In the month of September every year, we celebrate blood cancer awareness month. There are types of blood cancer which include hematologic cancers that start in the bone marrow, which is where blood is produced. Blood cancers happen when abnormal blood cells start growing and cannot be controlled, and later disrupting the function of the normal blood cells, which then fight off infection and produce new blood cells.

Blood cancer accounts for eight percent of all new cases of cancer diagnosed in India. Since there is so much misinformation and lack of awareness around the blood cancer Indian population this needs immediate intervention. Most people are unaware that blood cancer can be managed, and a patient can have a second chance with the help of chemotherapy and some other onco treatments.

The treatment depends on several factors. One is the type of cancer and how fast the cancer is metastasizing, the second being where cancer has spread, and other factors.

Though the prognosis in leukemia looks not as good as its counterparts as described above, a certain type of leukemia does have a very good prognosis with the survival of around 80-90% with appropriate treatment. APML (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia) is one such type.

In APML, immature abnormal neutrophils called promyelocytes accumulate in the bone marrow and those immature cells in the marrow inhibit normal cell production, which results in lower numbers of blood cells circulating the body.

APML is most associated with swapping over (translocation) of chromosomes 15 and 17. As per data, 6 cases per 10 million people are suffering from APML. One of the most common symptoms of APML is bleeding because it reduces the number of platelets and deficiencies in clotting factors. Bleeding can be life-threatening. Diagnosis of APML involves blood and bone marrow tests. Special tests like FISH and RT PCR are also done.

Treatment of APML is usually emergency and is managed by supportive measures such as the transfusion of platelets and blood clotting factors. Drugs like ATRA (all-trans-retinoic acid) and arsenic trioxide and chemotherapy are used. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of blood cancers improve the outcome and better survival.

(With inputs by Dr Ramnath Shenoy K, Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology, KMC, Manipal)

See the article here:

Blood Cancer Awareness Month: What Are The Different Types and Treatments Available? - India.com

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