Symptoms of Blood Cancer: Early Warning Signals

Identifying Blood Cancer: Common Symptoms and Diagnosis

Blood cancer is a serious condition that affects our blood cells. These cells are the epitome of our energy. It occurs when the blood cells start growing unusually because of changes (mutation) in the DNA, which can happen at any stage of a person's life.
Several types of cancer can attack these cells in your blood. Blood cancer symptoms often appear slowly, so one might not notice them immediately.

Even some patients remain asymptomatic for an extended period. Early detection is the cornerstone of effective cancer treatment. To meet all your questions, this comprehensive overview will discuss every crucial aspect of blood cancer.

What is Blood Cancer?

Before proceeding further, it is important to understand what blood cancer is exactly. Blood cancer is a type of cancer that impacts the production and functionality of blood cells within the body. The majority of these cancers begin in the bone marrow, which is the soft, porous substance at the core of your bones. This area is responsible for producing stem cells that then develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets

Healthy blood cells are essential for combating infections, distributing oxygen throughout your body, and regulating blood clotting. When there is a disruption in the normal production of blood cells due to changes like DNA mutation, blood cancer occurs.
In such cases, the abnormal blood cells crowd out the healthy ones, leading to severe health issues

How Many Types of Blood Cancer Are There?

There are over 100 types of blood cancer. The treatments, symptoms and prognoses vary for each one.
Among all, the most common 3 types of blood cancer are:

1. Leukaemia
Blood cells originate in your bone marrow, which is where leukaemia begins. This disease makes your body produce white blood cells that grow uncontrollably and survive longer than they should. Unlike healthy white blood cells, these do not help your body fight infections.
There are several types of leukaemia. Some types worsen quickly and make you feel sick suddenly. Other types can take years to show symptoms. Most leukaemia symptoms happen because cancer cells prevent healthy blood cells from growing and working as they should.

2. Lymphoma
Your lymphatic system helps fight infections by moving white blood cells (WBC) throughout your body and removing waste. Lymphoma causes your body to create too many WBCs, which can make it hard for you to fight off infections.
Swollen lymph nodes are the main sign of lymphoma. You might feel a lump in your neck, armpit, or groin. Swollen lymph nodes can press your organs and lead to coughing, trouble breathing, or pain in your chest.

3. Multiple Myeloma
Plasma cells are a type of disease-fighting cell that is found in your blood. In the case of multiple myeloma, the bone marrow starts producing too many plasma cells that grow uncontrollably to form tumours. This in turn stops the body from making enough healthy blood cells.

These excess plasma cells also release harmful chemicals into your blood that can damage your organs and tissues. Some types of multiple myeloma deteriorate more quickly than others, but symptoms usually do not appear until you have had the disease for a while.

In addition to these, there are various kinds of blood cancers such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), and others. Furthermore, each category consists of sub-types.

For instance, lymphoma types encompass Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Leukaemia types include chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

What Are the Risk Factors and Causes of Blood Cancer?

Blood cancer stems from alterations in the genetic material: the DNA of blood cells. Additionally, various risk factors depend on the particular type of blood cancer.

Some blood cancer causes that increase the possibility of developing it include:
● Age
● Family history of cancer treatments
● Smoking
● Exposure to radiation and chemicals
● Compromised immune system.

What Are the Blood Cancer Symptoms?

Blood cancers are different from one another, but they often have similar symptoms. Many people fail to experience symptoms of blood cancer until it reaches an advanced level. Some also confuse the symptoms with a severe cold or flu.

Here are some common blood cancer symptoms:
● Coughing
● Chest pain
● Troubled breathing
● Frequent infection in various parts of your body
● Unexplained bruising, rashes, and bleeding
● Recurrent fever and chills
● Strenuous night sweats
● Unexpected weight loss
● Paled skin
● Bone pain
● Painless swelling and lumps
● Persistent fatigue
● Enlarged spleen and liver.

How to Diagnose Blood Cancer?

If you are suffering from either of the blood cancer symptoms, it is crucial to get in touch with your local healthcare provider. Upon hearing your issues, if the doctor thinks you might have blood cancer, specific tests can help them find out for sure.

Here is a detailed guide about the diagnosis process of blood cancer:

Blood Tests: Running several blood tests will offer a clear overview of the condition. These tests include:
- Complete blood count
- WBC and RBC blood test
- Blood smear and chemistry
- White cell differentials
- Flow cytometry
- Karyotype test
- Polymerase chain reaction
Bone Marrow Tests: Bone marrow is the spongy thing in the middle of our bones. 2 tests will be done for it:
- Bone marrow aspiration
- Bone marrow biopsy
Lymph Nodes Biopsy: Blood cancer pessimistically impacts your lymphatic system. Thus, the biopsy of these helps in timely detection.
Imaging Tests: These doctors mirror the interior condition of your body. The primary examinations include:
- Chest X-ray
- CT scan
- MRI
- PET Scan
Spinal Tap: This is an examination of your spinal and brain fluid.
Urine Test: This helps to evaluate the substances in your urine and notice if any of the substances are present in the urine at a high rate.

How to Treat Blood Cancer?

Fortunately, there are many safe and effective ways to treat blood cancer, however, it does not carry a one-size-fits-all approach. Treatment for blood cancers depends on the cancer type, the patient's age, the cancer growth rate, and other crucial factors. Some common treatments are:

Stem Cell Transplantation: Stem cell transplantation puts healthy stem cells that create blood into the body. These stem cells can come from the bone marrow, blood, or umbilical cord blood.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop cancer cells from growing. For blood cancer, doctors often use several drugs together as part of a treatment plan. This treatment can also happen before a stem cell transplant.
Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy can kill cancer cells or ease pain and discomfort. It can also be given before a stem cell transplant.
Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy helps the immune system fight cancer. This treatment can boost the number of immune cells or help existing ones find and eliminate cancer cells.
Car T-cell Therapy: Here, healthcare specialists modify T-cells, a type of white blood cell, to better attack cancer. Doctors use this therapy for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and some non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas if other treatments fail to work.

Final Words

Blood cancer and its treatments can significantly impact your overall health. The primary objective of treating blood cancer is to achieve a cure. However, if it is incurable, then there are various treatment options available that can help bring some types of blood cancer into remission.

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FAQ's

Which type of blood cancer is most dangerous?

Acute Myeloid leukaemia is one of the most dangerous types of blood cancer because it progresses quickly and is hard to treat. Even though medical research has led to better treatment options, AML is the most dangerous type of blood cancer due to its high remission rates.

Which type of blood cancer is not treatable?

Myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia are two types of blood cancer that are incurable. However, various treatments can help keep the disease in remission.

Is leukaemia a genetic disease?

Leukaemia is genetic, but you do not always inherit it from your parents. It is genetic because it affects your DNA, which bears your genetic information. DNA controls how your body cells grow, develop, and function.