13 Facts you need to know about Blood Cancers?

Some facts to know about blood cancer

Here are some facts about blood cancer that will blow your mind:

1.There are no proper screening tests for early detection.

You can get early detection of breast cancer and colorectal cancer with the help of a proper screening test. But for many other cancers type, there is no screening test as such for its early detection. Thus, many people are not able to detect cancer until they start experiencing symptoms.

2.There are warning signs.

The typical warning signs of blood cancer are:

• Bone or joint pain.
• Anemia
• Fever chills.
• Abnormal weight loss.
• Feeling of weakness or fatigue throughout the day.
• Swollen liver, spleen, and lymph.

So if you experience any of the above, please consult your doctor.

3.There are three main categories of blood cancer.

Leukemia– Blood cancer develops in the bone marrow where the blood produces or can also have in the lymphatic system. This blood cancer is also known as leukemia and is most common in adults aging for more than 55 years. But blood cancer is also common in kids for less than 15 years.

Hodgkin Lymphoma– It is a type of blood cancer that originates in the lymphatic system from lymphocytes; it is a cell type. You can identify Hodgkin lymphoma’s presence when you find the presence of an abnormal lymphocyte known as Reed-Sternberg cell.

Multiple myeloma– This type of blood cancer develops inside your blood plasma cells. This cell is a type of white blood cell formed inside our bone marrow.

4.Not all leukemia has the same symptoms.

The two major types of leukemia are chronic and acute. Chronic leukemia grows in mature cells, which usually act for quite an extended period. But then, after some time, they start multiplying at an abnormal rate. Thus it can go unnoticed for several years before it starts showing symptoms. However, acute leukemia grows in an immature cell, also known as blast, and multiplies rapidly. Thus, this requires immediate treatment.

5.Different category of leukemia affects various kinds of cells.

As they involve different types of cells, the doctor classifies them based on the varying cells they affect. Two kinds of leukemia that affects your immune system are chronic and acute lymphocytic leukemia. However, the other two types that involve myeloid cells are acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia.

6.You do not need to treat all types of leukemia right away.

People who have chronic leukemia do not need immediate treatment as they do not see any early symptoms. The doctor follows an approach known as watchful waiting for monitoring leukemia. If it becomes any worse or when the cancer cell becomes active, the doctors start their treatment. People who follow this approach can back out at any time. If they want to request treatment immediately, they can.

7.Leukemia to adults is different from leukemia to kids.

About three-fourth of the children with leukemia has acute lymphocytic leukemia. However, the other remaining forms of leukemia are acute myelogenous leukemia or AML. In contrast to the above, most adults suffer from myelogenous and are common in older people older than 67 years. In addition to the above, chronic leukemia is also common in adults.

8.The survival rate in children who have leukemia is high.

When it comes to children who have leukemia, about 90 percent of them have successfully survived it. These children are still alive after a five-year survival plan, and their condition has also not returned. Children younger than five years have a higher survival rate, i.e., up to 93%.

9.The survival rates of adults are also high.

According to a study, about 60% of the adults with leukemia also have survived the disease. But in the 1960s, this survival rate was just around 15%. So, you can understand how much medical science has advanced in these years. However, even with so much advancement, leukemia is one of the top ten reasons for cancer deaths.

10.The rate of leukemia cases is increasing.

The number of people developing leukemia is increasing to an average of about 0.2% each year, from 2002 to 2011. At the same time, the death rate resulting from leukemia is also falling at an average rate of1 percent. Moreover, leukemia is more common in men than in women.

11.Leukemia cells do not die through a natural process.

Unlike normal blood cells that die after they have become old or damaged, this is not the case of a cancer cell. As a result, the number of cancer cells increases while the healthy cell decreases in number. This decrease in the cell starts affecting oxygen flow in the tissue to fight infection or control bleeding. The leukemia cancer cells can spread to the spleen, lymph nodes, and brain too. So, to kill these cells, you require going through radiation and chemotherapy, but they also kill your healthy cell.

12.There are no prevention techniques as such.

There are no prevention methods led down by doctors or scientists. However, you can follow a properly balanced diet and regular workout sessions to improve your condition.

13.Discovery of Philadelphia chromosome

The Discovery of this chromosome helped many doctors to target treatment for killing unhealthy cells more precisely. It leaves the healthy cell undamaged and is a lot safer than chemotherapy.

Conclusion

These exciting facts mentioned above are not known to many people. But it can help you treat cancer condition in many ways. If you have blood cancer, there is not much to worry about it. Science has advanced a lot. The survival rate is increasing with time. With proper treatment and diet, you can heal yourself.