Blood Cancer Symptoms: Cause, Types, Treatments

 Blood Cancer Symptoms : A Comprehensive Guide

Blood cancers occur when the process of blood cell generation goes away. There are three general types of blood cells : 

• Your white blood cells are an important part of your immune system that fights infection.
• Your red blood cells carry oxygen to your body's tissues and organs. In return, they collect much of the carbon dioxide gas from your body to be exhaled from the lungs.
• Platelets help your blood to clot when you cut or hurt yourself.

Usually, too much growth of the abnormal blood cells interferes with the production of normal blood cells. It can prevent the bone marrow from having enough healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets that circulate in the blood. Moreover, abnormal cells may leak into the blood circulation. These kinds of blood cells may circulate in one's blood and spread to other organs like the lymph glands, spleen, liver, lungs, and kidneys. If no remedy is executed, the normal and necessary functions of one's body will gradually decay.

Types of Blood Cancer

1. Leukaemia

• Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and is a cancer where malignant, underdeveloped blood cells increase uncontrollably in number. The abnormal cells also spread up the bone marrow, an organ that usually produces most of the functions in the blood at a high rate.
•  Typically, leukaemia cells are very young and immature white blood cells that have not yet reached their full developmental growth. The word "leukaemia" is a combination of two Greek words, meaning "white," "leukos," and "blood," "haima."

Unlike many other cancers, leukaemia does not usually cause a lump or tumour that can be seen with imaging. There are many types of leukaemia, some of which are more common in children than adults. How leukaemia is treated depends on the type and other factors.

Types of Leukemia

• Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
• Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)

Treatment 

•  Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Hematopoietic cell transplant 
• Radiation therapy
• Chimeric antigen receptor CAR T-cell therapy

The treatment choice depends on the type of leukaemia that one has and the severity. 

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2. Lymphoma  

• Lymphoma is a cancer type that affects the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system includes spleen, lymph nodes, thymus gland, and bone marrow. All these body parts may be affected by lymphoma, as well as other organs in the human body. 
• The best lymphoma treatment to be used for a patient will depend on the type of lymphoma and the stage at which the disease is found. Treatment can be chemotherapy, immunotherapy drugs, radiation, bone marrow transplant or a combination of two or more methods.

Types of Lymphoma

•  Hodgkin's lymphoma, formerly called Hodgkin's disease)
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Treatment

• Chemotherapy 
• Radiation therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• CAR T-cell therapy
• Stem cell transplantation

The choice of treatment will depend on the type of leukaemia that one has and the severity.  

3. Malignancy 

• Malignancy of plasma cells is referred to as myeloma or multiple myeloma. Myeloma is the cancer of specialised white blood cells that have the function of producing antibodies that are required for the protection of our body from infections. 
• But if it's about myeloma, then the disturbed excessive growth of plasma cells replaces the healthy cells in the bone marrow that were earlier responsible for the production of red blood, platelets, and other types of white blood cells.

Types of Myeloma

• Multiple myeloma
• Solitary plasmacytoma
• Extramedullary plasmacytoma

Treatment 

• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Bone marrow transplant
• Targeted therapy
• CAR-T cell therapy
• Corticosteroids
• Immunotherapy

The choice of treatment is made depending on the form of leukaemia that one has and the stage it is in.

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Risk Factors of Blood Cancer 

Blood cancer stems from alterations in the genetic material: the DNA of blood cells. Additionally, various risk factors depend on the particular type of blood cancer.

Some blood cancer causes that increase the possibility of developing it include: 
 

• Age 
• Family history of cancer treatments 
• Smoking
• Exposure to radiation and chemicals 
• Compromised immune system.

Stages of Blood Cancer 

1. Rai System (for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia - CLL)

As per this system, there are stages 0 to IV, with higher numbers denoting advanced diseases. 

• Stage 0 : This serves as high lymphocyte levels but no other symptoms. 
• Stage 1 : This is High lymphocyte levels and enlarged lymph nodes. 
• Stage 2 : It is High lymphocyte levels, enlarged liver or spleen, and possibly swollen lymph nodes.  
• Stage 3 : This is High lymphocyte levels, anaemia, and possibly enlarged lymph nodes or spleen. 
• Stage 4 : It is High lymphocyte levels, low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), and anaemia or enlarged organs. 

2. Ann Arbor Staging System (for Hodgkin Lymphoma)

As per this system, there are stages I to IV, with higher numbers denoting advanced diseases and spread. 

• Stage I : In this stage, the cancer is present in a single lymph node or a single organ. 
• Stage II : In this stage, the cancer is present in multiple lymph nodes on the same side of the diaphragm or in a lymph node region and a nearby organ. 
• Stage III : In this stage, cancer is present in lymph nodes on two sides of the diaphragms or in the spleen. 
• Stage IV : In this stage, the cancer has spread to many organs outside the lymphatic system, like the liver, bone marrow, or lungs. 

How to Diagnose Blood Cancer?

If you are suffering from either of the blood cancer symptoms, it is crucial to get in touch with your local healthcare provider. Upon hearing your issues, if the doctor thinks you might have blood cancer, specific tests can help them find out for sure.

Here is a detailed guide about the diagnosis process of blood cancer: 

1. Blood Tests

Running several blood tests will offer a clear overview of the condition. These tests include: 

• Complete blood count 
• WBC and RBC blood test
• Blood smear and chemistry 
• White cell differentials 
• Flow cytometry 
• Karyotype test 
• Polymerase chain reaction

2. Bone Marrow Tests

Bone marrow is the spongy thing in the middle of our bones. 2 tests will be done for it: 

• Bone marrow aspiration 
• Bone marrow biopsy 

3. Lymph Nodes Biopsy

Blood cancer pessimistically impacts your lymphatic system. Thus, the biopsy of these helps in timely detection.

4. Imaging Tests

These doctors mirror the interior condition of your body. The primary examinations include: 

• Chest X-ray 
• CT scan 
• MRI 
• PET Scan

5. Spinal Tap

This is an examination of your spinal and brain fluid. 

6. Urine Test

This helps to evaluate the substances in your urine and notice if any of the substances are present in the urine at a high rate.

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Treatment for Blood Cancer 

Fortunately, there are many safe and effective ways to treat blood cancer, however, it does not carry a one-size-fits-all approach. Treatment for blood cancers depends on the cancer type, the patient's age, the cancer growth rate, and other crucial factors. Some common treatments are : 

• Stem Cell Transplantation: Stem cell transplantation puts healthy stem cells that create blood into the body. These stem cells can come from the bone marrow, blood, or umbilical cord blood.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop cancer cells from growing. For blood cancer, doctors often use several drugs together as part of a treatment plan. This treatment can also happen before a stem cell transplant. 
• Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy can kill cancer cells or ease pain and discomfort. It can also be given before a stem cell transplant.
• Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy helps the immune system fight cancer. This treatment can boost the number of immune cells or help existing ones find and eliminate cancer cells. 
• Car T-cell Therapy: Here, healthcare specialists modify T-cells, a type of white blood cell, to better attack cancer. Doctors use this therapy for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and some non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas if other treatments fail to work. 

Conclusion 

Blood cancer includes leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, which are essentially diseases caused by mutations existing in a person's DNA. These changes disturb the normal behaviour of blood cells. Normally, these are changes that one can't control and occur at some stage in one's entire life cycle rather than being inherited from parents. While some types of blood cancer do occur in children, it is also a fact that the symptoms and modes of treatment may vary widely between children and adults. 

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