Blood cancer or blood cancer is a condition when blood cells become abnormal or malignant. Most of these cancers start in the bone marrow where blood cells are produced. There are three types of blood cancer, namely leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
Unlike most cancers, most blood cancers do not form solid lumps (tumors). In addition to not appearing lumps, the symptoms of blood cancer are also non-specific and resemble the symptoms of other diseases.
Blood consists of a number of components with different functions, namely:
- Red blood cells, function to transport oxygen throughout the body.
- White blood cells, function to form antibodies and fight infection.
- Platelet cells (platelets), play a role in the blood clotting process.
- Blood plasma functions to carry blood cells along with proteins and nutrients throughout the body, as well as to remove metabolic waste from the body.
Blood cancer can cause the number of blood components to be below normal or even excessive, which ultimately disrupts the function of other body organs.
Symptoms of Blood Cancer
Symptoms of blood cancer are very diverse, depending on the type of blood cancer suffered. In some cases, symptoms can be difficult to identify because they are similar to the symptoms of other conditions, such as the flu. But in general, the symptoms of blood cancer are:
- Fever and chills.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Constipation or difficulty defecating.
- Sore throat.
- Headache.
- The body gets tired easily.
- Sweating at night.
- Weight decreased drastically.
- Red spots appear on the skin.
- Frequently infected.
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, or groin.
- Pain in the joints and bones, especially the spine or breastbone.
- Easy bruising and bleeding, such as nosebleeds.
- Hard to breathe.
When to go to the doctor
Check with your doctor if you experience the above symptoms, especially if they recur frequently or don't get better. A doctor's examination is carried out to provide early treatment while preventing the development of the disease.
Patients with blood cancer are expected to continue to control with a blood doctor (hematologist), either currently on treatment or after treatment is completed. This is intended so that the development of the disease is continuously monitored, and detected early if the disease reappears.
Smoking is one of the risk factors for blood cancer. If you are a smoker and cannot stop smoking, consult your doctor immediately to join a smoking cessation program.
Exposure to nuclear radiation and chemicals in the work environment is also at risk of causing blood cancer. Each company has its own regulations to do medical check-up employees regularly. Every employee needs to follow this.
Causes of Blood Cancer
Leukemia occurs when blood cells change and become cancerous. These changes cause cells to become abnormal and grow uncontrollably. Different from normal blood cells, blood cells affected by cancer lose their function to clot blood and fight infection.
Based on the type of blood cell and where the cancer appears, blood cancer can be divided into three, namely:
Leukemia
Leukemia occurs when cells in the bone marrow do not develop normally. Unlike normal white blood cells that die, leukemia cells continue to live, but they don't help the body fight infection, and instead suppress the growth of other blood cells.
When the number increases, the leukemia cells will enter the bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body. These abnormal cells can prevent normal cells in the body from functioning normally.
Lymphoma
Lymphoma attacks lymphocytes, which are white blood cells that function to fight infection and get rid of metabolic waste. In addition to the bone marrow, lymphocytes are found in the lymph nodes, thymus gland, spleen, and almost all parts of the body.
In patients with lymphoma, lymphocytes undergo changes and grow uncontrollably. If the lymphocyte is attacked by cancer, the immune system will decrease, making it more susceptible to infection.
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that attacks plasmocytes, which are part of the white blood cells in charge of producing antibodies to fight infection. When antibody production is disturbed, the patient is susceptible to infection.
Multiple myeloma occurs when abnormal plasma cells appear in the bone marrow and grow rapidly. These abnormal cells continue to produce antibodies that cause damage to body organs, such as bones and kidneys.
Blood Cancer Risk Factors
The exact cause of blood cancer is not known, but there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing blood cancer, namely:
- Male gender.
- Over 55 years of age.
- Have a family who suffers from blood cancer.
- Suffering from immune system disorders, such as HIV/AIDS.
- Taking immunosuppressant drugs.
- Epstein-Barr virus infection or pylori.
- Exposure to chemical compounds, such as pesticides.
- Have a smoking habit.
Blood Cancer Diagnosis
The doctor will start the examination by asking about the symptoms experienced by the patient, then perform a physical examination to look for some signs of blood cancer, such as pale skin due to anemia, and swelling of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen.
If you suspect a patient has blood cancer, the doctor will perform the following tests:
blood test
The doctor will perform a complete blood count test to determine the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The suspicion of blood cancer will be stronger if the number of one or all types of blood cells is too much or too little, and abnormally shaped blood cells are found.
In addition to a complete blood count, the doctor will check the profile of proteins, such as globulins, Serum protein electrophoresis, and immunofixation, to detect multiple myeloma and the level of aggressiveness of cancer cells. In patients multiple myelomaBlood tests are also done to determine kidney function, calcium levels, and uric acid levels.
Bone marrow aspiration
Bone marrow aspiration is performed by taking a tissue sample from the patient's bone marrow using a thin needle. The tissue sample will then be examined in a laboratory to see disturbances in the 'blood factory' and determine the type of blood cancer that attacks the patient.
Lymph node biopsy
A lymph node biopsy is performed by taking a tissue sample from a swollen lymph node for examination under a microscope.
Blood Cancer Treatment
After the patient is confirmed to have blood cancer, the doctor will discuss with the patient the treatment steps that need to be taken. The treatment method that will be chosen depends on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and the overall health condition.
The following are available treatment methods to treat blood cancer:
- Chemotherapy, namely the administration of drugs to kill cancer cells, for example chlorambucil. This drug can be given orally or by injection.
- Radiotherapy, which is a method of treatment using special light radiation to destroy cancer cells and inhibit their development.
- Bone marrow transplant, to replace damaged bone marrow with healthy bone marrow.
Blood Cancer Complications
Blood cancer can cause serious complications if left untreated. Some of these complications are:
- The body is often exposed to infections, due to a lack of white blood cells.
- Bleeding that can be life-threatening, especially if it occurs in the brain, lungs, stomach, and intestines.
- Disorders of the bones, including pain, calcification, to fractures.
- Decreased kidney function or even kidney failure.
Blood Cancer Prevention
There is no way to prevent blood cancer. However, the risk of developing this disease can be reduced by:
- Quit smoking.
- Increase consumption of healthy nutritious foods.
- Maintain an ideal body weight with regular exercise.
- Follow procedures and use personal protective equipment (PPE) when working in an environment exposed to radiation and chemical compounds, such as formalin, pesticides, and benzene.