Diagnosis of acute and chronic leukemia, what is it and what does it involve? Differential and laboratory diagnosis of leukemia (leukemia, blood cancer). Blood cancer: symptoms and signs of the disease in adults and children

What we are accustomed to consider “blood cancer” is called “hemoblastosis” by oncologists. That is, in essence, “hemoblastosis” is not one disease, but a whole group tumor diseases hematopoietic tissue. In the event that cancer cells occupy the bone marrow (the place where blood cells are formed and mature), hemoblastoses are called leukemia. If tumor cells multiply outside the bone marrow, we are talking about hematosarcomas.

What it is?

Leukemia (leukemia) is also not one disease, but several. All of them are characterized by transformation certain type hematopoietic cells into malignant ones. At the same time, cancer cells begin to multiply indefatigably and replace normal bone marrow and blood cells.

Depending on which blood cells have turned cancerous, there are several types of leukemia. For example, lymphocytic leukemia is a defect of lymphocytes, myeloid leukemia is a violation of the normal maturation of granulocytic leukocytes.

All leukemias are divided into acute and chronic. Acute leukemia is caused by the uncontrolled growth of young (immature) blood cells. With chronic leukemia, the number of more mature cells sharply increases in the blood, lymph nodes, spleen and liver. Acute leukemia is much more severe than chronic leukemia and requires immediate treatment.

Leukemia is not the most common cancer. According to American medical statistics, only 25 out of one hundred thousand people fall ill with it every year. Scientists have noticed that leukemia most often occurs in children (3-4 years old) and elderly (60-69 years old) people.

Symptoms

Signs of blood cell cancer include the following:

intolerance to smells and aversion to favorite foods;
feeling of heaviness in the hypochondrium (on either side);
persistent infectious diseases such as pneumonia (pneumonia) or herpes;
painless enlargement lymph nodes on the neck and armpits.

In addition, other signs of blood cancer often appear, such as:

increased fatigue and drowsiness;
bleeding gums;
frequent nosebleeds;
the appearance of bruises and red spots on the skin for unknown reasons;
a sharp decline body weight;
increased sweating at night;
the occurrence of swelling in the groin and arms.

The first symptom of leukemia is headaches, dizziness, pain in bones and joints, general weakness, and a slight increase in body temperature. The following symptoms also occur with blood cancer:

vomit;
nausea;
confusion;
the occurrence of seizures in various parts bodies;
difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.

It should be noted that the symptoms and signs of blood cancer are also characteristic of other diseases. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis can only be made by an experienced specialist, having previously carried out all kinds of research.

Source pro-medvital.ru

Signs (first and main)

Leukemia, leukemia, blood cancer is a group oncological diseases in the field of hematopoiesis. Malignant neoplasms begin to develop due to mutations in bone marrow cells. Gradually, these mutated cells crowd out healthy brain tissue. The human body develops a deficiency of healthy hematopoietic cells. As a result, there appear typical signs blood cancer:

cytopenia – decrease in leukocytes or platelets;
anemia;
increased tendency to hemorrhage;
infectious complications.

A malignant tumor in blood cancer, as in other forms of cancer, can spread throughout the body, affecting lymph nodes and healthy organs. In later stages, metastases most often affect the liver and spleen, and then other organs.

Patients often ask questions about where oncology came from and how blood cancer is transmitted. One of the main causes of bone marrow cell mutations is carcinogenic effects ionizing radiation. Cancer is NOT transmitted by airborne droplets, sexual intercourse, or blood.

Specific signs in of this disease No. The first symptoms of blood cancer are as follows:

weakness;
bone pain;
headache;
dizziness;
aversion to food or smells;
slight rises in temperature not associated with colds or other diseases;
excessive pallor of the patient;
sudden weight loss;
dry and yellow skin;
excessive irritability;
drowsiness.

If the disease progresses in the body already for a long time, then the liver and spleen may become enlarged, dense nodes may appear under the skin in the place where the limbs bend and unbend (groin area, armpits, neck). The last symptom indicates that a malignant tumor has affected the lymphatic tissue.

If you notice any of these signs, you should consult a doctor. To rule out other diseases with similar symptoms, you need to know how to identify blood cancer.

Source rakustop.ru

Symptoms in adults

Symptoms of chronic or acute leukemia:

noticeable enlargement of lymph nodes in the armpits or neck;
excessive sweating at night due to fever without visible reasons;
Women are more likely than men to have infectious diseases that occur quite often - herpes, pneumonia, bronchitis and others;
weakness and frequent fatigue during the day appear for no reason;
a significant blood clotting disorder, which manifests itself in bleeding from the gums, nose, finger and other injuries;
an enlarged spleen or liver can be recognized by a feeling of heaviness in the left or right hypochondrium;
frequent pain in joints and bones in the presence of cancer.

Source krasnayakrov.ru

Causes

Doctors identify several reasons for the development of blood cancer:

Exposure to ionizing radiation: among workers of nuclear power plants and other enterprises where there is radiation hazard, from those living near such enterprises, as well as waste disposal sites from them, from radiologists, x-ray technicians;

Heredity: if there are cases of cancer in the family, the risk of blood cancer increases by 8%, and if family members have leukemia - by 30 - 40%;

Exposure to harmful and mutagenic substances (nicotine, alcohols, paint and varnish materials, some medications);

The influence of some viruses leading to malignant degeneration of blood cells and bone marrow.

Some genetic diseases(eg, Down syndrome)

Source ne-kurim.ru

Diagnostics

A patient with complaints of a general deterioration in health, with enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen is sent for general and detailed blood tests. Possible hematological symptoms of blood cancer are reduced level leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin and detection of immature blast cells in the blood.

The form of blood cancer depends on the type of modified hematopoietic cells. It is established at the last stage of diagnosing blood cancer - a bone marrow biopsy. Typically, a bone marrow soft tissue sample is taken from pelvic bone in the lower back area.

X-ray chest, CT head and abdominal cavity help determine the extent of spread of blood cancer metastases.

Source www.neboleem.net

In children

Often, the early stage of blood cancer can be identified by symptoms such as problems with wound healing, as well as an increased tendency for them to fester.

The following signs indicate that blood cancer has reached a more serious stage:

excessive pallor;
yellowed skin;
significant weight loss;
a sharp increase in the size of the liver and spleen;
patient complaints of heaviness in the hypochondrium, bloating;
small rashes on the skin;
increased bleeding of mucous membranes.

It must be remembered that blood cancer in children has a more favorable prognosis, but only if timely diagnosis, so the response to any symptoms should be as prompt as possible.

In this regard, tumors of lymphatic tissue, which are dense subcutaneous nodes in areas of natural folds (in armpits, in the groin, on the neck, above the collarbones). Education does not cause painful sensations, however, they should never be underestimated. If such nodes are detected, you must immediately consult a doctor for ultrasound examination and blood tests, and receive a referral to an appropriate specialist for treatment.

To combat blood cancer, the main treatment method used is chemotherapy - treatment with cytotoxic drugs.

The duration of chemotherapy treatment for leukemia is on average 2 years, of which about six months are spent in the hospital, the rest of the period is ambulatory treatment. All along inpatient treatment the patient is protected as much as possible from any contact with the outside world. Such a strict sanitary regime is associated with almost complete suppression of the immune system due to the extensive destruction of leukocytes.

The initial stage of treatment is considered the most difficult, since constant intravenous infusions are carried out for several weeks.

In the future, there are procedures aimed at replenishing red blood cells and platelets using transfusions donated blood; As a rule, this occurs at the stage of tumor disintegration.

After remission, treatment of blood cancer is focused on consolidation achieved result and protection from possible complications associated with metastasis of leukemia cells. In case of unfavorable development of events, metastases can cause the formation of neuroleukemia, in which damage occurs nervous system and, first of all, the head and spinal cord. Consequences - various sensitivity disorders and motor functions. In order to eliminate possible metastases, according to the doctor’s decision, a radiation therapy brain.

Recurrence of blood cancer may warrant referral for a bone marrow transplant. Donor in in this case may be a person compatible by blood or a relative. The higher the HLA match, the higher the likelihood successful treatment.

Source ravnoepravo.ru

Stages

The stages of blood cancer indicate the extent of the disease. They take into account the size of the tumor, the penetration of malignant cells into neighboring organs, and the presence of metastases.

First stage of blood cancer - initial stage illness that is caused by disturbances in activity immune system. Atypical cells begin to divide uncontrollably, degenerating into malignant ones.

The second stage is the formation of clusters of malignant cells, the formation of tumor tissue.

The third stage of blood cancer is when cancer cells move throughout the body through the blood and lymph flow. Metastases are actively developing. But even at this stage there is a possibility of successful treatment of blood cancer.

Stage four – malignant tumors develop in many organs. Treatment at this stage may not bring complete recovery.

Only after determining the stage of the disease, the doctor prescribes its treatment.

Source dolgojit.net

Treatment

Chemotherapy is used as treatment: this is the intravenous (drip) administration of highly toxic, potent drugs. medicines, V large doses, designed to destroy all foreign aggressive cancer cells, while, of course, it is impossible not to damage and yours are good and necessary. In view of this, the most rapidly developing normal tissues suffer: cells hair follicles(hence hair loss), cells of the gastrointestinal tract (nausea and vomiting, stool disorders occur), cells reproductive system, as well as bone marrow (anemia may occur - a decrease in the number of red blood cells and leukopenia - a decrease in white blood cells - immunity). Scientists all over the world are constantly working on the development of drugs that can not affect normal cells, but, unfortunately, such a remedy has not yet been found, since cancer cells are too similar to our native cells. In addition, the situation is complicated by the ability of some tumor cells to change their structure and at the same time become insensitive to medicinal drugs, elude their influence, in this case you have to select stronger and more toxic drugs, but even in these cases the effect may not occur.

Without the use of chemotherapy, the chances of survival for those affected are minimal. Typically, the time from detection of the disease to the death of patients without treatment is 1-5 months.

It is worth mentioning one more treatment method: the so-called “bone marrow transplant”. Of course, no one transplants anything; this means parenteral (drip) administration of a concentrate of bone marrow cells from a healthy donor, which is taken by puncture. Previously high dose The chemotherapy drug destroys all the patient’s bone marrow cells (in order to destroy the population of cancer cells to the last), after which it is done intravenous infusion. The procedure is very dangerous and is performed according to strict indications, usually for highly malignant tumors and in young patients. At this time, patients are extremely vulnerable to infection and are in intensive care units.

Unfortunately, no other methods of treating leukemia have been developed to date.

You should not trust various healers and homeopaths who offer their services in large numbers, this is a waste of precious time for the patient, you need to start treatment with a qualified specialist as soon as possible. As auxiliary treatment, if desired, you can use various drugs vitamins (vitrum, multitabs and others), to prevent complications from digestive tract herbal decoctions (chamomile, yarrow, sea buckthorn oil) are recommended, which have local anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and wound-healing effects. It is strictly forbidden to use such “ folk remedies"like, tinctures of fly agaric, hemlock, celandine and other toxic substances! All of them have a pronounced toxic effect and poison the body, the defenses of which are undermined by cancer, further aggravating the patient’s condition.

There is no prevention for blood cancer.

Source medicalj.ru

Traditional treatment

1. Grind 100 g of dried dekopa herb roots, place it in a dark glass bottle and fill with half a liter of 40-proof vodka. Close the bottle tightly with a lid and leave to infuse in a place protected from light for a week. At the same time, shake the bottle daily. Then strain the tincture and carefully squeeze out the raw materials. Take the product by diluting it in water in the proportion of 25 drops per 250 ml of boiled water 3 times a day. Store in a cool, dark place.

2. Eating fresh warm chicken liver every morning on an empty stomach for 8 days will help get rid of blood cancer. To do this, you need to slaughter the bird, pluck it, but do not scald it or tar it, cut it, pull out the liver from inside the chicken, cut it into small pieces and swallow it like a pill. You can eat pickled cucumbers.

3. Take 50 g of buckwheat inflorescences, the same amount of rose hips and a teaspoon of mordovnik seeds. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Then take one tablespoon of the prepared mixture, pour half a liter of boiling water and wrap it well with a thick thick cloth. Insist. Then, after 2 hours, strain. Take 250 ml before each meal as a medicine for the treatment of blood cancer. At the same time as this infusion, take a teaspoon of a 10% solution of propolis in honey an hour after meals. And after another 20 minutes, swallow a teaspoon of pollen.

5. Take 5 tbsp. spoons of young pine or spruce needles. Please note that the tree should not be more than one year old. Chop the collected needles, add half a liter of water, put on low heat, bring to a boil and keep it like that for 10 minutes. Wrap it up and leave it overnight. In the morning, strain the broth. Take the product in small portions throughout the day. It’s great if you add onion peels or rose hips to the broth, 2 tablespoons each.

Source narodnoe-lechenie-raka.ru

Classification of leukemia is a division pathological condition, which is popularly called blood cancer, on different kinds. IN clinical practice When choosing treatment tactics, hemato-oncologists use several classifications of leukemia based on the degree of differentiation of tumor cells, their histological characteristics and other criteria. This division of the pathological process allows you to more accurately establish a diagnosis and select the correct treatment course.

According to this classification, the following groups of leukemia are distinguished:

1. Lymphoblastic. The onset of the pathological condition occurred in immature lymphoid cells. The development of pathology of the hematopoietic organs occurs mainly in children and adolescents.
2. Myeloblastic and. Tumor structures of this type develop from the myeloid germ, from which platelets and erythrocytes must subsequently mature. Features of these types of blood diseases are their clinical picture– with the monoblastic type of leukemia, there is a pronounced enlargement of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.
3. Plasmablastic type of leukemia. B-lymphocytes take part in the formation of blood cancer of this cytogenetic type. It is from these that plasma cells that produce immunoglobulins should subsequently be formed.

Worth knowing! The types of leukemia included in this group can occur in both acute and chronic forms, i.e. undifferentiated blood stem cells, elements in which the first signs of differentiation or fully formed blood cells have appeared, take part in their origin. Moreover, in clinical practice, a relative transition of chronic forms of blood disease into acute leukemia (the occurrence of exacerbations) is noted. It is possible with prolonged exposure to certain negative factors.

Cytogenesis of acute leukemia

If the onset of the disease is provoked by an undifferentiated type of blood cells, an acute, most aggressive form of leukemia is diagnosed. The cytogenetic classification of leukemias of this type provides for their division into several clinical groups, united by one common feature - the substrate (basis) of the cancer. It is represented by immature blast cells, myeloblasts, lymphoblasts or erytoblasts, which give the name to the resulting tumor.

Based on this feature, the following varieties are distinguished:

1. Monoblast().
2. Megakaryoblastic.
3. Erythromyeloblastic.
4. Undifferentiated.

The first 3 types of pathological condition arise due to mutation of blasts, which are precursors blood cells myeloid series, granulocytes (granular leukocytes), platelets and erythrocytes. The development of megakaryoblastic leukemia is directly related to the malignant degeneration of blasts responsible for the development of platelets only, lymphoblastic - lymphocytes, erythomyeloblastic - erythrocytes, and undifferentiated - just nascent stem cells that, after maturation, can turn into any formed elements of blood.

Cytogenesis of chronic leukemia

The cytogenetic division of oncological diseases, which began with a mutation of almost completely mature hematopoietic elements, is similar to that in acute forms of the disease that develop in immature precursor cells. Chronic leukemias are divided into several varieties that are directly related to the type of hematopoietic tissue of the “third” brain that has undergone malignant degeneration.

In hemato-oncological practice, it is customary to distinguish the following types of pathological process:

1. granulocytic, myelocytic origin. The most large group myeloproliferative diseases, which include (myelosclerosis), chronic, chronic neutrophilic leukemia, chronic basophilic leukemia, / polycythemia vera, chronic
2. . To this group pathological processes, originating in hematopoietic tissues, include paraproteinemic leukemia (primary, Franklin heavy chain disease), as well as an extremely rare dermatic lesion of the skin called lymphomatosis of the skin - Sézary's disease.
3. Pathologies of monocytic origin. This series of diseases associated with mutational changes in hematopoietic tissue cells includes: chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, chronic monocytic leukemia.

The cytogenetic classification of leukemia of this type plays a significant role in the clinical practice of hemato-oncologists, since it allows not only to select the most adequate type of therapy, but also to predict the further life prognosis of a cancer patient.

Classification based on the immune phenotype of tumor cells

Today, the division of leukemic elements based on the immune (genetic) set of characteristics present in them is one of the most popular classification criteria. Based on this classification, all types of leukemia are associated with certain antigenic markers present in the peripheral blood. Thanks to phenotyping of hematological oncological diseases, specialists can quite easily verify their belonging to a specific line of hematopoietic germ.

1. T - lymphoblastic type of leukemia, including 5 phenotypes. The development of any of them is indicated by the presence of a specific CD3 protein in the blood.
2. B - lymphoblastic variant of the disease. At the early stage, the antigens CD19, CD34 are present in the blood, and at the late stage – CD10, CD79a. Their characteristic difference is also the presence in the bloodstream of immunoglobulins belonging to the μ class.

The goals pursued by the immunogenetic classification are to make a more accurate diagnosis, which allows the patient to be assigned the correct treatment protocol.

Morphological features (FAB classification)

The division of lympho- and myeloproliferative diseases into certain groups is also carried out in accordance with the morphological structure of the hematoblasts that make up the structure of the oncological tumor. This classification of leukemia, developed at the end of the 20th century by hemato-oncologists of France, America and Britain, and called in medical circles the FAB classification, takes into account the following number of features of the structure of blasts:

• L1. Diagnosed in 85% of clinical cases. The tumor consists of microscopic cells with a small round nucleolus and scant cytoplasm.
• L2. A tumor based on blasts of this type is much less common, in only 14% of cases. The cells of this type of tumor structure have weak degree differentiation and different structure.
• L3. Hematoblasts of this type are large in size, with a large oval or round shape, abundant cytoplasm and a large number of vacuoles.

Worth knowing! Most cancer patients develop hematoblastoses, in which the tumor structure consists of different lymphoblasts. Based on the types of mutated cells that make up the tumor and their morphological structure, L1/L2, L3/L1, L2/L3 forms of pathology are identified. But this classification does not have significant prognostic and therapeutic value, and therefore is used in hemato-oncological practice quite rarely.

Blood cancer in most cases involves one of three main types of this oncological pathology: leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma. In some cases, the disease is discovered by chance during a blood test as part of a routine medical examination, while in other cases the patient develops various symptoms which force him to see a doctor. Possible blood cancer symptoms.

Symptoms of leukemia

is a blood cancer in which abnormal cells gradually or rapidly disrupt the functioning of healthy blood cells. With leukemia, there is an excessive production of abnormal white blood cells that are “stuck” in the early stages of development. These white blood cells cannot perform the function of normal mature white blood cells. In addition, the gradual accumulation of abnormal white blood cells in the red bone marrow displaces other types of cells and interferes with the production normal red blood cells and platelets.

There are two types of leukemia – acute and chronic. In acute leukemia, changes occur quickly, in chronic leukemia - slowly. In the case of acute leukemia, symptoms may appear days or months after the onset of the disease. Patients with chronic leukemia may not have any symptoms for a long time.

Symptoms of blood cancer, in particular leukemia, are nonspecific, i.e. also occur in other diseases.

So, they include the following:

• Fatigue, shortness of breath, or general poor health. In most cases, these symptoms are caused by a low number of red blood cells (anemia). This leads to insufficient oxygen transport to tissues and organs, which manifests itself in weakness and fatigue.
• Frequent infections. Leukemia cells are unable to properly fight infection, resulting in increased vulnerability of the body to bacteria and viruses.
• Unexplained increase in body temperature. Abnormal white blood cells can sometimes stimulate secretion chemical substances, causing the body to increase its temperature.
• Unreasonable bruising and prolonged bleeding. Excessive production of abnormal white blood cells leads to decreased production of healthy platelets, which play a major role in stopping bleeding. A decrease in platelet count (thrombocytopenia) may manifest as nosebleeds, heavy menstruation, bleeding gums, the appearance of bruises or small red marks (petechiae).
• Pain in bones and joints appears due to the accumulation of a large number of leukemia cells in the red bone marrow, which is located in the bones and in the joint area.
• Enlargement of the lymph nodes occurs for the same reason - the accumulation of a large number of leukemia cells in them.
• Discomfort in the abdomen is also caused by the accumulation of a large number of leukemia cells in the liver and spleen, which causes them to enlarge and manifest as unpleasant sensations.
• Headache and others neurological symptoms blood cancer (convulsions, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, tingling and numbness) are caused, again, by the accumulation of a large number of leukemia cells in the fluid washing the brain and spinal cord. These symptoms are more typical for acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Symptoms of lymphoma

– This is cancer of the lymph nodes and lymphocytes. There are two groups of this disease - Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Hodgkin's lymphomas are somewhat less common than non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Characteristic symptoms lymphomas include painless enlargement of lymph nodes, weight loss, fever, chills and night sweats. Patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma may experience itching and decreased appetite. Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may complain of a feeling of fullness or high blood pressure in the abdomen, fatigue, cough and chest pain.

Symptoms of multiple myeloma

is a cancer of the blood plasma. This disease is characterized by a large number of abnormal plasma cells. On early stages There are usually no symptoms of multiple myeloma. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include kidney problems, rib or back pain, fatigue (due to low iron levels), frequent infections, as well as a feeling of tingling or numbness in the body. Myeloma can cause blood to thicken, resulting in shortness of breath, chest pain, and confusion.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the diagnosis of “blood cancer” cannot be made only on the basis of symptoms - a number of tests are required to confirm the diagnosis () and diagnostic procedures. In any case, when similar symptoms you should consult a doctor.

The BDC Center provides rapid and accurate diagnosis of blood cancer.

Blood cancer is a disease associated with malignant neoplasms hematopoietic, lymphatic systems and bone marrow. It is characterized by a disruption of the normal function of hematopoiesis and the development of immature cells that begin to actively develop and interact with each other in the blood, spleen, bone marrow, human liver and lymph nodes.

Symptoms of blood cancer can occur in anyone, regardless of gender and age. This dangerous oncological disease affects both the elderly and newborn babies.

The second name of the disease is leukemia. It usually originates in the human bone marrow. This substance is a tubular tissue that fills the cavity of the bones.

Blood cancer can be acute or chronic.

Acute form develops quickly, rapidly and causes sharp deterioration general condition person.

The chronic form can occur without any symptoms for several years. In addition, blood cancer is divided into types:

Lymphocytic cancer has both an acute and chronic course. In the first case, the disease occurs mainly in childhood. Chronic lymphocytic cancer is detected after 60 years of age. Moreover, it may be hereditary.

Myelogenous cancer can also be acute or chronic. Acute blood cancer of this type occurs in all age groups. The chronic form is detected only in adulthood.

Signs of Leukemia

The very first symptom that you need to pay attention to is the appearance of general weakness and dizziness. There are bone pains and headaches. There may be an aversion to certain smells or foods. In these cases, you should immediately consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

In addition, you need to pay attention to frequent and small increases body temperature, when this is not a consequence of a cold. You should consult a doctor if there is excessive pallor of the skin or jaundice, sudden weight loss, drowsiness, or irritability.

It’s better that your fears turn out to be wrong, but you should go to the doctor immediately. After all, the disease will not stop on its own, but will continue to rapidly destroy the body.

Sometimes blood cancer is accompanied by an enlargement of the liver and spleen. There may be bloating and heaviness in the hypochondrium. Most often, these symptoms indicate that oncology is already long time progresses.

You need to urgently go to a specialist if a dense nodule is detected in the groin area, under the skin. Such nodules can also appear in the armpits and neck area. These manifestations indicate the development of neoplasm of lymphatic tissue. In these cases, it is necessary to do a blood test and undergo an ultrasound of the lymph nodes.

Why does blood cancer occur?

The fact is that the human body is an extremely complex device and acts as a single whole. Blood cells help it function smoothly. They are formed in the bone marrow and then spread to all organs and systems of the body. Red blood cells provide cells with oxygen. Platelets perform their function. They maintain tissue integrity and stop bleeding. But at some point, any of these cells can become a component of a future cancerous tumor.

Most often this happens to young, immature blood cells. This may happen due to hereditary predisposition, from exposure to radiation, or chemical damage. Immunodeficiency may also be a cause.

In this case, the affected cell begins to fight for its own continued existence, but not at all for the general favorable state of the body. Therefore, active, rapid cell division begins, with the goal of creating their own kind. As a result, a huge number of cancer cells begin to appear, which, fighting for their existence, interfere with the growth of normal, healthy cells and prevent them from performing their function.

Eventually, there is not enough room for malignant cells in the bone marrow, and they gradually penetrate into the bloodstream, reaching other organs and tissues. Moreover, they multiply extremely rapidly. As a result, the kidneys, lungs, heart muscle, lymph nodes, bone marrow and brain are affected.

Leukemia treatment

In the case of a chronic course, the doctor conducts maintenance therapy, which is aimed at delaying or completely preventing the development of complications. The acute form of leukemia requires immediate medical attention. In this case, methods of chemotherapy and radiotherapy are used. Sometimes the patient's immune system is artificially suppressed in order to help the body get rid of cancer cells, followed by the introduction of healthy donor cells.

Disease prognosis

As a rule, the younger the patient, the earlier the treatment process is started, the greater the chance of a stable, long-term remission. For example, early treatment gives children positive result in 95% of cases. In adults, remission occurs in 15-20% of cases. The most unfavorable prognosis for treatment outcome is in men over 50 years of age who smoke and drink alcohol. In advanced cases of the disease, the survival prognosis is no more than 5%. Remember this and consult a doctor in time. Be healthy!

Svetlana, www.site

Symptoms of diseases of the blood system are quite diverse and most of them are not specific (that is, they can also be observed in diseases of other organs and systems). It is precisely because the symptoms are nonspecific that many patients do not seek treatment. medical care in the first stages of the disease, and come only when there is little chance of recovery. However, patients should be more attentive to themselves and if they have doubts about their own health, it is better not to “delay” and wait until it “goes away on its own,” but to immediately consult a doctor.

So let's take a look clinical manifestations major diseases of the blood system.

Anemia

Anemia is a group of syndromes, the common feature of which is a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Sometimes anemia is an independent disease (hypo- or aplastic anemia, etc.), but more often it occurs as a syndrome in other diseases of the blood system or other body systems.

There are several types of anemia, the common clinical sign of which is anemic syndrome associated with oxygen starvation tissues: hypoxia.

The main manifestations of anemic syndrome are as follows:

• pallor of the skin and visible mucous membranes ( oral cavity), nail bed;
• increased fatigue, a feeling of general weakness and weakness;
• dizziness, flashing spots before the eyes, headaches, tinnitus;
• sleep disturbances, deterioration or complete absence of appetite, sexual desire;
• increased breathing, feeling of lack of air: shortness of breath;
• palpitations, increased heart rate: tachycardia.

Manifestations iron deficiency anemia are caused not only by hypoxia of organs and tissues, but also by iron deficiency in the body, the symptoms of which are called sideropenic syndrome:

• dry skin;
• cracks, ulcerations in the corners of the mouth - angular stomatitis;
• layering, brittleness, cross-striations of nails; they are flat, sometimes even concave;
• burning sensation of the tongue;
• perversion of taste, desire to eat toothpaste, chalk, ash;
• addiction to some atypical odors: gasoline, acetone and others;
• difficulty swallowing solid and dry foods;
• in females - urinary incontinence when laughing, coughing; in children - ;
• muscle weakness;
• V severe cases– feeling of heaviness, pain in the stomach.

B12 and folate deficiency anemia characterized by the following manifestations:

• hypoxic or anemic syndrome (signs described above);
• signs of damage to the gastrointestinal tract (aversion to meat food, loss of appetite, pain and tingling in the area of ​​the tip of the tongue, taste disturbance, “varnished” tongue, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching, stool disorders - diarrhea);
• signs of spinal cord damage, or funicular myelosis (headache, numbness in the limbs, tingling and crawling sensations, unsteady gait);
• psycho-neurological disorders (irritability, inability to perform simple mathematical functions).

Hypo- and aplastic anemia usually begin gradually, but sometimes they debut acutely and progress rapidly. The manifestations of these diseases can be grouped into three syndromes:

• anemic (discussed above);
• hemorrhagic (various sizes - dotted or in the form of spots - hemorrhages on the skin, gastrointestinal bleeding);
• immunodeficiency, or infectious-toxic (persistent increase in body temperature, infectious diseases of any organs - otitis media, and so on).

Hemolytic anemia outwardly manifests itself as signs of hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells):

• yellow coloration of the skin and sclera;
• an increase in the size of the spleen (the patient notices a formation in the left side);
• increased body temperature;
• red, black, or brown urine;
• anemic syndrome;
• sideropenic syndrome.

Leukemia

This is a group of malignant tumors that develop from hematopoietic cells. The altered cells multiply in the bone marrow and lymphoid tissue, oppressing and replacing healthy cells, and then enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. Despite the fact that the classification of leukemia includes about 30 diseases, their clinical manifestations can be grouped into 3 leading clinical and laboratory syndromes:

• tumor growth syndrome;
• tumor intoxication syndrome;
• hematopoietic suppression syndrome.

Tumor growth syndrome occurs due to the spread of malignant cells to other organs and systems of the body and the growth of tumors in them. Its manifestations are as follows:

• swollen lymph nodes;
• enlarged liver and spleen;
• pain in bones and joints;
• neurological symptoms (persistent severe headache, nausea, unrelieved vomiting, fainting, convulsions, strabismus, unsteadiness of gait, paresis, paralysis, and so on);
• changes in the skin - the formation of leukemides (white tubercles consisting of tumor cells);
• inflammation of the gums

Tumor intoxication syndrome is associated with the release of biologically active substances that are toxic to the body from malignant cells, the circulation of cell decay products throughout the body, and changes in metabolism. Its signs are as follows:

• malaise, general weakness, fatigue, irritability;
• decreased appetite, poor sleep;
• sweating;
• increased body temperature;
• itching of the skin;
• weight loss;
• joint pain;
• renal edema.

Hematopoietic inhibition syndrome occurs due to a lack of red blood cells in the bloodstream (anemic syndrome), platelets ( hemorrhagic syndrome) or leukocytes (immunodeficiency syndrome).

Lymphomas

Malignant is a group of tumors lymphatic system, arising as a result of the formation of a pathologically altered lymphoid cell capable of uncontrolled proliferation (reproduction). Lymphomas are usually divided into 2 large groups:

• Hodgkin's (Hodgkin's disease, or lymphogranulomatosis);
• non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Lymphogranulomatosis– a tumor of the lymphatic system with primary damage to lymphoid tissue; accounts for about 1% of all adult cancers; Persons aged 20 to 30 and over 50 years of age are more often affected.

Clinical manifestations of Hodgkin's disease are:

• asymmetrical enlargement of the cervical, supraclavicular or axillary lymph nodes (the first manifestation of the disease in 65% of cases); the nodes are painless, not fused to each other or to surrounding tissues, movable; as the disease progresses, the lymph nodes form conglomerates;
• in every 5th patient, lymphogranulomatosis debuts with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, which is initially asymptomatic, then cough and chest pain, shortness of breath appear);
• several months after the onset of the disease, symptoms of intoxication appear and steadily progress (fatigue, weakness, sweating, loss of appetite and sleep, weight loss, itchy skin, increased body temperature);
• tendency to infections of viral and fungal etiology;
• gradually all organs containing lymphoid tissue– pain occurs in the sternum and other bones, the liver and spleen increase in size;
• in the later stages of the disease, signs of anemic, hemorrhagic syndromes and a syndrome of infectious complications appear.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas is a group of lymphoproliferative diseases with primary localization mainly in the lymph nodes.

Clinical manifestations:

• usually the first manifestation is an enlargement of one or more lymph nodes; when palpated, these lymph nodes are not fused together and are painless;
• sometimes, in parallel with the enlargement of the lymph nodes, symptoms of general intoxication of the body appear (weight loss, weakness, itching of the skin, increased body temperature);
• a third of patients have lesions outside the lymph nodes: in the skin, oropharynx (tonsils, salivary glands), bones, gastrointestinal tract, lungs;
• if the lymphoma is localized in the gastrointestinal tract, the patient is bothered by nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal bleeding;
• sometimes lymphoma affects central system, which is manifested by severe headaches, repeated vomiting that does not bring relief, convulsions, paresis and paralysis.

Myeloma

Myeloma, or multiple myeloma, or plasmacytoma is a separate type of tumor of the blood system; originates from precursors of B lymphocytes that retain a certain ability to differentiate.

Main syndromes and clinical manifestations:

• pain syndrome (pain in the bones (ossalgia), radicular pain between the ribs and in the lower back (neuralgia), pain in the peripheral nerves (neuropathy));
• bone destruction syndrome (bone pain associated with osteoporosis, compression bone fractures);
• hypercalcemia syndrome ( high content calcium in the blood - manifested by nausea and thirst);
• hyperviscose, hypercoagulation syndrome (due to disturbances in the biochemical composition of the blood - headaches, bleeding, thrombosis, Raynaud's syndrome);
• recurrent infections (due to immunodeficiency - recurring sore throats, otitis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, and so on);
• renal failure syndrome (swelling that first appears on the face and gradually spreads to the trunk and limbs, increased blood pressure, which cannot be corrected by conventional antihypertensive drugs, cloudiness of urine associated with the appearance of protein in it);
• in the later stages of the disease - anemic and hemorrhagic syndromes.

Hemorrhagic diathesis

Hemorrhagic diathesis is a group of diseases whose common feature is increased bleeding. These diseases may be associated with disorders in the blood coagulation system, a decrease in the number and/or function of platelets, pathology of the vascular wall, and combined disorders.

Thrombocytopenia– decrease in platelet content in peripheral blood less than 140*10 9 /l. The main symptom of this disease is hemorrhagic syndrome varying degrees severity, directly dependent on platelet levels. Usually the disease is chronic, but can also be acute. The patient pays attention to pinpoint rashes and subcutaneous hemorrhages on the skin that appear spontaneously or after injuries. Through wounds, injection sites, surgical sutures blood seeps out. Less common are nosebleeds, bleeding from the digestive tract, hemoptysis, hematuria (blood in the urine), and in women, heavy and prolonged menstruation. Sometimes the spleen becomes enlarged.

Hemophilia- This hereditary disease, characterized by a blood clotting disorder due to a lack of one or another internal factor coagulability. Clinically