- What symptoms
- Possible causes
- What are the risk factors
- What is the diagnosis
- How the treatment is done
- 1. Medicines
- 2. Bone marrow transplantation
- 3. Chemotherapy
- 4. Interferon treatment
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a rare, non-hereditary type of blood cancer that develops due to a change in blood cell genes, causing them to divide more quickly than normal cells.
Treatment can be carried out with medication, bone marrow transplant, chemotherapy or through biological therapies, depending on the severity of the problem or the person to be treated.
The chances of cure are generally quite high, but it can vary according to the degree of development of the disease, as well as the age and general health of the affected person. Usually, the treatment with the best cure rate is a bone marrow transplant, but many people may not even need to get to that treatment.
What symptoms
The signs and symptoms that can occur in people with Acute Myeloid Leukemia are:
- Bleeding frequently; Tiredness; Fever; Weight loss without apparent cause; Loss of appetite; Pain below the ribs on the left side; Paleness; Excessive sweating at night.
This disease does not immediately reveal obvious signs and symptoms at an early stage and that is why it is possible to live with this disease for months or even years without the person realizing it.
Possible causes
Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, which contain DNA with genes that intervene in the control of cells in the body. In people with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, in the blood cells, a section of chromosome 9 changes places with chromosome 22, creating a very short chromosome 22, called the Philadelphia chromosome and a very long chromosome 9.
This Philadelphia chromosome then creates a new gene, and the genes on chromosome 9 and 22 then create a new gene called BCR-ABL, which contains instructions that tell this new abnormal cell to produce a large amount of a protein called tyrosine kinase, which leads to the formation of cancer by allowing several blood cells to grow out of control, damaging the bone marrow.
What are the risk factors
The factors that can increase the risk of developing Chronic Myeloid Leukemia are being old, being male and being exposed to radiation, such as radiation therapy used to treat certain types of cancer.
What is the diagnosis
Generally, when this disease is suspected, or when or when certain characteristic symptoms occur, a diagnosis is made which consists of a physical examination, such as an examination of vital signs and blood pressure, palpation of the lymph nodes, spleen and abdomen, in a way to detect a possible abnormality.
In addition, it is also normal for a doctor to prescribe blood tests, biopsy a bone marrow sample, which is usually taken from the hip bone, and more specialized tests, such as fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis and polymerase chain reaction test, which analyzes blood or bone marrow samples for the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome or the BCR-ABL gene.
How the treatment is done
The goal of treating this disease is to eliminate blood cells that contain the abnormal gene, which causes the production of a large number of abnormal blood cells. For some people it is not possible to eliminate all the diseased cells, but treatment can help in remission of the disease.
1. Medicines
Medicines that block the action of tyrosine kinase can be used, such as Imatinib, Dasatinib, Nilotinib, Bosutinib or Ponatinib, which are usually the initial treatment for people with this disease.
The side effects that can be caused by these medications are swelling of the skin, nausea, muscle cramps, tiredness, diarrhea and skin reactions.
2. Bone marrow transplantation
Bone marrow transplantation is the only form of treatment that guarantees a permanent cure for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. However, this method is only used in people who do not respond to other treatments because this technique presents risks and can lead to serious complications.
3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is also a widely used treatment in cases of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and the side effects depend on the type of medication used in the treatment. Know the various types of chemotherapy and how it is done.
4. Interferon treatment
Biological therapies use the body's immune system to help fight cancer using a protein called interferon, which helps to reduce the growth of tumor cells. This technique can be used in cases where other treatments do not work or in people who cannot take other medicines, such as pregnant women, for example.
The most common side effects in this treatment are tiredness, fever, flu-like symptoms and weight loss.
