Leukemia, or rather leukemia, is a blood cancer caused by the body producing too many abnormal white blood cells. Leukemia can occur in both adults and children.
White blood cells are part of the immune system produced in the bone marrow. When the function of the bone marrow is disturbed, the white blood cells produced will undergo changes and no longer perform their role effectively.
Leukemia is often difficult to detect because the symptoms resemble those of other diseases. Early detection needs to be done so that leukemia can be treated quickly.
Characteristic-CEnvy and Symptoms of Leukemia
At first, leukemia often causes no signs. New symptoms appear when the cancer cells are getting more and more and begin to attack the body's cells. Symptoms that appear also vary, depending on the type of leukemia suffered. However, in general the characteristics of people with leukemia are:
- Fever and chills.
- The body feels tired and fatigue does not go away even after resting.
- Drastic weight loss.
- Symptoms of anemia.
- Red spots on the skin.
- Nosebleed.
- Body bruises easily.
- Excessive sweating (especially at night).
- Easy to get infected.
- A lump appears in the neck due to swollen lymph nodes.
- Stomach feels uncomfortable due to swollen liver and spleen.
More severe symptoms can be experienced by patients when cancer cells clog the blood vessels of certain organs. Symptoms that may appear include:
- Huge headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Muscles out of control
- Bone pain
- daze
- Seizures
When to go to the doctor
Immediately consult a doctor if symptoms appear, such as recurrent and prolonged fever or nosebleeds. Symptoms of leukemia often resemble those of other infectious diseases, such as the flu. Examination needs to be done to detect early possible cancer and prevent the development of the disease.
If you are an active smoker and find it difficult to stop smoking, then consult with your doctor regarding steps you can take to quit smoking. Smoking is one of the factors that can increase the risk of leukemia.
Treatment of leukemia takes a long time. Regularly consult a doctor during treatment, even until completion of treatment. This is done so that the progress of the disease is always monitored by the doctor.
Causes of Leukemia
Leukemia is caused by abnormal white blood cells in the body and grows uncontrollably. The exact cause of the changes that occur is not yet known, but the following factors are thought to increase the risk of developing leukemia. The risk factors in question include:
- Have a family member who has had leukemia.
- Suffering from genetic disorders, such as Down Syndrome.
- Have a blood disorder, such as myelodysplastic syndrome.
- Have a smoking habit.
- Have had cancer treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- Work in an environment that is exposed to chemicals, such as benzene.
Types of Leukemia
Leukemia can be chronic and acute. In chronic leukemia, cancer cells grow slowly and the initial symptoms that appear are usually very mild. While in acute leukemia, the development of cancer cells occurs very quickly and the symptoms that appear can get worse in a short time. Acute leukemia is more dangerous than chronic leukemia.
Based on the type of white blood cells involved, leukemia is divided into four main types, namely:
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia occurs when the bone marrow produces too many white blood cells, a type of immature lymphocytes or lymphoblasts.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia occurs when the bone marrow produces too many abnormal lymphocytes and slowly causes cancer.
Acute myeloblastic leukemia
Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) or acute myeloblastic leukemia occurs when the bone marrow produces too many immature myeloid cells or myeloblasts.
Chronic myelocytic leukemia
Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) or chronic myelocytic leukemia occurs when the bone marrow is unable to produce mature myeloid cells.
In addition to the four types of leukemia above, there are several other rare types of leukemia, including:
- Hair cell leukemia (hairy cell leukemia).
- Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (chronic myelomonocytic leukemia).
- Acute promyelocytic leukemia (promyelocytic acute leukemia).
- Large granular lymphocytic leukemia (large granular lymphocytic leukemia).
- Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, which is a type of myelomonocytic leukemia that attacks children under 6 years of age.
Leukemia Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about the symptoms experienced by the patient and perform a physical examination. Through a physical examination, the doctor can detect signs of leukemia that appear, such as bruising on the skin, pale skin due to anemia, and swelling of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen.
However, the diagnosis of leukemia cannot be confirmed only by physical examination. Therefore, the doctor will carry out further examinations to confirm the diagnosis and the type of leukemia experienced by the patient. The types of inspections carried out include:
blood test
A complete blood count test is performed to determine the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Doctors can suspect a patient has leukemia if the number of red blood cells or platelets is low and the shape of the blood cells is abnormal.
Bone marrow aspiration
A bone marrow aspiration procedure is performed by taking a sample of bone marrow tissue from the hip bone using a long, thin needle. This sample is then examined in a laboratory to detect cancer cells.
In addition to the diagnostic tests above, the doctor will also perform other follow-up examinations to check for organ abnormalities due to leukemia. The types of tests that can be performed are:
- Scanning tests, such as ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI.
- Lumbar puncture.
- Liver function tests.
- Spleen biopsy.
Leukemia Treatment
Hematology oncology specialists (blood and cancer specialists) will determine the type of treatment carried out based on the type of leukemia and the patient's overall condition. Here are some treatment methods to treat leukemia:
- Chemotherapy, which is a method of treatment using drugs to kill cancer cells, for example chlorambucil. Drugs can be in the form of oral tablets or intravenous injections.
- Immune therapy or immunotherapy, which is the administration of drugs to boost the immune system and help the body fight cancer cells. The type of drug used, for example interferon.
- Targeted therapy, namely the use of drugs to inhibit the production of proteins that cancer cells use to grow. Examples of types of drugs that can be used are protein kinase inhibitors, such as imatinib.
- Radiotherapy, which is a method of treatment to destroy and stop the growth of cancer cells by using high-power radiation rays.
- Bone marrow transplant, which is a procedure to replace damaged bone marrow with healthy bone marrow.
Sometimes, surgical procedures are also performed to remove the spleen (splenectomy) which enlarges. An enlarged spleen can worsen the symptoms of leukemia experienced by sufferers.
Leukemia Complications
Leukemia can cause complications if treatment is not done immediately. Some of the complications that can occur are:
- Bleeding in body organs, such as the brain or lungs.
- The body is susceptible to infection.
- The risk of developing other types of blood cancer, such as lymphoma.
Complications can also occur due to treatment measures taken. The following are some of the complications of leukemia treatment:
- Graft versus host disease, which is a complication of bone marrow transplantation.
- Hemolytic anemia.
- Tumor lysis syndrome (tumor lysis syndrome).
- Impaired kidney function.
- infertility.
- Cancer cells reappear after the patient undergoes treatment.
Children with leukemia are also at risk for complications due to treatment. Types of complications that can occur include central nervous system disorders, developmental disorders, and cataracts.
Leukemia Prevention
There is no effective way to prevent leukemia to date. However, there are several ways you can do to lower your risk of developing leukemia, including:
- Do exercise regularly.
- Quit smoking.
- Use personal protective equipment, especially if you work in an environment prone to exposure to chemicals, such as benzene.
Have regular health checks to detect cancer early, especially if you have a family history of cancer.