lymph nodes.

3. Myeloma- This cancer affects the plasma cells of your bone marrow. These white blood cells are responsible for making antibodies to prevent infection. Myeloma damages your bone, blood and kidneys, resulting in diseases like bone pain, weakening/fracture, excess calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia), anemia, bleeding, kidney failure, etc.

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What is the cause of blood cancer?

Leukemia develops when the DNA of white blood cells is damaged. Cancer cells grow in the bone marrow, which is the normal site of blood production after childhood. This is a result of poor production of healthy blood cells due to the replacement of marrow with cancer cells. These new cells are not only unhealthy, but also abnormal and they live longer than normal cells and have unlimited proliferative potential. These cells stay in the bone marrow and prevent healthy blood cells from growing and functioning normally. This results in the presence of more cancer cells than healthy cells in the blood. The exact causes of leukemia are not yet known. Several factors have been identified that can increase the risk of leukemia. These include:

1.Family history of leukemia.

2. Smoking, which increases the risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

3. Genetic disorders like Down syndrome, Fanconi’s anaemia.

4. Blood disorders, such as myelodysplastic syndrome, sometimes called “preleukemia.”

5.Treatment for cancer by chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

6. Being exposed to high levels of radiation.

7. Being in contact with chemicals like benzene.

8. Obesity.

9. Weak immune system.

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What are the symptoms of blood cancer?

Symptoms depend on which blood cell production is affected and which cancer cells are multiplying too fast.

1. Bleeding-

Platelets play an important role in blood clotting. Due to marrow replacement, platelet production is affected. In some, the functions of the platelets also change. This results in easy bruising or bleeding. Small red and purple spots are formed on the body which are called petechiae or unitimosis.

2. Frequent infection-

One of the important functions of white blood cells is to protect the body from infection. At times, when the white blood cells fail to function properly and are insufficient in number, one can easily get affected by infections. A simple infection in a normal person can become life-threatening in a leukemic patient. They have fever, chills, redness at the site of infection, cough or any other symptoms depending on which organ is affected.

3. Anemia-

Due to the lack of RBCs, a person may become anemic. Fewer RBCs means that there is a lack of hemoglobin in the blood. As hemoglobin transports iron around the body, any deficiency in iron can result in the following symptoms:

4. Difficulty in breathing.

5. Pale skin.

6. Feeling tired.

7. Heavy menstruation.

8. Black stool or bleeding during defecation.

9. Fever and profuse sweating at night.

10. Unnecessary weight loss

11. Sometimes, spontaneous breakdown of RBCs in the body can lead to jaundice.

All these symptoms can also be the result of other diseases. Consultation and tests are required to confirm whether it is leukemia or not.

12. Bone and joint pain-

This is one of the common symptoms that can be mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis. Sharp bone pain, joint pain and swelling are commonly seen. This is due to the rapid multiplication of leukemic cells in the bone marrow.

13. Other symptoms-

Leukemic cell leakage may cause gingivitis, bleeding, painless lymph node swelling, enlarged liver, spleen, headache, seizures, difficulty in breathing, jaundice, etc.

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