Blood Cancer

Blood Cancer

The blood present in the human body is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. It serves so many purposes in the human body. For the proper functioning of the body, worn-out blood cells are replaced with healthy blood cells. Blood cancer is a disorder that occurs when a small number of blood cells develop malignant characteristics.

Blood cancer is defined as abnormal cancerous growth in blood-forming tissues, which impairs the body’s ability to fight germs and infections. This effects the functioning of the patients’ blood cells, and this cancer originates in the bone marrow, where stem cells develop and are present. In blood cancer, the development of healthy blood cells is hampered, which leads to the uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells. The circulation of these abnormal blood cells degrades the functionality of the blood, like its ability to stop bleeding and infection. The good news is that best hospital for blood cancer in Delhi at a reasonable cost.

Symptoms of blood cancer

The common signs of blood cancer treatment are:

  • If there is persistent weakness, tiredness, fatigue, and unexplained weight loss in the body.
  • Feeling of fever, shortness of breath, vomiting, night sweats, and body aches.
  • Bloating during the menstrual cycle
  • Internal bleeding in the brain or intestine
  • Chest pain, headache, bone pain, and fractures
  • If there is decreased urination and abnormal bleeding in the gums, which result in platelet reduction,
  • In this case, there is an occurrence of itchy skin, dark spots, and fine rashes.
  • An increase in the size of the lymph nodes (glands).
  • patient suffering from nausea and loss of appetite
  • Enlargement of abdominal organs due to lumps
blood cancer

Types of Blood Cancer

There are generally 3 types of blood cancer:

  • Leukemia

This type of blood cancer develops in the bone marrow and is caused by an increase in the production of abnormal blood cells in the body. It interferes with the bone marrow’s ability to produce red blood cells and also stops white blood cells from fighting infections that occur in your body. There are basically 4 types of leukemia: acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

  • Lymphoma

This type of blood cancer basically affects the lymphatic system, especially lymph nodes, but it can occur in any body organ, from the brain to the skin. It affects lymphocytes, which are a specific type of white blood cell that helps fight against germs and infection. Abnormal production of the lymphocytes results in the collection of lymphoma in the lymph node and other tissues. Usually, this type of cancer occurs in adults and is treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. There are generally two types of lymphoma, i.e., Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

  • Myeloma

This blood cancer usually affects the plasma cells. These cells are crucial for the immune system and are present in the bone marrow. Myeloma occurs when abnormal plasma cells grow in the bone marrow and develop tumors in the bones. These tumors stop the bone marrow from producing healthy blood cells. This also leads to damage in the body, such as bone fractures, infection, kidney dysfunction, and anemia. A single plasma cell tumor is known as an “isolated plasmacytoma,” and two or more tumors are known as “multiple myeloma.”

Treatments available for blood cancer

Chemotherapy

In this therapy, a specialized drug is inserted in the body through injection in the vein or through pills to kill the growth of cancer cells. The course of this treatment is several months long. Chemotherapy treatment for cancer not only reduces the growth of cancer cells in the body but also gives relief to the patient from the cancer symptoms, like shrinking tumors that cause pain.

Chemotherapy is given orally or through injection, depending on the stage and type of blood cancer. This therapy is given in cycles so that the body can recover and build strength. In order to blood cancer treatment, doctors frequently combine chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Side effects of chemotherapy are fatigue, nausea, and hair loss.

Immunotherapy

In this therapy, the patient’s immune system is strengthened so that it can more effectively combat cancer cells. It works directly with your immune system in order to stop the spread of cancer cells and also limit their growth. For several weeks, this treatment is administered once a week. The side effects of immunotherapy differ from person to person. These medications frequently result in rashes or swelling at the injection site, headaches, and an ache in the muscles, weakness, and fever.

Radiation Therapy:

In this type of treatment, high-intensity X-rays or radiation are used to kill cancer cells. This therapy is given via injections in the vein or in the form of tablets. The radiation attack on the cancer cells is intended to stop their growth and multiplication. After the therapy ends, the blood cancer cells keep dying. There are two types of radiation therapy: internal and external radiation therapy.

Stem cell transplantation:

This treatment is also known as “bone marrow transplantation,” in which it replaces the patient’s damaged blood cells with new and healthy blood-forming cells. These blood-forming stem cells are known as hematopoietic stem cells, which are basically extracted from the donor or from the healthy bone marrow of the patient. It helps in the growth of all types of blood cells, such as red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. Autologous transplantation, allogeneic transplantation, and umbilical cord blood transplantation are the three types of bone marrow transplants.

Blood cancer treatment, like other types of treatment, has side effects. There is a possibility that some numbers of healthy and normal cells can also be targeted during chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Other side effects are fatigue, nausea, and hair loss, etc. The reactions to therapy vary from person to person. But all the side effects go away after discontinuing the medication.

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