Three Types of Blood Cancer You Should Know
Blood cancer is a deadly disease that has several types. The following are types of blood cancer that often occur and should be watched out for.
Cancer is a disease that arises due to the abnormal growth of body cells. Normal cells can grow rapidly and turn into malignant cells that grow irregularly. These cells that turn malignant can occur in all organs of the body, such as the blood, lungs, liver, and digestive tract.
Blood cancer itself is a malignancy that attacks the tissues that form blood cells, including the spinal cord and lymph nodes.
In general, blood cancer is also known as leukemia. However, blood cancer is not only limited to leukemia. Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of blood cancer that you need to know about.
1. Leukemia
This type of cancer is a condition where there is an abnormal growth of white blood cells. In the condition of leukemia, white blood cells that should be useful for fighting infections from outside, actually attack the body itself.
Abnormal white blood cells can also inhibit the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets. Leukemia conditions are divided into two major groups, namely:
- Myelocytic Leukemia. Myeloid leukemia is a blood cancer that causes abnormal myeloid white blood cell production. Leukemia can occur acutely or chronically, depending on the type of cell and the speed of disease progression.
- Lymphocytic leukemia. Lymphocytic leukemia is a blood cancer that causes abnormal production of lymphocytic blood cells. Based on the epidemiology, this type of acute lymphocytic leukemia mostly affects children, while chronic lymphocytic leukemia mostly occurs in adults.
In general, the symptoms of leukemia are similar to those of anemia. Symptoms can include complaints of weakness, paleness, and fatigue.
However, under certain conditions, people with leukemia may show symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, easy bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or bruising), to difficulty walking because of pain in the bones.
2. Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a malignancy (cancer) that originates from lymphocyte white blood cells and is closely related to the lymphatic system of the lymph nodes. Some of you may be familiar when you hear about lymph node cancer.
You need to know, white blood cells and lymph nodes function to maintain the body’s resistance so it can fight infection. The lymph nodes themselves are scattered throughout the body, such as in the neck, armpits and groin.
Broadly speaking there are 2 types of lymphoma, namely:
- Hodgkin Lymphoma. One of the things that can be a marker of this type of lymphoma is the results of microscopic examination. On examination of the tumor tissue can be found Reed-Sternberg cells.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In this condition, no Reed-Sternberg cells are found. Usually, lymph nodes affected by cancer are grouped and are also often found outside the gland ( extranodal ).
The most common symptom of lymphoma can be enlarged lymph nodes. Enlarged lymph nodes are usually painless, but can become progressively enlarged.
Enlarged lymph nodes can also be accompanied by weight loss, excessive sweating at night, fever to chills, weakness, shortness of breath, easy bleeding and infection.
3. Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that originates from plasma cells. Plasma cells are still part of the white blood cells whose function is to help the body fight infection by producing antibodies.
In the condition of myeloma, cancer cells that accumulate in the bone marrow interfere with antibody production. The antibodies that form and build up cannot fight the infection, but they can cause complications such as kidney damage.
Signs and symptoms of myeloma vary. But most commonly, myeloma is characterized by symptoms of pain in the bones, especially in the spine and chest area.
In addition, other symptoms, such as weight loss, weakness, bowel obstruction ( constipation ), weakness in the lower limbs, and excessive thirst can occur if you have this type of cancer.
Leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma are types of blood cancer that can be experienced by anyone. The occurrence of cancer is inseparable from genetic factors and other factors such as lifestyle.
Until now, there is no prevention for blood cancer, but at least you can maintain your health and take preventive measures.
Some prevention methods that can be done are to eat nutritious food, exercise diligently, and avoid exposure to radiation or chemicals.
In addition, don’t forget to carry out routine checks that are useful for detecting early if there are signs or symptoms of cancer.