When one hears the term cancer, they are not usually inspired! Out of different cancers, leukemia, also referred to as blood cancer, is one type that is prevalent among many. But every darkness has its light. Early diagnosis and timely management of health concerns can save countless lives. This segment shall discuss leukem+ia, the relevance of its early detection and diagnosis, and the treatment modalities for the disease.
What is Leukemia?
In simpler terms, leukemia is a blood or bone marrow cancer. It is only proper that we first remind you about the most essential component of cancers, such as leukemia. That component is, without a doubt, blood. Blood contains 3 types of cells. the first two are red blood cells that carry oxygen, leukocytes, which safeguard the body against infection. And, the third category is platelets that help in clot formation. All of these cells are produced within a cavity of the bone, called the bone marrow.
Leukemia is associated with the dysfunction in the formation of WBC in the human body. WBCs are overpopulated in the bone marrow, but these cells are abnormal. Such cells are dysfunctional, and healthy ones who fight against infection do not perform as they should. These types of Blood cancer cells hypertrophy within the body and have a bearing on the healthy blood cells, thereby rendering the blood, which should be performing its functions, impotent.
What are the types of leukemia?
Leukemia is of several forms, but it can generally be clustered into two categories:
Acute Leukemia: It is the type that advances rapidly. The altered blood components are very immature and dysfunctional. Complete treatment is necessary for acute leukemia.
Chronic Leukemia: This type develops more slowly. The abnormal blood cells are more mature but still cannot fight infections, as can normal white blood cells. Some cases of chronic leukemia initially do not cause any problems and may remain undetected for several years.
Each one of these categories is subdivided again based on the type of white blood cell affected: lymphoid or myeloid. This results in four main types of leukemia:
- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
What are the Signs and Symptoms in Their Prevalent Stages?
Hubert and Hughes, 1992. The high survival rate of some leukemias has made patients inclined towards seeking treatment at later stages. It cannot be ruled out that the very treatment offered to the patients skillfully manipulates their concerns.
Early detection of leukemia, if not all, will positively impact several treatment results. Nevertheless, the symptoms of leukemia can be subtle and may be confused with other, milder illnesses. Below are a few typical lines to cross-diagnose any of the conditions mentioned above:
Decline in Energy and Strength: Constant tiredness, weakness, or being exhausted without cause, even after a whole night of sleep, is often the reason patients seek medical help. This is usually because there are not enough healthy red blood cells in the system to produce enough oxygen.
Persistent Illness More Than Usual: Quite often, if not all the time, this happens in people who undergo treatment for different types of cancers, leukemia in particular, due to the problems with their white blood cells.
Random Bruises or Bleeding: One of the many complications resulting from suffering from leukemia is decreased production of platelets, which promote blood clotting. Consequently, patients tend to get a lot of bruises, nose bleeds, and even gum bleeding.
Diarrhea and Vomiting: Unusual fevers, sweats at night, and occasional challenges with body temperature may indicate the presence of non-healthy cells.
Pain in Bones or Joints: Due to the massive infiltration of malignant proliferation of leukocyte-forming tissues, the primary site of bone marrow increases, causing pain in the bones and even the joints.
Swollen Lymph Nodes: You may notice lumps in the neck, armpits, and groin, which are neither painful nor bothersome. These are swollen lymph nodes fighting an infection.
Unintentional Weight Loss: it may be seen in patients suffering from cancer who have inappetence and considerable weight loss, without futile efforts on their part; this helps point to certain illnesses, neoplasm.
Most importantly, it is crucial to note that having one or several such signs does not necessarily mean that one has leukemia. Most of these signs usually occur due to other mild conditions. However, if any of these signs have been witnessed for quite some time, it is highly recommended that you see a medical practitioner for further diagnosis.
Diagnosis: How Leukemia is Detected?
If a physician deems it fit to conduct these tests due to suspected leukemia, they will most likely suggest several tests to help confirm the diagnosis. These may include the following:
- Blood Tests
- Bone Marrow Biopsy
- Imaging Tests
- Genetic Tests
In some circumstances, osmosis of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spine tests using molecules known to secrete fluids for the presence of leukemia.
The Science Behind Leukemia Treatments
To comprehend how these treatments are efficient, we would have to explain the biology of cancer cells. Normal cells have a number of differences with cancer cells. They multiply, grow, and divide at a higher rate; they also keep growing even when there is a need to stop, and they do not undergo death when they are due. The vast majority of cancer treatment modalities try to take advantage of those differences.
As an illustration, chemotherapy medications damage the DNA of the cells that increase like crazy. Since cancer cells multiply and meiosis faster than many normal cells, the chances of being wiped out by such drugs are high. However, some normal cells, which are also fast-dividing cells like the hair root and the cells lining the stomach, are also targeted, hence the reason for adverse effects of chemotherapy, like nausea and loss of hair.
Targeted therapies work through a variety of mechanisms. They bind preferentially to specific molecules more highly expressed in the cancer cells. The Philadelphia chromosome is one form of genetic abnormality present in some leukemias. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors can be targeted to cells with a particular abnormality, killing the cancer cells while sparing most normal cells.
Immunotherapy is one of the latest discoveries and is still under research regarding cancer. A component of the body’s defense mechanism known as the immune system works very efficiently in identifying items never belonging to you, including bacteria and viruses that cause diseases. But, sometimes these cancer cells are able to get past the immune system or in some cases even put the immune system inactive. The immunotherapy drugs assist the immune system to identify the disease and combat it more effectively.
Life with Leukemia
Leukemia diagnosis can be overwhelming; however, most leukemia patients can survive their active, productive whole life during & beyond treatment. Some of the tips on dealing with leukemia are as follows:
Be Informed: The greater the understanding of the known and unknown facts about your particular type of leukemia and the available treatments, the better control you’ll have over your treatment process.
Stick to Your Treatment Plan: Take all the prescribed medication and honor all the appointments. There should be a modification for the side effects you are experiencing.
Maintain Overall Health: You must follow your current healthy diet, engage in routine physical activity as the physician advises, and ensure you get enough sleep. All this helps you feel better and enhances your prospects of success in your treatment.
Leverage Support: It is also important to be okay with depending on other people, such as friends and family members. You may also wish to consider participating in a support group for those with leukemia. Sharing with people who understand one’s situation can be of great importance.
Manage Stress: Cancer treatment can be described as highly stressful. Find ways to reduce stress, such as praying, doing exercise, or going to speak to a counselor.
A Word for the Future
Leukemia research is quite active today, and new treatments emerge continuously. Scientists strive to optimize treatments in the dose-response efficacy and potency domains while minimizing toxicity. They are also exploiting ways of manipulating the body’s immune system for enhanced cancer control.
Personalized medicine, in which the genetic composition of a patient’s tumor cells is analyzed to determine which treatments will most likely work, promises exciting research. It could potentially offer effective and less side-effect-heavy treatments.
The other promising area lies in developing new immunotherapies. Researchers are trying to improve CAR T-cell therapy to fight more leukemia cases and design ways for the immune system to fight tumors.
Conclusion
Whereas leukemia is a serious health condition, it is certainly could be handled with correct treatment on time. Thanks to medical science developments, leukemia patients live longer and healthier lives than ever. Early detection of the illness proved to be the most valuable tool for improvement. If you notice persistent or unusual symptoms, don’t waste more time. Just pop into a doctor. And keep in mind that to know is to be strong – knowing the specific signs and symptoms of leukemia can save you or your loved ones lives like nothing else.
More studies and even some potential breakthroughs in therapy are on the way, giving great hope for the treatment of leukemia. Maintaining up-to-date knowledge, adhering to your prescribed regime, and maintaining your general health will ensure that you are able to beat this disease.
Reference Links:
https://bloodcancer.org.uk/understanding-blood-cancer/
https://www.sprintdiagnostics.in/blog/leukemia-a-curable-journey-when-detected-early-stage