Blood Cancer

What is Blood Cancer?

A cancer that aggression the lymphatic system, blood or bone marrow is known as blood cancer. Both the manufacture and function of blood cells are disturbed by blood cancers. Blood cancers begin in the bone marrow from where blood is composed. An undisciplined advance of an exceptional type of blood cell punctuates the development process of a normal blood cell. The cancerous cells or abnormal blood cells prevent the blood from performing functions such as avoid serious bleeding or fighting off with infections.

Types of Blood Cancer

Myeloma : Plasma cells are conduct by this type of blood cancer. Infection and disease fighting antibody in the body are composed by plasma cells that are essentially white blood cells. The normal production of these antibodies is prevented by myeloma that causes a weak unaffected system.

Leukemia : This type of blood cancer is due to rapid production of extraordinary white blood cells. Leukemia can be found in bone marrow and in blood. These abnormal cells are no more able to fight off infection and also decrease the bone marrow’s capability to production platelets and red blood cells.

Lymphoma : Lymphatic system that produces immune cells and also clear away excess fluids from the body gets concerned by lymphoma blood cancer. Lymphocytes are treated as a type of white blood cell that helps in fighting off infection. extraordinary lymphocytes results in lymphoma cells that gets multiplied and collected in other tissues and lymph nodes. After a certain period of time, the immune system gets depleted due to these cancerous cells.

Causes of Blood Cancer

A number of factors are combining with the development of blood cancer. Older adults are frequently concerned by blood cancer. Some of the causes include –

Smoking

Advanced age

History of blood disorders

Some types of infections

Family history of blood cancer

Exposure to some specific chemicals

History of some genetic disorders

Exposure to some types of chemotherapy or radiation therapy

Symptoms of Blood Cancer

Unexplained weight loss

Abdominal pain specifically in the upper abdomen

Frequent irritation

Joint or bone pain

Night sweats

Bruising or easy bleeding

Nausea can result in the feeling of queasiness, upset stomach, retching, wooziness, car-sickness or sea-sickness

Chills and fever

Enlarged glands and liver that include lymph nodes and the spleen

Frequent urination

Fatigue

Some of the serious symptoms include –

Heavy and uncontrolled bleeding

Bluish coloration of the fingernails or lips

Seizure

Rapid heart rate

Severe abdominal pain

Change in the level of alertness or consciousness that include unresponsiveness or passing out

Breathing or respiratory problems like wheezing, shortness of breath, labored breathing and difficulty in breathing

High fever

Sudden behavior or mental status change such as delusions, confusion, hallucinations, lethargy and delirium

Palpitations, chest tightness, chest pain and chest pressure

Stages of Blood Cancer

Stage 1: There are enlarged lymph nodes in the first stage. The cancer has not spread to other organs of the body.

Stage 2: The presence of enlarged spleen and liver along with lymph nodes can be seen in the second stage. Both liver and spleen may not get affected but at least one of them except lymph nodes will get affected.

Stage 3: The development of anemia can be seen in third stage. Liver, spleen and lymph nodes may remain swollen. In the third stage of cancerous development, two or more organs are possibly to get affected.

Stage 4: A drastic fall in blood platelets can be seen in this last stage of blood cancer. Lungs can also get affected in the last stage of cancerous development. Acute anemia is seen in this stage.

Diagnosis of Blood Cancer

A number of tests are performed for diagnosing blood cancer they include –

Blood Test : The number of some specific blood cells is determined by performing a blood test.

Spinal Tap : Certain amount of clear fluid is taken that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. This test is done for checking the presence of cancer cells.

Chest X-ray : This x-ray helps in determining the presence of swollen lymph nodes, bone damage or tumors growing in the bone marrow.

Physical Exam : Swollen lymph nodes can be determined with the help of this test. Growth of tumors in the bone marrow or damage to the bone can also be determined with the help of a physical examination.

Biopsy : The presence of cancer cells is determined by taking a sample of a bone marrow while performing a biopsy. This can be done through a bone needle biopsy or bone marrow aspiration.

Cytogenetics : The change in the genetic material is determined by this test.

Urine Test : High level of protein known as Bence Jones protein is determined by taking urine samples. Some specific cancers may have high level of protein.

Treatment of Blood Cancer

Leukemia blood cancer treatment is very complicated. The analysis of leukemia not only depends on its type but also depends on the ingredient such as whether any leukemia analysis has been done previously, leukemia cells and the expansion of the disease. The prescription also depends on other consideration such as general health, symptoms and age of a tolerant. There are three options of blood cancer treatment that include –

Biological Therapy: Biological therapy, also attribute to as immunotherapy, associate the treatment with those material that affect the capability of an immune system to kill cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies and interferon are the two types of organic therapy. The purpose of monoclonal antibodies is to stalk to cancer cells in order to draw the consideration of the immune system to these cancer cells. On the other hand, interferon helps in appealing the immune system so as to destroy the cancer cells. These two options are normally used for chronic leukemia instead of acute leukemia.

Radiotherapy: Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, makes use of intensity rays such as X-rays for stopping the advance and multiplication of the cancer cells. This energy is conducted at any particular part of the body such as the spleen or also to the entire body.

Bone Marrow Transplantation: The cancerous cells are destroyed by using very big doses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in this treatment procedure. Bone marrow transplant, also referred to as a stem cell transplant, is performed for replacing a damaged bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. In this procedure, healthy stem cells are taken from the bone marrow of one person and then transferring them to the bone marrow of another person. The conditions of damaged bone marrow are treated with the help of this procedure.