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Blood cancers originate in bone marrow ?
Dr. Dawn Mya Hae Tha is a senior Consultant Haematologist at Parkway Cancer Centre. Her area of expertise is in haematology such as acute leukaemia and lymphoma.
Q: What is the most prevalent blood cancer and what are the common signs and symptoms to look out for?
The most prevalent blood cancer originate in the bone marrow, lymph notes on various organs. They can spread to other organs as well. Symptoms are related to the specific organ affected for eg-abdominal swelling pain if the liver and spleen are enlaged.Common symptoms include fewer, weight loss, night sweats, bleeding to name a few.
Q: What are some of the risk factors for blood cancer ?
The exact cause for blood cancers in generally unknown, associated risk factors have been identified for specific diseases. Acute myeloid Leukemia is known to be associate with previous exposure to agents toxic to cells like (Chemtheraphy and radio theraphy fow previous cancers, harmful chemicals and pesticides; and underlying chronic blood disorders such as myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative neoplasms.
How are leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma diagnosised ?
Mainly by dedecting cells in involved tissue or organs. Blood tests can deter caner cells present in patient’s blood infections disease screening can be done to uncover associated infections, and blood grouping may be also necessary at the diagnosis stage because patients need a blood transfusion, A CT scan, Pet-CT scan, MRI scans can also evaluate the stages of blood cancer.
What is CAR T-ceIl therapy, and how promising is it?
Cancer cells survive by suppressing or bypassing the immune system. T-cells are a type of immune cells that keep abnormal cells in check, and kill cancer cells. While a patient’s T-cells cannot recognise or kill cancer cells on their own, they can be modified into chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells.
It involves altering the genes inside T cells to help them attack cancer cells, and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use among a specific group of patients.
Anti-CD19 CAR-T treatment can be delivered for relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children and adults aged below 25.
The most prevalent blood cancer is lymphoma. Blood cancers usually originate in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, or various organs. They can also spread to other organs. Symptoms are related to the specific organ affected; for example, there could be abdominal swelling and pain if the liver and spleen are enlarged.
Common symptoms include fever, weight loss, night sweats, bleeding, fatigue, a sickly pallor, lymph node swelling, bone and joint pain.\\
What are treatment options available?
Treatment options vary depending on the type of blood cancers
A combination of chemothreraphy, chemoimmunotherapy or targetted drugs are used to induce remission in blood cancers..
How do blood cancers differ from one another?
Blood cancers can be divided into three categories:
Acute or Aggressive From the onset, acute leukaemia and aggressive or high-grade lymphoma progress rapidly in a matter of a few weeks to a few months. Without treatment, death is almost always imminent.
Chronic Chronic leukaemia, indolent/ low-grade lymphoma and multiple myeloma can go undetected over a long period of time – from many months to years – until the patient becomes symptomatic. Some conditions can be monitored without being treated, till symptoms and indications surface.
Pre-cancerous Myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative diseases are blood disorders that can vary from mild to severe conditions. Mild disorders can remain dormant for years, yet progress to severe conditions or transform into acute leukaemia.
What are some of the risk factors for blood cancers?
While the exact cause of blood cancers is generally unknown, associated risk factors have been identified for specific diseases.
Acute myeloid leukaemia is known to associated with previous exposure to agents toxic to cells (like chemotherapy and radiotherapy for previous cancers); harmful chemicals and pesticides; and underlying chronic blood disorders such as myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative neoplasms.