BLOOD CANCER – TYPES AND TREATMENT
Blood Cancer – Types and Treatment
Blood accounts for about 8% of our total body weight and plays a vital role in bodily functions; circulating throughout body supplying nutrients, oxygen, antibodies to each and every cell.
Blood cancer occurs due to abnormal multiplying of leukocytes (WBCs). Cancer causes an imbalance in the body due to increase in cell division, leading to excessive production of WBCs.
There are three main types of blood cancers:
1. Leukemia: Cancer affecting WBCs or precursor of white blood
cells, increasing their production that can’t fight infections. This
cancer generally originates in the bone marrow rendering its
ability of red blood cells and platelets production. It is further
categorized in four types:
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL): As the name suggests, it
affects lymphocytes in the bone marrow. Production of too many
lymphocytes restrict their ability to fight infections. It most often
occurs in childhood.
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): It affects myeloid cells, which are
precursor of red blood cells, white blood cells as well as platelets.
It mainly affects people above 65 years of age.
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Chronic type of leukemia’s
grow very slowly and do not show symptoms until after years. It
affects older people, above 70 years of age.
• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Cancer grows very slowly. It
mainly affects adult and male are more prone to it than female.
2. Lymphoma: Cancer affecting the lymphatic system, including
lymph nodes, lymphocytes, spleen and thymus gland. It is
divided into:
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Cancer affecting B-cells that produces
antibodies. It is characterized by the presence of large
lymphocytes called the Reed-Sternberg cells.
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Cancer affecting either B-cell or T-cell
lymphocytes. It is more common in occurrence.
3. Myeloma: Cancer affecting the plasma cells in bone marrow,
which produce antibodies. This cancer makes our immune
system more susceptible, not able to fight-off infections.
General symptoms of Blood cancer include:
• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Bone and joint pain
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Skin rash
Swelling of lymph node, spleen and liver are also common in specific blood cancers.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
1. Chemotherapy: Treatment using anti-cancer drugs which are introduced to body via IV tube, injections or pills, to kill the cancer cells or halt their growth.
2. Radiation therapy: Treatment using radiation (high energy rays such as X-rays or proton beams) to kill and destroy the cancer cells.
3. Surgery: Treatment to treat lymphomas by surgically removing the infected lymph node.
4. Immunotherapy: Also called biological therapy as it helps in boosting the immune system of the body to fight cancer on its own.
5. Targeted therapies: Treatment in which certain drugs (Monoclonal antibodies, receptor inhibitors, etc.) are used to target the cancer specific genes and proteins. This treatment limits the damage to the healthy tissue.
6. Bone-marrow or Stem-cell transplantation: Treatment involving the removal of cancer infected bone marrow and replacing them with hematopoietic stem cells, which develops into healthy bone-marrow.
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