What is Hairy cell Leukemia and how can it be treated?
White blood cells are the body's protectors; Lymphocytes are types of white blood cells that help fight infections and germs. It is only in the presence of lymphocytes that the body can fight the infection and remain fit. However, if lymphocytes begin to multiply and divide uncontrollably, they can cause problems in the body. One of the deadliest diseases caused by lymphocytes is known as hairy cell leukemia.
Hairy cell leukemia occurs when B cells or lymphocytes. In hairy cell leukemia, the B-cells divide abnormally and do not perform their functions properly. When viewed under a microscope, these lymphocytes look hairy and unhealthy. This disease is usually found in middle-aged people and mostly in men. Although treatment can slow down the disease and also reduce the symptoms, the disease cannot be completely cured, and hence it is also called chronic disease. India is one of the countries where hairy cell leukemia can be treated at an affordable cost. You can take the help of medical tourism companies in India to find the right doctor and hospital to proceed with the treatment.
What are the symptoms of hairy cell leukemia?
Hairy cell leukemia Typically, hairy cell leukemia does not show any symptoms or signs in most patients. However, when a blood test is done it may appear that a person is suffering from the condition. Sometimes hairy cell leukemia exhibits certain symptoms and conditions which are given below:
When a person has hairy cell leukemia, they usually feel tired and weak.
A person with hairy cell leukemia experiences extreme weight loss and fatigue.
When hairy cell leukemia occurs the white blood cells change so they are no longer able to fight off germs invading the body, resulting in frequent and recurrent infections throughout the body.
A patient with hairy cell leukemia experiences easy bruising and rashes on the body.
A patient with hairy cell leukemia usually feels full in the stomach and may not be able to eat properly.
A person is more prone to get the allergic diseases.
The patient suffering from this disease experiences swelling in the spleen.
There is a possibility that a person with hairy cell leukemia will also experience anemia.
If the above-mentioned symptoms persist, the patient should immediately go to the doctor and seek advice.
How is hairy cell leukemia diagnosed?
There are 3 steps involved in the diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia. If a person is experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, then he must go to the doctor. First, the doctor performs a blood test to see the blood flow and blood cell count in the patient's body. After the results differ from the normal blood count, a bone marrow biopsy is performed to check whether hairy cell membranes are present in the bone marrow. Finally, a CT scan is done to check whether the lymph nodes and spleen are swollen. If there is inflammation in the spleen it is likely that the patient will be diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia.
How can cell leukemia be treated?
There are three ways to treat hairy cell leukemia. If a patient passes on this disease then it can be very dangerous and cause many problems in the body like bleeding, low platelet count, infection etc. It is a fatal disease that needs to be controlled and hence treatment becomes very important. The first and most useful method of treating hairy cell leukemia is chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is a drug-based treatment in which a drug is introduced into the patient's body to kill cancer cells and rehabilitate the body, there are two types of chemotherapy - pentostatin and cladribine.
People who undergo cladribine get frequent drug infusions or injections on a daily basis; These drugs are injected intravenously for several days. It is used to reduce the symptoms of hairy cell leukemia, however, it does not promise to cure the disease completely.
Pentostatin is another type of chemotherapy that involves injecting the drug every other week for about six months. This type of chemotherapy has many side effects. Patients who are treated with this type of chemotherapy may experience side effects such as nausea, fever, and mild infections.
Surgery is another way to cure hairy cell leukemia. If the spleen is enlarged or ruptured, a splenectomy is performed. In this case, the spleen is removed and the surgery is called a splenectomy. Surgery cannot cure leukemia permanently but it can prove to be helpful in many other conditions associated with it.
Biological therapy is the third way to treat hairy cell leukemia. This treatment is given to the patient who cannot take chemotherapy due to any reason. In this type of treatment, biological drugs are used to find and destroy cancer cells.
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