Proper Guidance to Understand All About Blood and Bone Cancer

Understand about Blood Cancer and Bone Cancer

The human blood consists of multiple types of cells – platelets to assist in a blood clot, white blood cells to battle infections and red blood cells to ferry oxygen. Stem cells are from where they all originate. Stem cells can take the form of any of these blood cells upon maturity & cell division. However, in some cases, problems occur in this process. Due to such problems, ineffective blood cells create blockages in the bone marrow. This is the root cause of blood cancer.

Bone cancer is another form of cancer that affects people of all ages. Sometimes, abnormal tissue masses might form in your bones. These cells eliminate normal bone tissues. These masses of tissues, or tumors, can turn malignant and spread to other organs, e.g. lungs. The common symptoms for bone cancer are pain and swelling in the location of the tumor with the pain gradually increasing in severity, swelling of a joint if the tumor’s location is in its vicinity, fever, weight loss, etc.

Cause and Symptoms of Blood Cancer

Cause of Blood Cancer

Blood cancer isn’t a particular or specific type of cancer disease. Rather, several forms of cancer come under its purview. Any kind of cancer that affects the normal production of blood & its distribution throughout the body is blood cancer. The common types of blood cancer are:

• Lymphoma – This cancer disables the removal of excess body fluids by affecting the lymphatic system.
• Leukemia – Abnormal blood cells destroy the bone marrow’s capacity to produce red blood cells & platelets
• Myeloma – This cancer curtails the ability of the plasma cells to produce antibodies that can fight diseases. The result is a weakening of the immune system of the body.

The question that is foremost in the minds of many is – what causes blood cancer?

Medical science hasn’t yet been able to determine with precision as to what are the causes of blood cancer. However, certain factors can aggravate the risk of blood cancer, like:

• Exposure to radiation can also lead to blood cancer.
• Extended exposure to chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde is a leading potential cause of blood cancer.
• A family history of blood cancer and factors like Bloom Syndrome, Down Syndrome, smoking, unhealthy dietary habits are also contributors to blood cancer.

Blood Cancer Symptoms

Blood cancer is a critical disease. Thus, everyone must be aware of the Symptoms of Blood Cancer, so that one can start medical consultation without delay. The common symptoms are:

• Anemia
• Sweating at night
• Fatigue & weakness
• Recurring infections
• Body getting bruised easily
• Spontaneous bone fractures
• Pain in the bones or joints
• Enlargement of lymph nodes
• Abnormal bleeding from gums
• Fall in urination & difficulty in the same
• Unexplained & regular vomiting sensations
• Unexplained breathlessness & weight loss
• A feeling of delirium & subsequent confusion
• Thrombocytopenia – a dip in the platelet count

So, you need to consult a doctor immediately if any of these symptoms persist for quite some time, as they can be possible symptoms of blood cancer.

Types of Bone Cancer Treatment

For bone cancer treatment to begin, it is important for effective diagnosis of the disease. For this purpose, doctors conduct tests like:

• X-rays
• Biopsy
• Angiogram
• Computed Tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan

After the diagnosis, doctors start the treatment. The treatment depends on the location, type, stage of blood cancer,  the patient’s general health conditions and age. The common treatment procedures are:

• Surgery – This is the standard bone cancer treatment. The surgeon removes the entire tumor and takes care to minimize the loss of healthy tissues. With advancements in surgical techniques, doctors nowadays need to remove an entire limb (with the cancerous tumor) on rare occasions. The surgeon will replace the lost part of your bone with another part from elsewhere on your body or with artificial material.
• Radiation therapy – Surgeons might use it along with surgery, or instead of surgery. They destroy the cancer cells with high-energy X-rays. At times, it might happen that some amount of cancer remains even after surgery. This therapy is applicable in such cases.
• Chemotherapy – Doctors use intravenous anti-cancer drugs to eradicate the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is suitable for patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer and who are yet to go through surgery.
• Cryosurgery – Doctors use liquid nitrogen that freezes & destroys the cancerous cells.

Thus, doctors have various options to treat bone cancer. The mode that they will choose will depend on cancer’s stage & the patient’s related health conditions.

Reasons to Choose Advanced Oncologist in Delhi

Now that you are armed with all this information, you might be thinking that, to avail of such treatment, you would need to fly out of India. But you can rest assured. The best-in-class cancer treatment is now right here in Delhi, thanks to Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (RGCIRC) – the proud recipient of the Best Hospital in India for Cancer Treatment award at Healthcare Achievers’ Awards 2014. RGCIRC is a NABH and NABL-accredited hospital.

With a legacy of almost 25 years & a satisfied patient pool of few lakhs, RGCIRC is among the best suited to take care of your cancer treatment requirements.

The hospital offers cutting-edge services in surgical oncology, radiation therapy, pediatric hematology, and stem cell & bone marrow transplant, through a pool of world-class doctors & medical support staff. The Integrated Cancer Research Program strives for continuous research & improvement of cancer treatment facilities

Understand About Symptoms and Treatment of Blood Cancer