Symptoms of leukemia does not always have some special features. The disease can begin as usual angina or manifest as fatigue, malaise. It is very important time to pay attention to these symptoms, because the sooner will be set to the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment, the better the chance for recovery.

The first signs of leukemia

Leukemia (leukemia) or cancer of the blood Blood cancer - do not despair   characterized in that the white blood cells reach the stop state of maturity and therefore do not fulfill their protective function. Bone marrow is where all blood cells are formed, filled with immature white blood cells - blasts that violate the maturation of red blood cells and platelets. Therefore, all types of leukemia are accompanied by frequent infections, septic complications, anemia and bleeding disorders.

Leukemia can develop at any age. For example, when young adults more likely to develop acute myeloid leukemia, in which blood myeloblasts appear - precursors of granular white blood cells (granulocytes). The disease progresses rapidly and if not to treat it in time, patients die from infectious complications or bleeding.

After 40 years more common chronic leukemia. For example, under the age of 50 years - chronic myelogenous leukemia, and in a later age - chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, and hairy.

Acute leukemias often begin under the pretense of some infections, such as purulent tonsillitis Purulent tonsillitis - requires strict bed rest , Acute pyelonephritis, and so on. Start accompanied by high fever, malaise, nausea, vomiting, pain in bones and joints. After the treatment the patient continues to bother periodically rising temperature, weakness, malaise, dizziness.

But not always, even acute leukemia begins suddenly. Quite often, the patient just feels a malaise, weakness, loss of appetite, frequent colds. However, if you do not identify and treat acute leukemia in time, it progresses rapidly, and the changes are irreversible.

Symptoms of leukemia in adults

Chronic myelogenous leukemia usually develops gradually and imperceptibly. Patients may be several months or even years to ignore the disease and lead a normal life. They often suffer from infections, are becoming less workable, there is excessive bleeding. Expressed progression may not be for several years.

Against the background of such imperceptible currents may cause exacerbations, which are called blast crisis. Blast crisis may manifest fever, weakness, lethargy, pain in bones and joints, frequent infections and bleeding. In these patients, the spleen is always increased, as its primary goal - the destruction of excess blood cells, including blasts.

Chronic lymphoblastic leukemia in the elderly also takes place very quickly. Often the only symptom is weakness and fatigue, which is easily written off old age. The blood of these patients revealed a large number of lymphocytes at different stages of maturation. Lymph nodes are only the beginning of the disease increases in infections and then return to normal. Then gradually increase the first cervical and axillary, and then other groups of lymph nodes. Typically, anemia, and increased bleeding in the early stages of the disease the patients feel very comfortable. The main symptom and is usually the cause of death of these patients are infections.

Older people can also develop hairy cell leukemia, which is often a genetic character. In this disease can be seen in blood leukocytes with typical rough, as if torn edges having a "hairy" appearance. The disease begins slowly, imperceptibly, it manifested as weakness, sweating, sometimes fever, general malaise. Patients exhausted, often suffer infections.

Symptoms of leukemia in adults is usually expressed softly, severity of the disease is growing relatively slowly, making it difficult to diagnose. And how to identify such diseases should be as early as possible is very important attention to the health of the patient and his family.

Galina Romanenko

Treatment of leukemia should be performed for a long time and start on time, that is in the early stages of the disease. Today, there are proven techniques to completely cure the patient with leukemia. Treatment in this case is given after a thorough diagnosis.

The main methods of treatment of leukemia

Treatment of leukemia in the world today is conducted in a standardized manner. It begins with the suppression of reproduction blasts - immature white blood cells. This method is carried out chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Unfortunately, both methods are not only inhibit the proliferation of blast cells, but also normal cells, so the development of new, more effective methods of destruction and sighting blasts.

At the heart of all leukemias are chromosomal mutations (chromosome - it is part of the cell nucleus, which contains the genes - carriers of heredity) and the formation of blasts - immature white blood cells that are flooding the blood stream and bone marrow. The resulting blasts can be repeatedly subjected to mutation and form a clone. It is these and try to identify clones by chromosome analysis to then aiming to influence them by using antibodies (monoclonal therapy - a type of targeted therapy, or aiming).

To effect of chemotherapy it was more effective in leading clinics it is assigned in accordance with the genotype of the patient, as well as in combination with a monoclonal therapy. Radiation therapy is often combined with monoclonal - antibody-administered with added thereto radioactive particles that are guaranteed to destroy the blasts. Antibodies for the treatment of leukemia can be simple (non-conjugated) are not linked to other substances, and conjugated with substances attached thereto for chemotherapy or radioactive particles.

Finally, there is a time-tested method of a bone marrow transplant from a donor. Blood donors must match the patient genotype. It is best suited in this case, the blood relatives.

Of all these techniques the physician selects the most appropriate for a given patient, picks drugs, their dosage and duration of treatment. That is how we treat leukemia in Israel, Germany, Russia and other countries in specialized clinics.

Treatment of acute leukemia

Held in a multidisciplinary hematology department of a hospital or specialized clinic. Treatment can be divided into the following periods:

• the induction of remission of leukemia - a course of intensive therapy to suppress reproduction of blasts using chemotherapy and radiation therapy and achieving a state of remission (blasts should be in the bone marrow is not more than 5% in their blood should not be at all);
• consolidation (consolidation) of remission of leukemia - lasts 4-6 months;
• maintenance treatment - lasts 2-3 years.

During treatment, paying special attention to the dangerous periods in the treatment of leukemia. One of these is a dangerous period of induction period during which under the influence of chemotherapy completely suppressed immunity Immunity - types and characteristics in children in adults   and dramatically increases the risk of infections.

Another danger is the period of time after a bone marrow transplant - the patient's body may reject the donor cells, which is accompanied by the dire state of the patient.

Medicines for leukemia

For the treatment of leukemia using different groups of drugs. For example, the most commonly used drugs for chemotherapy Chemotherapy - it always falls the hair?   - this:

• methotrexate - an antineoplastic, cytostatic agent group antimetabolites podavlyaetfermenty involved in protein metabolism of cells, inhibits DNA synthesis and cell division;
• Doxorubicin - antitumor antibiotic Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future?   anthracyclines, which inhibits the process of cell division (primarily blasts as they fall very quickly);
• Vincristine - antitumor agent of plant origin, is a vinca alkaloid, inhibits cell division;
• L-asparaginase - enzyme to the antineoplastic action of catalyzing the cleavage of the amino acid asparagine required for cell viability.

Preparations for leukemia for targeted therapy:

• Gleevec (imatinib) - anticancer drug with a selective inhibitory action on an enzyme involved in the multiplication of tumor cells; selectively inhibits cell proliferation and causes self-destruction (apoptosis) clones blasts;
• Rituximab - an antineoplastic agent - synthetic monoclonal antibodies having specificity to an antigen detectable on the surface of normal and immature B lymphocytes; Rituximab structure refers to immunoglobulin G; connecting to the B-lymphocytes, antibodies destroy them precisely.

Leukemia Treatment folk remedies

Traditional means can be used to treat leukemia, but only under medical supervision since some herbal medicines are not combined with drug treatment.

Is it possible to cure leukemia? Of course, you can, but more successfully treated the disease in its early stages.

Galina Romanenko