Stages of blood cancer

The stage of blood cancer is characterized by the amount and extent of cancer cell accumulation in other organs such as the liver or spleen. Leukemia stage is one of the most important factors in determining treatment options.

Blood cancer is a disease that affects the function, ability to grow and divide blood cells in the body. Most blood cancers start in the bone marrow, where blood cells are made. Blood cancer cells no longer perform the function of fighting infection and limiting bleeding for the body.
Stem cells in the bone marrow develop into 3 main types, which are red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In leukemia, the development of healthy blood cells is disrupted by uncontrolled growth of cancer cells.

2.1. Leukemia is a type of cancer found in the blood and bone marrow, caused by excessive white blood cell proliferation. These white blood cells are not able to fight infection, which interferes with the bone marrow's ability to produce red blood cells and platelets.
2.2. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the immune system (which helps remove excess fluids from the body and make immune cells). Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that fight infections. Abnormal cells grow and become cancer cells in the lymphatic system. Over time, these cells will gradually destroy the lymphatic system.
2.3. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that occurs in the plasma cells. Plasma cells fight disease and infection and make antibodies. Multiple myeloma produces myeloma cells. These cells do not make antibodies, weakening the immune system and making it easier to get infections.

The stages of blood cancer are divided based on symptoms and the extent of the disease. Blood cancer is divided into 4 main stages as follows:
Stage 1: Stage 1 blood cancer marks an increase in the size of the lymph nodes. This phenomenon occurs because of a sudden increase in lymphocytes. The degree of disease at this stage is still mild when the tumor has not spread and affected other organs in the body. Stage 2: In stage 2, the size of the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes increases. The tumor did not affect the entire organ, but at least one organ was affected. The amount of lymphocytes in the blood at this stage is very high. Stage 3: In stage 3, the patient presents with anemia and the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen continue to increase in size. At least 2 other parts of the body are affected during this stage. Stage 4: Stage 4 is the final stage, the manifestation of the disease is the highest. The number of platelets in the body decreases very quickly. In addition to other affected organs, at this stage the lungs also begin to be affected. Anemia also becomes more severe.

4.1. Disease Staging in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) According to the Rai system, the stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia are determined by 3 main factors: the number of lymphocytes in the blood; an increase in the size of the lymph nodes, spleen, or liver; anemia (too few red blood cells) or thrombocytopenia (too few platelets).
In general, CLL begins with lymphocytosis, caused by too many lymphocytes in the body. A count of more than 10,000 lymphocytes per blood sample is considered too high and becomes the norm for stage 0. 5 stages are labeled with Roman numerals 0-IV:
Stage 0 : Level of lymphocytes is too high, often more than 10,000 in a specimen. There are no other symptoms at this time, the counts of other types of blood cells are normal. Stage I: In addition to high levels of lymphocytes (lymphocytosis), the lymph nodes are swollen. The levels of red blood cells and platelets remain normal. Stage II: The lymphocyte count is still high. At this stage, the liver or spleen is larger than normal. Stage III: Excess lymphocytes begin to crowd out red blood cells, leading to anemia. Swollen lymph nodes, liver or spleen are larger than normal. Stage IV: The level of red blood cells and platelets falls below normal, causing anemia and thrombocytopenia. Swollen lymph nodes, liver or spleen are larger than normal. The Rai system divides chronic lymphocytic leukemia stages which can be simplified into low (stage 0), moderate (stages I and II) and high (stages III and IV) risk categories. . Doctors can use this classification to help determine when to start treatment.
4.2. Staging of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) To determine the exact stage of CML, doctors use blood and bone marrow tests to get a count of diseased cells. There are 3 stages of CML:
Chronic : This is the earliest stage of CML. The majority of CML patients diagnosed at this stage have only mild symptoms, especially fatigue. Accelerated: If CML does not respond well to treatment in the chronic phase, the disease progresses more rapidly leading to the accelerated phase. At this point, the symptoms become more severe. Breakthrough (blastic): This is the most intense stage of chronic myeloid leukemia. Blastic occurs when more than 20% of the myeloid or lymphoid cells are present in the body. Symptoms are similar to those of acute myeloid leukemia.

Treatment depends on the type of leukemia, how far it has spread and the body's resistance. The main options are:
Chemotherapy ; Biological therapy; Radiotherapy ; Targeted therapy; Stem cell transplantation; Surgery. 5.1. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells in the blood and bone marrow. The drug is delivered through the following routes:
Intravenous or intramuscular injection; Drug; Inject the drug into the cerebrospinal fluid. 5.2. Radiation therapy Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill leukemia cells or stop them from growing. The doctor can perform radiation therapy to part or all of the body, depending on the extent of the disease.
5.3. Biological therapy Biological therapy, also known as immunotherapy, helps the immune system find and attack cancer cells. Medicines like Interleukin and Interferon increase the natural immunity that helps the body fight leukemia.
5.4. Targeted therapy is the use of drugs that directly act on specific genes or proteins in cancer cells. This helps to block the growth and division signals, cut off the blood supply, or kill cancer cells directly.
5.5. Stem cell transplantation This is a method of using stem cells to replace the white blood cells in the bone marrow. Before a stem cell transplant, you will be treated with high-dose chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells in your bone marrow. You will then receive the new stem cells intravenously. They will develop into new, healthy blood cells.
5.6. Surgery Doctors perform surgery to remove the spleen if it is filled with cancer cells and has spread to nearby organs. This procedure is called splenectomy.
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The article references the source: Hematology.org; webmd.com; indushealthplus.com; cancercenter.com

SEE ALSO:
Elevated white blood cells warn of what disease? Potential signs of leukemia The role of red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells in the body