How many live with leukemia, the prognosis of life with acute leukemia how many live with leukemia, the prognosis of life with acute leukemia. What is acute myeloid leukemia and what is the life expectancy Acute leukemia life expectancy in adults

A patient with leukemia can live a full life for many years. The main thing is to diagnose the disease in time and choose the right treatment tactics.

Leukemia is the most common form of malignant blood diseases. There are many types of leukemia, each with a different course and other characteristics. The prognosis of survival in leukemia is calculated individually and depends on many factors, primarily on the type of leukemia. In general, early detection of pathology often allows us to talk about a favorable outcome - long-term remission and even complete recovery.

Prognosis for acute lymphocytic leukemia

Treatment is mainly limited to chemotherapeutic courses. As a rule, several cytotoxic drugs are used (usually 3). Treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia is long and takes several years.

Initially, induction chemotherapy is carried out, the main purpose of which is the destruction of cancer cells in the bone marrow and blood. This is followed by consolidation chemotherapy, which is necessary to destroy less active atypical cells, which is necessary to prevent a possible recurrence of the disease. The last stage of treatment is prophylactic chemotherapy, in which residual malignant cells are destroyed in order to prevent the appearance of metastases.

Radiation therapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia is used in cases where the nervous system is affected.

In some cases, high-dose polychemotherapy is performed, after which the patient is given a bone marrow transplant. Transplantation is resorted to in cases when it comes to relapses of diseases, and standardized methods of conservative treatment do not have the desired therapeutic effect.

A rather complicated procedure that requires high accuracy of the treatment, as well as a positive survival rate of the donor material.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a disease in which it is difficult to predict the survival of the patient. Some patients go into remission for many years, and they live a full life. Sometimes the disease returns after a short period of time. With a successful bone marrow transplant, the prognosis for long-term remission is usually favorable, especially for children under 10 years of age. During the period of remission, the symptoms of the disease are almost absent.

Survival prognosis for acute myelogenous leukemia

Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia is reduced to the use of powerful chemotherapy drugs that destroy cancer cells, as well as antibiotics, since in the treatment of this pathology there is an increased likelihood of serious infections, up to the onset of sepsis.

As in the case of acute lymphocytic leukemia, combined, and involves the use of 2-3 types of cytostatic drugs.

The survival of a patient with acute myeloid leukemia is influenced by several factors at once: the age of the patient, the type of cells that have undergone a pathological change, the correctness of the chosen treatment tactics, and others.

If the patient is less than 60 years old, then with standard treatment, the survival rate for acute myelogenous leukemia is no more than 6 years. With age, the likelihood of long-term remission decreases. So, if we are talking about patients older than 60 years, then five-year survival is observed in 10% of patients.

If sepsis develops in acute leukemia, it often ends in the death of the patient. If after 5-6 years of remission there is no relapse of the disease, then we can talk about the complete recovery of the patient. If the treatment was successful, and the patient takes care of himself, adhering to all the recommendations of doctors, then often the survival rate is 10 years or more.

Survival prognosis for chronic myeloid leukemia

As for chronic forms of leukemia, the prognosis here, as a rule, is much more favorable than in acute forms of pathologies.

In chronic myeloid leukemia, the prognosis of patient survival depends on a number of factors that are determined at the stage of diagnosis of the disease. On average, 5-year survival in chronic myeloid leukemia is observed in more than 90% of cases. With the advent of modern methods of biological and targeted therapy, the likelihood of recovery or achieving long-term (for many years) remission has increased significantly.

In the case when standard courses of chemotherapy, biotherapy and targeted treatment do not lead to the desired results, then they resort to bone marrow stem cell transplantation. Such treatment, if successful, gives good results and allows achieving remission for 15 years or more. However, such a favorable outcome is possible when the disease is detected at an early stage. With regard to the treatment of advanced chronic myeloid leukemia, the prognosis is often poor.

Prognosis for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a disease that cannot be cured. However, with the help of modern pharmacological preparations used in oncohematology, the disease can be kept under control for many years. Approximately 50% of patients live at least 5 years after diagnosis. Under favorable circumstances and successful treatment, survival can be 10 years or more.

The prognosis for chronic lymphocytic leukemia depends on the stage of the disease at which treatment was started. So, at stage A (initial stage), the survival rate is 10 years or more. If treatment is started at stage B, then the patient lives from 5 to 8 years. At stage C - from 1 to 3 years.

Of course, the above figures are conditional. The prognosis for this pathology is calculated individually with the doctor.

It should be noted that serious clinical trials are currently underway with the latest drugs for the targeted destruction of malignant blood cells in chronic forms of leukemia. The introduction of such methods of treatment into practice will significantly improve the prognosis for chronic leukemia.

Hairy cell leukemia prognosis

This is a fairly rare blood disease, which is one of the variants of chronic leukemia. In hairy cell leukemia, B-lymphocytes are affected, and the cancer cells have ragged or hairy edges, which is how the disease got its name.

The good news is that hairy cell leukemia develops rather slowly, and if this pathology is detected, patients live for at least 10 years. Approximately 40% of patients after 10 years of remission, the disease recurs. And with secondary treatment of the disease, the prognosis is 5 years or more.

As you understand, the survival rate for cancer of the blood and blood-forming organs is highly dependent on the stage at which the disease was detected. Timely diagnosis and correct treatment tactics can achieve long-term stable remission and even complete recovery. Modern technologies of biotherapy and targeted treatment have significantly increased the life expectancy of patients with blood cancer, and most importantly, improved the quality of life, which allows the patient to live in his usual rhythm and be useful to his family and society.

Leukemia or, as is customary in medicine, leukemia is a type of cancer associated with blood pathology. In the people, the disease is called "leukemia", as it is characterized by an increase in the blood composition of white cells.

Leukemia is a fleeting disease, so it is desirable for every person who is at least a little worried about their health to know its main symptoms and diagnostic methods. It is about the signs of the development of leukemia, the reasons for its appearance and the treatment of the disease that we will talk about in the article below. Interesting? Then be sure to read the material presented today.

Leukemia is a blood cancer, the development of which occurs due to a functional failure in the pattern of reproduction of blood cells. An ailment is born in the bone marrow, after which the affected cells enter the bloodstream and already provoke directly the pathology of the biomaterial.

Leukemia is characterized by the fact that during its course in the human blood, the number of (white bodies) increases, which not only grow exponentially, but also cease to perform the functions assigned to them.

Leukemia is divided into two main types:

Leukemia of an acute form, during which still unformed leukocytes are affected, which significantly disrupts the composition of the blood. In this case, the affected leukocytes quickly stop developing and are reborn, so to speak, defectively.
Chronic leukemia, which is characterized by the defeat of already full-fledged leukocytes. This form of the disease is potentially no more dangerous than the acute one, since in most cases it is treated or remitted noticeably faster.

It is important to understand that both forms of leukemia have approximately the same symptoms, so it is simply impossible to establish an accurate diagnosis only by the symptoms of the disease.

Often the signs of the course of leukemia are as follows:

At the initial stage, weakness, sweating, weight loss, pain in the bones, skin problems, intoxication of the body and characteristic changes in the composition of the blood appear. This symptomatology can manifest itself from the first day of blood damage to the serious development of the disease, which occurs from about 2-8 months of its course.
At the stages of strong development and advanced course of leukemia - a sharp decline in immunity, constant temperature instability, swollen lymph nodes, severe blanching of the skin, joint pain, shortness of breath, breathing problems, yellowing of the sclera of the eyes, visual impairment, numbness of the extremities, face and pronounced changes in blood composition.

Having noticed some “bouquet” of the symptoms noted above, it is important for any person to immediately visit the clinic and take the appropriate tests to determine leukemia.

Remember that early diagnosis of the disease significantly increases the chances of its complete cure.

Otherwise, the patient will be overtaken by serious complications, consisting in unbearable pains in different parts of the body, in a strong decrease in immunity, in the development of cancer of other organs and, worst of all, in death.

Reasons for the development of the disease

The development of leukemia does not occur for one specific reason. This disease can develop due to numerous factors that can adversely affect the processes occurring in the body. Recall that the origin of blood cancer occurs in the bone marrow and then develops throughout the body.

For example, below are the most common causes of leukemia (according to medical statistics):

long-term smoking and alcoholism
prolonged contact of a person with chemical reagents without appropriate protection
excessive or frequent radiation exposure
severe immune problems
the presence of chronic ailments of the body
development of certain infectious diseases
heredity

The greatest danger of leukemia is not that it can develop for a large number of reasons. Much worse is that this disease can affect a person even if there is only one cancer cell in the blood. Given this feature of leukemia, it is desirable for any person to be systematically examined in the hospital, so that there is always the possibility of preventing the disease in the early stages of development.

Diagnostic methods

Now that the symptoms of leukemia in adults and the causes of the development of the disease are considered in some detail, let's pay attention to the methods of its diagnosis. In this regard, leukemia is a relatively primitive disease that is diagnosed through blood tests.

The main indicators of the survey, subject to careful analysis, are represented by the following list:

Level . Naturally, the most important indicator, because blood cancer is characterized precisely by increased and inferior reproduction of white cells (leukocytes, if someone has forgotten). Depending on the form and duration of the pathology, the level of leukocytes may be different. So, at an early stage, the norm of the indicator is violated only by 60-70% upwards, at the later stages, the number of white cells increases by 5-20 times.
The presence in the blood of a bone marrow biopsy, tumor clusters of differentiation and other hematological formations. This indicator is very important, as it allows you to determine the qualitative characteristics of leukocytes and the general composition of the blood, which is simply necessary for an accurate diagnosis.
Content . It is worth noting that their level has some dependence on the level of leukocytes, therefore, with the development of leukemia, it increases by 50-200% of the norm.
Decrease and level. The indicator, by the way, often has strong deviations from the norm, but in the initial stages of leukemia it is often in order.

Naturally, unusual tests are carried out to diagnose blood cancer. Here the level of examinations is noticeably higher and often consists of molecular genetic, cytogenetic, flow cytometric and cytochemical methods for assessing the state of the blood.

In addition to the study of the affected biomaterial, X-rays of the bone marrow and punctures of the spleen are also performed. The diagnosis of leukemia, as well as the treatment of this disease, is required to be carried out in specialized centers whose activities are based precisely on work in this medical field.

Disease therapy and prognosis

Treatment of leukemia is a very complex procedure, which is often simply not feasible. In 80% of cases, determining the impossibility of a complete cure for the disease, many specialists switch to remission of blood cancer. The essence of the latter is to slow down the course of the disease, stop its symptoms and prolong the life of the patient.

The final choice of whether to treat leukemia or remission is determined based on:

symptoms of the course of the disease (the more serious they are, the more likely it is that the choice will fall on remission)
stages of the disease and its type (the weaker they are, the more likely it is to completely get rid of the disease)
age of the patient (the younger he is, the greater the chance that an adult will be able to defeat leukemia)
general health (the better it is, the more seriously you can think about organizing leukemia therapy)

Regardless of the chosen option for getting rid of the disease, the basis of therapeutic measures is the maximum possible cessation of the growth of cancer cells. Today, therapy and remission of leukemia are possible:

By organizing chemotherapy, that is, exposure to the affected area of the spinal cord with appropriate substances.
Through the organization of radiation therapy, which consists in the effect of ionizing radiation on the affected area of the spinal cord and the patient's blood.
Transplantation, which is a very complex procedure. It is carried out with the help of partial removal of the affected bone marrow and the introduction of healthy donor cells into it.

It is important to organize the treatment of leukemia in specialized centers immediately after the disease has been detected. We repeat, it is impossible to delay in getting rid of blood cancer, because the most important thing - the patient's life - depends on the speed of organizing therapy.

More information about leukemia can be found in the video:

Many people, one way or another faced with leukemia, are interested in one question, namely, “What is the prognosis for the treatment of this pathology?”. Perhaps, something concrete cannot be said about blood cancer, because the success of its therapy depends on many factors. The main ones among them are the degree of development of leukemia and the condition of the patient's body.

The weaker the blood and spinal cord of a person is affected and the stronger his body, the greater the chance that he will be able to fully recover.

Otherwise, the disease will only remit and the patient can live from 1.5 to 25 years with chronic leukemia and about 4-12 months with the development of an acute form of the disease.

A considerable number of people are also interested in the issue of leukemia prevention. Let's say right away - it is impossible to insure against leukemia, as well as from any form of cancer.

Preventive measures of the disease converge only on the fact that:

First, to reduce the factors of its development in human life to a minimum. This is especially true for people who are genetically predisposed to leukemia. That is, the main protection against this pathology is not to smoke, not to drink, treat all ailments to the end and maintain immunity at the level.
Secondly, try to lead a healthy lifestyle, which requires proper sleep, the most proper nutrition and the absence of bad habits.
Thirdly, to be constantly examined in the clinic, so that it is possible to identify any deviations in the composition of the blood and eliminate them in a timely manner.

On this, perhaps, the most important information on leukemia came to an end. As you can see, blood cancer is a rather dangerous disease, but under certain circumstances it is quite treatable. We hope that today's material was useful for you and gave answers to your questions. Health to you!

Despite the fact that in our century medicine has achieved tremendous positive results in the treatment of complex and deadly diseases, it is not always possible to completely get rid of them. If a patient is diagnosed with acute blood leukemia, then how long they live with it is the main question of a sick person. With such a mutation of blood cells, the pathological process develops in the bone marrow, but the victim can lead a completely normal existence.

Why does the patient's quality of life worsen and what does its duration depend on?

In order to improve the survival of a person, if he is diagnosed with leukemia, it is necessary to determine the pathology in time, as well as start the correct treatment. Leukemia is one of the most common malignant blood pathologies. There are many varieties of the disease, so life expectancy in each specific episode is calculated separately.

In any case, blood cancer is characterized by a violation of cell proliferation, in which the number of leukocytes and lymphocytes increases dramatically. ALL is characterized by a direct relationship between symptoms and how long a person lives.

The quality of the patient's existence deteriorates due to such factors:

increase in blood viscosity;
an increase in internal organs (especially the liver and pancreas);
deterioration in visual function;
change in the mechanism of blood supply in the periphery;
development of secondary insufficiency of most internal organs.

These factors significantly affect the quality of life. With leukemia, the prognosis is determined by several factors:

The form of the disease. If a person has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, then he can live longer.
The stage of development of pathology.
The patient's age. It has long been noticed that young people can quickly achieve stable remission and defeat the disease. In children, the disease can be overcome faster and easier. For the elderly, the prognosis is more pessimistic: the older the person, the lower his level of natural immunity.

It should be borne in mind that the following factors can provoke the development of pathology:

the constant presence of a person under the influence of ionizing radiation;
hereditary predisposition or some congenital pathology;
viruses characterized by increased oncogenicity;
regular exposure to chemical carcinogens;
some food products containing preservatives and other additives;
bad habits;
smoking.

If these factors affect a person during the course of AML therapy, then the patient's life time will be significantly reduced. The patient needs to pay attention in time to the appearance of sudden weakness, causeless bruising on the skin, frequent nosebleeds, joint pain, poor wound healing. Thanks to timely diagnosis, it is possible to improve the condition and increase the life expectancy of a person.

Statistics

In general, when diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, the prognosis for women is less optimistic than for men. The statistics say the following:

About a year live 70% of men, more than 5 years - 50%. In women, these figures correspond to 65% and 50%.
If the disease is detected in time, and treatment for 10 years was effective, then 48% of male patients and 44% of women will be able to live on.
The prognosis also depends on age. For example, many patients are interested in how long people under the age of 40 live with such a diagnosis. Here, the survival rate is 70%, while for the elderly population this figure drops to 20%.
After 10 years of constant and effective therapy, 4 out of 10 patients survive and continue to live. Moreover, the presented indicator is still very good.

In any case, how long a person can live depends not only on drug treatment. The prognosis is also determined by the general emotional mood of the patient, the strength of the immune system, adherence to the correct diet, and rest.

What forecasts are possible for an acute form of leukemia (lymphocytic leukemia)?

If a person has acute leukemia, the prognosis for life can be positive if the disease is diagnosed on time. It has the following symptoms: fatigue, slight malaise, change in basal temperature, headache. That is, it is impossible to immediately determine cellular lymphocytic leukemia. The patient may take such signs for a manifestation of a cold.

For patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, chemotherapy is required. It involves the use of several cytotoxic drugs. Most often there are 3. Therapy should last several years. Only with the right treatment can the patient live longer.

The therapy involves the initial destruction of pathological cells not only in the blood, but also in the bone marrow. Next, you need to kill less active atypical lymphocytes. This will prevent a recurrence or complication of the disease. After that, the acute form of leukemia requires preventive treatment. It is aimed at preventing the development of metastases.

If the patient's nervous system is affected, then radiation therapy is required. In order to completely overcome cancer, the patient may be prescribed polychemotherapy with high doses of drugs, as well as bone marrow transplantation. This is done if standard treatment is ineffective or the disease recurs. During the operation, it is possible to slightly improve the patient's survival up to 10 years. During remission, the symptoms of pathology practically do not appear.

Predictions for Acute Myeloid Blood Injury

If a patient has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, the prognosis of life depends on the correctness of therapy. In the treatment, potent chemicals and antibiotics are used. The course of the disease is further complicated by the fact that there is a risk of developing a serious infection that can lead to sepsis.

If acute myeloid leukemia is treated correctly, then a patient up to 60 years old can live only 6 years (at best). Further, the possibility of a prolonged remission is reduced. Only 10% of older people can live up to 5 years.

With the development of sepsis, there can be no comforting prognosis. With effective treatment and no recurrence for 5 years, doctors conclude that the patient has recovered.

How long will a person live with a chronic form of pathology?

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia proceeds secretly. A person may not even suspect that he has blood cancer for many years. To make an accurate diagnosis in this case, you need to undergo a general blood test, in which there will be an increased level of lymphocytes, a deviation in the level of hemoglobin, as well as a bone marrow biopsy.

There were cases when chronic lymphocytic leukemia developed for more than 10 years, and the patient felt minimal discomfort. This disease is practically not amenable to traditional treatment, although drugs help control the development of CLL. Life expectancy is at least 5 years. If circumstances are favorable, then this period can be extended to 10 years or more.

Since chronic lymphocytic leukemia proceeds secretly, it can not always be diagnosed in time. With a neglected form of pathology, the patient will live no more than 3 years. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a complex disease with severe consequences.

People living with chronic myeloid leukemia have a much better prognosis. There is an opportunity to significantly increase the duration of remission. This is unfavorable for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A person can live for more than 15 years. Although in the later stages, the prognosis deteriorates greatly.

When will the forecast be disappointing?

Sometimes medicine is powerless and unable to defeat acute leukemia. The prognosis will be disappointing if:

Along with blood cancer, some kind of infection develops in the patient's body, especially a fungal one. Since human immunity is very weak, it cannot fight such pathologies at the same time. In this case, the fungus becomes resistant to even the strongest antibacterial drugs. For a long time, such people, as a rule, do not live.
Genetic mutations occur in the patient's body, that is, acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults (or other types of pathology) can be reborn and take on a form unknown to medicine. In this case, both chemical and radiation therapy will be ineffective. There is no time left for the selection of a new treatment strategy, and bone marrow transplantation cannot be performed.
The patient developed an infectious complication when it was impossible to isolate him in the hospital.
A person develops an aneurysm of the brain, extensive internal bleeding.
Treatment proved ineffective or incorrect.
The diagnosis was made too late.
The patient is elderly.

With a diagnosis such as lymphocytic leukemia, the prognosis may be different. Basically, leukemia is considered a very dangerous, rapidly developing disease, which is not characterized by the presence of stages. Pathology negatively affects all human organs and systems at once, since cancer cells in large numbers are spread throughout the body with blood.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, like acute, significantly reduces a person's life expectancy. However, properly selected treatment tactics will allow you to control the development of pathology.

Acute blood leukemia is a serious illness. Pathology consists in dangerous changes occurring in the bone marrow and peripheral blood of a person, as a result of which internal organs are affected.

Varieties of blood leukemia

There are two types of leukemia, depending on the affected blood cells:

acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

AML is more susceptible to older people who have a lesion of the myeloid line of hematopoiesis.

There are several variants of this type:

with minimal signs of differentiation;
promyelocytic;
myelomonoblastic;
monoblast;
erythroid;
megakaryocytic.

Acute blood leukemia affects mainly children under 15 years of age in 85% of cases, and adults - in 15%. Men are affected by the disease 50% more often. Tumors arise due to violations of the lymphoid line of hematopoiesis.

The incidence of two types of acute leukemia is 35 people per 1 million inhabitants.

Causes of blood cancer

Modern medicine has not established the exact prerequisites for the appearance of blood leukemia, but has found the following factors that cause malignant cell mutation:

influence of chemical carcinogens. For example, benzene, cigarette smoke;
hereditary predispositions. Illness of several family members is not uncommon;
chromosomal transformations (Klinefelter, Down syndromes);
viral infections, that is, an abnormal response to them;
excess radioactive, electromagnetic impact;
immunodeficiency states;
undergoing chemotherapy or radiation.

Chromosomal changes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia are:

primary - with a violation of the properties of the blood-forming cell and the formation of monoclonal leukemia;
secondary, which are manifested by malignant polyclonal forms.

Manifestations of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute leukemia goes through several stages:

the first is initial (usually not detected);
full manifestation of signs of leukemia;
remission (partial or not);
relapse;
a state of decline in bodily functions.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia reveals several syndromes:

Anemic, causing muscle weakness, palpitations, shortness of breath, pale skin, drowsiness.
Immunodeficiency, which accelerates bacterial, fungal, viral infections of the patient.
Hemorrhagic, expressed by a rash on the skin, hematomas, worsening blood clotting, nosebleeds.
Osteoarticular, characterized by aseptic necrosis, osteoporosis, infiltration of the articular capsule and periosteum.
Proliferative. Its signs are: enlargement of the thymus gland - in children, liver and spleen - in adults, inflammation of the lymph nodes.
Intoxication, when there is a deterioration in appetite, fever up to 40 ° C, sweating, weight loss.
Neuroleukemia - metastases in the brain that provoke a violation of speech, coordination of movements, headaches. seen in ALL.

The set of blood leukemia syndromes manifests itself differently in men and women.

It takes two months from the beginning of the mutation of the first stem cell to the manifestation of clinical symptoms of the disease. Blood leukemia develops gradually or suddenly. Signs of malaise are similar to an acute viral infection.

Diagnosis of leukemia in adults

Based on the symptoms of the disease, the doctor prescribes to confirm or refute the suspicion of blood cancer.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults is diagnosed by a diagnosis consisting of three stages:

General blood analysis. An alarming result is a decrease in the number of platelets, hemoglobin levels, a high content of leukocytes, an increase in young blood cells - blasts.
Biopsy of lymph nodes and bone marrow in the oncohematology department to analyze the type and degree of development of the disease. Leukemia is confirmed when 20% of abnormal cells are detected in it. Additionally, a microbiological assessment of the patient's material and peripheral blood is prescribed to detect the disease, chromosomal mutations.
The level of pathology of the internal organs of the patient is checked using ultrasound (ultrasound), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-ray, electrocardiogram of the heart. A lumbar puncture is performed to test the cerebrospinal fluid.

Treatment methods for acute blood leukemia

Therapy of acute blood leukemia is carried out immediately on the basis of the diagnostics carried out in oncohematological centers according to the established drug prescribing regimens - protocols, observing the periods, volumes, and timing of the study for each type of blood cancer.

The main task of the treatment of acute leukemia is to:

restore healthy blood formation;
achieve long-term remission;
restore full health;
prevent recurrence of the disease.

The choice of protocol is influenced by the following factors:

genetic manifestations of leukemia;
patient's age;
response to previous therapy;
the number of leukocytes in the blood test.

The main methods of treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia:

Chemotherapy is the main way to fight two types of leukemia. Combined cytoplastic drugs are administered to destroy blasts in the spinal canal, intravenously for several years, taking into account the weight of the patient, the level of blood mutation. A new type of chemotherapy is being introduced - targeted, when Imatinib and Herceptin are used, which detect unhealthy cells and suppress their growth. The effectiveness of chemotherapy in AML - 85%, ALL - 95%.
Biological - the technique is used to stimulate the body's defenses and remove unusable cells with the help of two types of antibodies, as well as "Interferon", which are administered intravenously.
The radiation method for the treatment of acute leukemia, in which radiotherapy is used, is an effect on the bone marrow under the control of computed tomography. Usually used before transplantation. As well as radioimmunotherapy with irradiated particles attached to antibodies using Bexxar preparations based on the isotope of iodine and Zevalin.
Surgical path - bone marrow transplantation is indicated for AML and ALL during the initial weakening of the disease. Before the operation, the infected areas are destroyed by irradiation of the body and a high dose of chemotherapy.

Therapeutic transplant

Transplantation of healthy stem cells from a compatible donor is considered the most effective treatment for acute leukemia. It occurs by introducing donor material in the cervicothoracic region, which allows the dose of drugs to be increased during chemotherapy. The process is accompanied by taking medications that prevent the rejection of foreign cells, which, after 14–20 days, come into action to produce white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

The main condition for the operation is complete remission of leukemia. To prevent graft rejection, a conditioning procedure is performed prior to this, which eliminates the remaining blasts.

Before transplantation, contraindications should be considered:

advanced age of the patient;
violations of the functions of internal organs;
recurrence of blood leukemia;
acute infectious diseases.

Therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia takes place in several stages:

Remission is developed and fixed by eliminating leukemia cells in the blood using Prednisolone, Cytarabine or their analogues.
Having reached a stable weakening of the process, they prevent the return of leukemia with the drugs Puri-netol and Methotrexate, which remove the remnants of blasts.
The achieved result is fixed, destroying the remnants of oncological cells with consolidating treatment.
Prevent recurrence of acute leukemia by long-term low-dose chemotherapy with Cytosar and Prednisolone.
Complete remission is fixed with chemotherapeutic drugs Mercaptopurine, Cyclophosphamide, which increase the number of leukocytes.

Acute leukemia remission rates:

cytogenetic, which results in a complete cure.
hematological - clinical, in which the composition of the bone marrow and peripheral blood returns to normal, the clinical signs of the disease disappear, there are no leukemia foci outside the bone marrow.
molecular, when blasts cannot be found using molecular genetic analysis.

Principles of concomitant treatment of blood leukemias

Successful recovery depends on many factors. Prevention of infections is the main condition for the survival of the patient. Often the doctor prescribes additional measures:

detoxification drugs;
cytostatics: Busulfan, Nimustine to counteract malignant neoplasms;
a blood transfusion to replace blood cells lost during chemotherapy;
brain irradiation;
broad-spectrum antibiotics with fever - Tienam, Meronem .;
creation of a sterile environment in the patient's room: quartzing, ventilation, wet cleaning 5 times a day, the use of a disposable instrument;
isolation of the patient from contact with possible carriers of the infection;
drugs Granocyte and Neupogen with a low content of neutrophils in the blood.

Proper nutrition during leukemia is a component of a successful recovery. It is required to completely exclude fried, smoked foods, limit salt intake. The diet to maintain immunity should consist of a large amount of vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, trace elements and fats. Vegetables and fruits should be consumed boiled or stewed.

Consequences of blood leukemia

It can develop rapidly, and without timely treatment leads to death.

The prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults depends on the following factors:

types of illness;
patient's age;
prevalence of the lesion;
the body's response to chemotherapy;
timing of diagnosis;
cytogenetic features of leukemia.

For men over 60 years of age, the predicted 5-year survival rate for ALL is 20–40%, for AML it is 20%, and for people under 55 it is 60%. Up to 25-35% of patients do not relapse within 24 months, and some of them are completely cured. However, adults are less likely to get ALL than AML.

Chemotherapy has a particularly negative effect on the human body, against which the following consequences occur:

vomiting, nausea, lack of appetite;
damage to blood cells, resulting in anemia, bleeding, frequent infections;
violation of the activity of internal organs (kidneys, intestines, heart, liver);
hair loss.

Biological methods of getting rid of leukemia give rise to:

skin itching;
influenza-like manifestations;
rash of the epidermis.

The result of radiotherapy may be redness, a feeling of fatigue.

Donor bone marrow transplantation has serious consequences for a person. Its result is irreversible damage to the gastrointestinal tract, skin, liver. The efficiency of recovery in this case reaches only 15%.

In order to prevent adverse manifestations of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in time, adults are required to systematically undergo bone marrow and blood tests, conduct an electrocardiogram of the heart, and other checks prescribed by a doctor.

- a disease that causes severe consequences. It is important to undergo regular preventive examinations to detect symptoms of blood cancer and timely treatment of this deadly disease.

Leukemia is a serious blood disease that belongs to neoplastic (malignant). In medicine, it has two more names - leukemia or leukemia. This disease knows no age limits. They are sick children at different ages, including infants. It can occur in youth, and in middle age, and in old age. Leukemia equally affects both men and women. Although, according to statistics, people with white skin color get sick with it much more often than dark-skinned people.

Types of leukemia

With the development of leukemia, a certain type of blood cells degenerates into malignant ones. This is the basis for the classification of the disease.

When it passes into leukemia cells (blood cells of the lymph nodes, spleen and liver), it is called LYMPHOLEUKOSIS.
The degeneration of myelocytes (blood cells produced in the bone marrow) leads to MYELOLEKOSIS.

The degeneration of other types of leukocytes, leading to leukemia, although it occurs, is much less common. Each of these species is divided into subspecies, of which there are quite a lot. Only a specialist who is armed with modern diagnostic equipment and laboratories equipped with everything necessary can understand them.

The division of leukemia into two fundamental types is explained by violations during the transformation of different cells - myeloblasts and lymphoblasts. In both cases, instead of healthy leukocytes, leukemia cells appear in the blood.

In addition to classification by type of lesion, distinguish between acute and chronic leukemia. Unlike all other diseases, these two forms of leukemia have nothing to do with the nature of the course of the disease. Their peculiarity is that the chronic form almost never becomes acute and, conversely, the acute form under no circumstances can become chronic. Only in isolated cases, chronic leukemia can be complicated by an acute course.

This is because acute leukemia occurs when immature cells (blasts) are transformed. At the same time, their rapid reproduction begins and enhanced growth occurs. This process cannot be controlled, so the probability of death in this form of the disease is quite high.

Chronic leukemia develops when the growth of mutated fully matured or maturing blood cells progresses. It differs in duration. Supportive care is sufficient for the patient to remain stable.

Causes of leukemia

What exactly causes the mutation of blood cells is currently not fully understood. But it has been proven that one of the factors causing leukemia is radiation exposure. The risk of disease appears even with low doses of radiation. In addition, there are other causes of leukemia:

In particular, leukemia can be caused by leukemic drugs and some chemicals used in everyday life, such as benzene, pesticides, etc. Leukemia drugs include antibiotics of the penicillin group, cytostatics, butadione, chloramphenicol, as well as drugs used in chemotherapy.
Most infectious-viral diseases are accompanied by the invasion of viruses into the body at the cellular level. They cause mutational degeneration of healthy cells into pathological ones. Under certain factors, these mutant cells can transform into malignant ones, leading to leukemia. The largest number of leukemia cases was noted among HIV-infected people.
One of the causes of chronic leukemia is a hereditary factor that can manifest itself even after several generations. This is the most common cause of childhood leukemia.

Etiology and pathogenesis

The main hematological signs of leukemia are a change in the quality of the blood and an increase in the number of young blood cells. This increases or decreases. It is noted, leukopenia and. Leukemia is characterized by abnormalities in the chromosomal set of cells. Based on them, the doctor can make a prognosis of the disease and choose the optimal method of treatment.

Common Symptoms of Leukemia

With leukemia, a correct diagnosis and timely treatment are of great importance. At the initial stage, the symptoms of blood leukemia of any kind are more like colds and some other diseases. Listen to your well-being. The first manifestations of leukemia are manifested by the following signs:

A person experiences weakness, malaise. He constantly wants to sleep or, conversely, sleep disappears.
Brain activity is disturbed: a person hardly remembers what is happening around and cannot concentrate on elementary things.
The skin turns pale, bruises appear under the eyes.
Wounds do not heal for a long time. Possible from the nose and gums.
For no apparent reason, the temperature rises. It can stay at 37.6º for a long time.
Minor bone pains are noted.
Gradually there is an increase in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.
The disease is accompanied by increased sweating, heart rate increases. Dizziness and fainting are possible.
Colds occur more often and last longer than usual, chronic diseases are exacerbated.
The desire to eat disappears, so the person begins to lose weight dramatically.

If you notice the following signs in yourself, then do not postpone a visit to a hematologist. It is better to play it safe a little than to treat the disease when it is running.

These are common symptoms that are characteristic of all types of leukemia. But, for each type there are characteristic signs, features of the course and treatment. Let's consider them.

Video: presentation about leukemia (eng)

Lymphoblastic acute leukemia

This type of leukemia is most common in children and adolescents. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterized by impaired hematopoiesis. An excessive amount of pathologically altered immature cells - blasts - is produced. They precede the appearance of lymphocytes. Blasts begin to multiply rapidly. They accumulate in the lymph nodes and spleen, preventing the formation and normal functioning of normal blood cells.

The disease begins with a prodromal (latent) period. It can last from one week to several months. The sick person has no specific complaints. He just feels constantly tired. He becomes unwell due to a temperature elevated to 37.6 °. Some notice that they have enlarged lymph nodes in the area of the neck, armpits, groin. Minor bone pains are noted. But at the same time, the person continues to fulfill his labor duties. After some time (for everyone it is different), a period of pronounced manifestations begins. It occurs suddenly, with a sharp increase in all manifestations. In this case, various variants of acute leukemia are possible, the occurrence of which is indicated by the following symptoms of acute leukemia:

Anginal (ulcer-necrotic) accompanied by severe sore throat. This is one of the most dangerous manifestations in a malignant disease.
anemic. With this manifestation, anemia of a hypochromic nature begins to progress. The number of leukocytes in the blood increases dramatically (from several hundred in one mm³ to several hundred thousand per mm³). Leukemia is evidenced by the fact that more than 90% of the blood consists of progenitor cells: lymphoblasts, hemohistoblasts, myeloblasts, hemocytoblasts. Cells on which the transition to mature depends (young, myelocytes, promyelocytes) are absent. As a result, the number of and lymphocytes is reduced to 1%. The number of platelets is also reduced.

hemorrhagic in the form of hemorrhages on the mucous membrane, open areas of the skin. There are outflows of blood from the gums and, uterine, renal, gastric and intestinal bleeding is possible. In the last phase, pleurisy and pneumonia may occur with the release of hemorrhagic exudate.
Splenomegalic- characteristic enlargement of the spleen, caused by increased destruction of mutated leukocytes. In this case, the patient experiences a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen on the left side.
It is not uncommon for leukemic infiltrate to penetrate into the bones of the ribs, collarbone, skull, etc. It can affect the bones of the eye socket. This form of acute leukemia is called chlorleukemia.

Clinical manifestations can combine various symptoms. So, for example, acute myeloid leukemia is rarely accompanied by an increase in lymph nodes. This is not typical for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Lymph nodes acquire hypersensitivity only with ulcerative necrotic manifestations of chronic lymphoblastic leukemia. But all forms of the disease are characterized by the fact that the spleen becomes large, blood pressure decreases, and the pulse quickens.

Acute leukemia in childhood

Acute leukemia most often affects children's organisms. The highest percentage of the disease occurs between the ages of three and six. Acute leukemia in children is manifested by the following symptoms:

Spleen and liver- enlarged, so the child has a large belly.
The size of the lymph nodes also exceed the norm. If the enlarged nodes are located in the chest area, the child is tormented by a dry, debilitating cough, shortness of breath occurs when walking.
With the defeat of the mesenteric nodes appear pain in the abdomen and legs.
noted moderate and normochromic anemia.
The child gets tired quickly, the skin is pale.
Symptoms of SARS are pronounced with fever, which may be accompanied by vomiting, severe headache. Seizures often occur.
If leukemia has reached the spinal cord and brain, then the child may lose balance while walking and often fall.

Symptoms of leukemia

Treatment of acute leukemia

Treatment of acute leukemia is carried out in three stages:

Stage 1. Intensive care course (induction) aimed at reducing the number of blast cells in the bone marrow to 5%. At the same time, they should be completely absent in the normal bloodstream. This is achieved by chemotherapy using multicomponent cytostatic drugs. Based on the diagnosis, anthracyclines, glucocorticosteroid hormones and other drugs can also be used. Intensive therapy gives remission in children - in 95 cases out of 100, in adults - in 75%.
Stage 2. Consolidation of remission (consolidation). It is carried out in order to avoid the likelihood of recurrence. This stage can last from four to six months. When it is carried out, careful monitoring by a hematologist is required. Treatment is carried out in a clinical setting or in a day hospital. Chemotherapeutic drugs are used (6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate, prednisolone, etc.), which are administered intravenously.
Stage 3. Maintenance therapy. This treatment continues for two to three years, at home. 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate are used in the form of tablets. The patient is under dispensary hematological registration. He must periodically (the date of visits is appointed by the doctor) undergo an examination in order to control the quality of the blood composition

If it is impossible to conduct chemotherapy due to a severe complication of an infectious nature, acute blood leukemia is treated by transfusion of donor erythrocyte mass - from 100 to 200 ml three times in two to three to five days. In critical cases, bone marrow or stem cell transplantation is performed.

Many try to treat leukemia with folk and homeopathic remedies. They are quite acceptable in chronic forms of the disease, as an additional restorative therapy. But in acute leukemia, the faster intensive drug therapy is carried out, the higher the chance for remission and the more favorable the prognosis.

Forecast

If the start of treatment is very late, then the death of a patient with leukemia can occur within a few weeks. This is dangerous acute form. However, modern medical techniques provide a high percentage of improvement in the patient's condition. At the same time, 40% of adults achieve stable remission, with no relapses for more than 5-7 years. The prognosis for acute leukemia in children is more favorable. The improvement in condition before the age of 15 is 94%. In adolescents over 15 years of age, this figure is slightly lower - only 80%. Recovery of children occurs in 50 cases out of 100.

An unfavorable prognosis is possible in infants (up to a year) and those who have reached the age of ten (and older) in the following cases:

A large degree of spread of the disease at the time of accurate diagnosis.
Severe enlargement of the spleen.
The process reached the nodes of the mediastinum.
The functioning of the central nervous system is disrupted.

Chronic lymphoblastic leukemia

Chronic leukemia is divided into two types: lymphoblastic (lymphocytic leukemia, lymphatic leukemia) and myeloblastic (myeloid leukemia). They have different symptoms. In this regard, each of them requires a specific method of treatment.

Lymphatic leukemia

Lymphatic leukemia is characterized by the following symptoms:

Loss of appetite, sudden weight loss. Weakness, dizziness, severe headaches. Increased perspiration.
Enlarged lymph nodes (from the size of a small pea to a chicken egg). They are not associated with the skin and easily roll on palpation. They can be felt in the groin area, on the neck, armpits, sometimes in the abdominal cavity.
With an increase in the lymph nodes of the mediastinum, vein compression occurs and swelling of the face, neck, and hands occurs. Perhaps they are blue.
The enlarged spleen protrudes 2-6 cm from under the ribs. Approximately the same goes beyond the edges of the ribs and an enlarged liver.
There is a frequent heartbeat and sleep disturbance. Progressing, chronic lymphoblastic leukemia causes a decrease in sexual function in men, and amenorrhea in women.

A blood test for such leukemia shows that the number of lymphocytes is sharply increased in the leukocyte formula. It is from 80 to 95%. The number of leukocytes can reach 400,000 in 1 mm³. Blood platelets - normal (or slightly underestimated). The quantity and erythrocytes - is considerably reduced. The chronic course of the disease can be extended over a period of three to six to seven years.

Treatment of lymphocytic leukemia

The peculiarity of chronic leukemia of any kind is that it can last for years, while maintaining stability. In this case, the treatment of leukemia in the hospital may not be carried out, just periodically check the condition of the blood, if necessary, engage in strengthening therapy at home. The main thing is to follow all the prescriptions of the doctor and eat right. Regular dispensary observation is an opportunity to avoid a difficult and unsafe course of intensive care.

Photo: an increased number of leukocytes in the blood (in this case, lymphocytes) with lecosis

If there is a sharp increase in leukocytes in the blood and the patient's condition worsens, then there is a need for chemotherapy using the drugs Chlorambucil (Leukeran), Cyclophosphamide, etc. The treatment course also includes the monoclonal antibodies Campas and Rituximab.

The only way that makes it possible to completely cure chronic lymphocytic leukemia is bone marrow transplantation. However, this procedure is very toxic. It is used in rare cases, for example, for people at a young age, if the patient's sister or brother acts as a donor. It should be noted that only allogeneic (from another person) bone marrow transplantation for leukemia gives complete recovery. This method is used to eliminate relapses, which, as a rule, are much more severe and more difficult to treat.

Chronic myeloid leukemia

Myeloblastic chronic leukemia is characterized by a gradual development of the disease. In this case, the following symptoms are observed:

Weight loss, dizziness and weakness, fever and increased sweating.
With this form of the disease, gingival and nosebleeds, pallor of the skin are often noted.
Bones begin to ache.
Lymph nodes are usually not enlarged.
The spleen significantly exceeds its normal size and occupies almost the entire half of the internal cavity of the abdomen on the left side. The liver is also enlarged.

Chronic myeloid leukemia is characterized by an increased number of leukocytes - up to 500,000 in 1 mm³, reduced hemoglobin and a reduced number of red blood cells. The disease develops over two to five years.

Myelosis treatment

Therapeutic therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia is selected depending on the stage of development of the disease. If it is in a stable state, then only general strengthening therapy is carried out. The patient is recommended good nutrition and regular dispensary examination. The course of restorative therapy is carried out with Mielosan.

If leukocytes began to multiply intensively, and their number significantly exceeded the norm, radiation therapy is performed. It is aimed at irradiating the spleen. Monochemotherapy (treatment with Myelobromol, Dopan, Hexaphosphamide) is used as the primary treatment. They are administered intravenously. Polychemotherapy according to one of the TsVAMP or AVAMP programs gives a good effect. The most effective treatment for leukemia today remains bone marrow and stem cell transplantation.

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia

Children between the ages of two and four are often exposed to a special form of chronic leukemia called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. It belongs to the rarest types of leukemia. Most often they get sick boys. Hereditary diseases are considered to be the cause of its occurrence: Noonan syndrome and neurofibromatosis type I.

The development of the disease is indicated by:

Anemia (pallor of the skin, increased fatigue);
Thrombocytopenia, manifested by nasal and gingival bleeding;
The child does not gain weight, lags behind in growth.

Unlike all other types of leukemia, this type occurs suddenly and requires immediate medical attention. Myelomonocytic juvenile leukemia is practically not treated with conventional therapeutic agents. The only way that gives hope for recovery is an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. which it is desirable to carry out as soon as possible after diagnosing. Before this procedure, the child undergoes a course of chemotherapy. In some cases, a splenectomy is necessary.

Myeloid non-lymphoblastic leukemia

Stem cells are the origin of blood cells that are produced in the bone marrow. Under certain conditions, the process of maturation of stem cells is disrupted. They begin to divide uncontrollably. This process is called myeloid leukemia. Most often this disease affects adults. It is extremely rare in children. Myeloid leukemia is caused by a chromosomal defect (mutation of one chromosome) called the Philadelphia Rh chromosome.

The disease progresses slowly. The symptoms are not clear. Most often, the disease is diagnosed by chance, when a blood test is performed during the next medical examination, etc. If there is a suspicion of leukemia in adults, then a referral is issued for a biopsy of the bone marrow.

There are several stages of the disease:

Stable (chronic). At this stage, the number of blast cells in the bone marrow and general blood flow does not exceed 5%. In most cases, the patient does not require hospitalization. He can continue to work while receiving maintenance treatment with anti-cancer pills at home.
Acceleration of disease progression during which the number of blast cells increases to 30%. The symptoms are manifested in the form of increased fatigue. The patient has nose and gum bleeding. Treatment is carried out in a hospital, with intravenous administration of anticancer drugs.
Blistering crisis. The onset of this stage is characterized by a sharp increase in blast cells. Intensive therapy is required to destroy them.

After the treatment, remission is observed - a period during which the number of blast cells returns to normal. PCR diagnostics show that the "Philadelphia" chromosome no longer exists.

Most types of chronic leukemia are currently successfully treated. For this purpose, a group of experts from Israel, the USA, Russia and Germany developed special treatment protocols (programs), including radiation therapy, chemotherapy treatment, stem cell treatment and bone marrow transplantation. People diagnosed with chronic leukemia can live quite a long time. But with acute leukemia, they live very little. But even in this case, it all depends on when the treatment course was started, its effectiveness, individual characteristics of the organism and other factors. There are many cases when people "burned out" in a few weeks. In recent years, with proper, timely treatment and subsequent maintenance therapy, the life expectancy in acute leukemia has increased.

Video: lecture on myeloid leukemia in children

Hairy cell lymphocytic leukemia

Oncological disease of the blood, the development of which the bone marrow produces an excessive amount of lymphocytes, called hairy cell leukemia. It occurs in very rare cases. It is characterized by a slow development and course of the disease. Leukemia cells in this disease with a multiple increase look like small bodies, overgrown with “hair”. Hence the name of the disease. This form of leukemia occurs mainly in elderly men (after 50 years). According to statistics, women make up only 25% of the total number of cases.

There are three types of hairy cell leukemia: refractory, progressive and untreated. Progressive and untreated forms are the most common, since the main symptoms of the disease, most patients associate with signs of advancing old age. For this reason, they go to the doctor very late when the disease is already progressing. The refractory form of hairy cell leukemia is the most complex. It occurs as a relapse after remission and is practically untreatable.

Leukocyte with “hairs” in hairy cell leukemia

The symptoms of this disease do not differ from other types of leukemia. This form can only be detected by performing a biopsy, blood test, immunophenotyping, computed tomography and bone marrow aspiration. A blood test for leukemia shows that leukocytes are tens (hundreds) times higher than normal. At the same time, the number of platelets and erythrocytes, as well as hemoglobin, are reduced to a minimum. All these are criteria that are characteristic of this disease.

Treatment includes:

Chemotherapeutic procedures using cladribine and pentosatin (anti-cancer drugs);
Biological therapy (immunotherapy) with Interferon alfa and Rituximab;
Surgical method (splenectomy) - excision of the spleen;
stem cell transplant;
Restorative therapy.

The impact of leukemia in cows on humans

Leukemia is a common disease in cattle. There is an assumption that the leukemia virus can be transmitted through milk. This is evidenced by experiments conducted on lambs. However, studies on the effects of milk from animals infected with leukemia on humans have not been conducted. It is not the causative agent of bovine leukemia itself that is considered dangerous (it dies when milk is heated to 80 ° C), but carcinogens that cannot be destroyed by boiling. In addition, the milk of an animal with leukemia helps to reduce human immunity and causes allergic reactions.

Milk from cows with leukemia is strictly forbidden to give to children, even after heat treatment. Adults can eat milk and meat of animals with leukemia only after treatment with high temperatures. Utilize only the internal organs (liver), in which leukemic cells mainly multiply.