Hairy cell leukemia is a slow-growing and rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Hairy cell leukemia starts when the bone marrow produces too many lymphocytes (B cells and infection-fighting white blood cells). With the increased production of leukemia cells, healthy platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells go down.
Bone Marrow
The cause of hairy cell leukemia is not known. Experts know that this cancer happens due to cell mutations in the DNA that causes the bone marrow stem cells to produce excessive white blood cells that function inefficiently. Still, they fail to understand the main reasons behind the DNA mutations that eventually cause hairy cell leukemia.
Generally, the signs or symptoms of hairy cell leukemia are not evident, and a blood test for another condition or disease happens to reveal this cancer. However, people with hairy cell leukemia experience the following signs and symptoms, which is also common in a plethora of other conditions, such as:
The type of treatment for hairy cell leukemia depends on the following factors:
Once it is determined how hairy cell leukemia is affecting you, one or more of the following treatments can be recommended:
If you are suffering from a painful spleen, or it happens to burst, it can be removed through splenectomy. This won't cure hairy cell leukemia but would ensure an average blood count.
This treatment uses your immune system to combat hairy cell leukemia. There are two standard therapies for this treatment: Interferon and Rituximab (Rituxan). Alternatively, moxetumomab (Lumoxiti) can be suggested if other treatments aren't helping.
A few factors that can increase the risk of developing hairy cell leukemia are:
There are no standard staging systems or defined stages for hairy cell leukemia. The disease either does not respond to the treatment or rebounds after treatment.
There are several tests to find if you are suffering from hairy cell leukemia:
As exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals increases the risk of developing hairy leukemia cells, it is advised to avoid such chemicals. Otherwise, there aren't other proven ways to avoid hairy leukemia cells.
Hairy cell leukemia is amongst chronic cancers as it doesn't disappear completely, although it can be curbed through treatments.
Hairy cell leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood that will either progress very slowly or will not worsen at all.
Untreated hairy cell leukemia expels healthy blood cells in the bone marrow, which can lead to the following serious complications:
A decreased number of red blood cells means lesser cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. This causes fatigue, resulting in anemia.
If healthy white blood cells are less in the body, the risk of recurring infections increases.
A fall in platelet counts will make you bruise easily. It makes you bleed spontaneously from your gums or nose.
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