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Is it possible to cure leukemia

Leukemia refers to a group of malignant blood diseases. He appears primarily in the bone marrow due to a mutation of cells. Since bone marrow is necessary for the production of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, it is certainly important in the normal functioning of the body. But with the mutation it starts to affect white blood cells, turning those into cancer cells. So patients are always interested in is there a cure for leukemia and how long it will take time. To give one answer for all cases is difficult, because how to treat leukemia depends on many factors. Therefore, the success of the treatment primarily depends on the age and type of cancer. But if leukemia is treated at all or have any treatment?


Features of leukemia

None of the scientists can not give a reliable answer to the causes of this disease. It is believed that 70% of the causes not known at all. Some of them exist. First of all, it:

  • genetic disorder,
  • the radiation,
  • predisposition by heredity,
  • the unfavourable environment.

Abnormal white blood cells cease to perform their functions, their growth is much faster than normal and not stopping. So over time, these abnormal cells gradually occupy a large amount of space, displacing all others. That is why the disease was popularly called leukemia.

After the spread of white cells, there is a shortage of platelets and red blood cells. That is why there is anemia and bleeding. Because these two types of blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen and blood clotting. In the future, the blood abnormal white blood cells penetrate into lymph nodes and can form a tumor.

Type of disease

There are several types of leukemia. They differ in the speed of progression of the disease and the species affected white blood cells. All diseases are divided into acute and chronic. In the acute form deteriorating rapidly, while chronic can take many years, it is not appearing.

The acute form of disease based on cytogenes happen: lymphoblastic, monoblastny, myeloid, myelomonoblastic.

There are also eritromicina-, megakaryoblast and undifferentiated.

Chronic are: militarnym, lymphocytic, monocytic.

They in turn have several sub-groups.

Leukemia also varies according to the total number of cells: leukemic, subleukemic, lakopenicescoe, aleukemic.

Symptoms

Symptoms differ depending on the type of disease. But there are some symptoms, which are similar in most types of leukemia. Among them:

  • rise in temperature,
  • increased night sweating,
  • frequent bruising,
  • the appearance of bleeding,
  • tenderness of the joints,
  • enlarged lymph nodes,
  • fatigability,
  • reduce weight,
  • absence of appetite.

Some of the symptoms are generally similar to other diseases and do not have to worry, having had some of them. Pain of the joints can be arthritis, and bruising and bleeding may occur with weakness of blood vessels. So first we need to conduct a survey.

Diagnostics

You can start treatment only after an accurate diagnosis. In addition to external examination and medical history, the doctor prescribes the necessary tests. Definitely need to donate blood, which will consider the number of leukocytes. Then you can assign a biopsy, because the increase in leukocytes in the blood does not give reason to immediately put this terrible diagnosis.

Biopsy need tissue. It usually take from the bone marrow of the hip bone. Thanks to this study it turns out to accurately determine the presence or absence of the disease.

To diagnose also use other types of tests and examinations. Among them is a genetic test, x-ray and even biopsy of the lymph nodes.

X-ray helps detect changes in the lymph nodes, and a genetic test examines the chromosomes of pathogenic cells.

Way of treatment

To treat leukemia in several ways. Mainly use three: chemotherapy, radiation or radiotherapy,transplantation.

Chemotherapy

When using chemotherapy destroyed the cancer cells. It is necessary to take special medication, has a powerful influence on the entire body. These drugsthere are special poisons and toxins that are harmful to the cancer cells. However, they negatively influence the organism of the patient. But the negative impact of significantly less than cancer.

The doctor-oncologist selects the drug necessarily solely related to the disease criteria. Takes into account the morphology of cancer, its prevalence, the age of the person, related diseases. Chemical drugs are taken in pill form or droppers.

This treatment is cyclical and it is necessary to repeat after a while. It can be side effects. The patient feels nausea, he occasionally vomit. Mucous membranes of the mouth and digestive tract are damaged. The patient begins to lose hair and dies the part of red blood cells.

Radiation therapy

Leukemia influenced by radiotherapy. It affects cancer cells to ionizing radiation. Often in hospitals use x-rays or electron beams. Due to such effects, the beam leads to disruption of the electronic structure of the molecule. Therefore, in the future they cease to perform their functions, dying or losing the ability to share.

This method showed that the most affected by the rays of the tumor tissue. Because they constantly share, radiotherapy stops them. In some cases, it helps so that surgery is not needed.

But no trace of such a treatment fails. It causes side effects such as nausea, poredenie hair. Also, the body becomes susceptible to infections.

Transplantation

To cure the disease through bone marrow transplantation or stem cells. Due to this fact, to restore the production of normal healthy cells, improving the immune system. Before transplantation usually use radiation therapy or chemotherapy. This helps to significantly reduce the ranks of the abnormal cells occupying an important space. In addition, this training helps the immune system not to reject transplanted cells.

For the patient looking for a donor first, which is perfect. Otherwise the body will reject the transplanted material.

Treatment of chronic leukemia

Unlike acute diseases, chronic does not require such urgent intervention. It develops slowly and the treatments differ. First of all, there is a period of observation. In the early stages symptoms are almost unnoticeable, but seeing the doctor just be sure.

Such patients are also prescribed the usual treatment, but in the case of transplantation of the cells can be taken from the patient's body. Also use biological therapy, helping the body to improve protective functions. To patients used traditional methods of treatment.

In addition, very often the people with chronic leukemia take part in clinical trials. They themselves check the effect of newly invented drugs and determine their effectiveness. Therefore, in addition to the treatment they are helping others. Because the disease develops much more slowly, which enables the use of time, in contrast to patients with acute form of leukemia.

Leukemia during pregnancy

Even during pregnancy this disease is quite rare, but still possible in this age. Mostly diagnosed acute leukemia. Chronic diagnosed only in 10% of cases.

The consequences of the disease are quite serious not only for the mother. The fetus also suffers from this and it may be slowing development. Also, in some cases, there is miscarriage or premature birth. It is not always the child remains alive.

As mother the need for timely treatment, the effect of chemotherapy leads to malformations of the fetus. Still there were cases when women gave birth to healthy babies.

Treatment of pregnant women is no different from the treatment of the common man. When this doctor necessarily follows the condition of the patient. But if you fear such treatment and to delay it for fear of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, pregnancy will simply provoke even the fastest development of the disease.

Is it possible to heal completely

Many patients with a diagnosis of leukemia care about this issue. Actually no doctor can give an exact answer or a percentage of recovery. All the individual organisms and treatment respectively, selected purely individual.

But the sooner the patient to treat the problem, the earlier is the stage of the disease, the sooner treatment begins. This increases every chance for a full recovery without remission. So no need to try to cure the leukemia, and certainly not use his strange folk methods. All this only delays the precious time needed for treatment. Often, doctors are faced with such independent patients who waited until the last minute and went to the clinic already in the last stages of the disease.

A qualified doctor will always help to accurately determine the disease, and its appearance, will help you choose the right treatment and will do anything to make a full recovery. Therefore, we can say that cure leukemia. For that you need time to go to the hospital, take all the necessary examinations and to be treated only under the supervision of a specialist. Inthis case the treatment will benefit the patient after some time will again live a normal healthy life.