Leukosis, or leukemia, is a malignant disease in which in the bone marrow instead of red blood cells begin to be produced in a significant amount of white cells, or leukocytes. This process becomes so intense that it is not amenable to control, and as a result, healthy cells are omitted by malignant. Depending on the rate of development of this process and the nature of its flow, there are sharp and chronic forms of leukemia. Chronic leukemia develops slowly, the first symptoms appear in the later stages, when the functions of the circulatory system are significantly violated. Acute forms proceed rapidly and require immediate treatment. Each of leukemia has its subtypes. The most common forms are chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myeloid leukemia (HML), acute myeloid leukemia (IML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (All). More rare forms include hair-flossomy leukemia (incl) and plasma-cell leukemia. These diseases differ significantly in clinical manifestations, therefore, the methods of their treatment are different.
Characteristic features of the disease are fast fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, sleep impairment, multiple bruises and bruises on the body, frequent nose bleeding, dizziness, fainting, high body temperature, hand and foot swelling, neck, pain in the bones and joints, Pale skin, poor appetite and a decrease in body weight.
Dr. Paul Knebl practices in the Vienna private clinic Wiener Privatklinik (Austria)
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The only one needs to be remembered: all listed features separately, indeed, can talk about various diseases. But if the listed symptoms appear simultaneously, and inexplicable weakness, shortness of breath, increased sweating at night, increasing lymph nodes, gum anomalies, high temperature, which can not be reduced by antibiotics, would be recommended to immediately contact the specialist.
The next important question: what studies should enter the basic diagnostic course to avoid medical error. The first stage of diagnosis is a general analysis of the blood, which identifies the blood cells characteristic for leukemia, anemia, as well as the leukocyte formula, that is, the percentage ratio of leukocytes and platelets. If all the blood indicators are normal, the likelihood of the presence of the disease is extremely small. In the event that blood test shows the slightest deviations from the reference values, it is necessary to sign up for a consultation for the hematologist.
Many scares that in the case of suspicion of leukemia, the bone marrow puncture is often prescribed. Its essence in the fact that during the procedure from the iliac bone, a piece of bone tissue with a bone marrow for a laboratory study is taken. I will not hide, the procedure is quite painful, however, it is usually carried out under local anesthesia, in rare cases, anesthesiologists insist on general anesthesia.
Many are interested in: how urgently need to pass a survey so that the disease does not move to the next stage? There is no unambiguous answer to this question. It all depends on the form of the disease. The chronic form of leukemia usually progress slowly, so the analysis of the bone marrow can be postponed for several days. But in the acute form of leukemia, the delay of death is similar, therefore emergency diagnosis is assigned and the method of treatment is immediately determined. If this is not done, a person may die due to acute infection, hemorrhage into the brain or violations of the functions of the body.
And now suppose the most unpleasant: you have found leukemia. What to do? What method of treatment adhere to? I want to say that The universal treatment method for all forms of this disease does not exist. For example, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia can do without treatment over the years. For other forms of leukemia, therapy is prescribed in accordance with the type of disease and the general state of the patient's health. With acute leukemia, in most cases cytotoxic chemotherapy is prescribed, often with subsequent stem cell transplantation. In some cases, the patient may be appointed operational intervention - bone marrow transplantation. The decision on the need to transplantation doctors takes, given the many factors, but in any case it is never unambiguous.