Leukaemia cancer is blood cancer caused by the increase in the count of white blood cells in the human body. Leukaemia occurs most often in the above 55 age category, but it is also the most common cancer in the below 15 age category. As per Globocan 2020, over 15,000 new cases of leukaemia are diagnosed every year in India. Only some expert doctors like Dr Manish Singhal – the best oncology doctor in Delhi, can diagnose at the initial level and cure it.
Types Of Leukaemia Cancer
The major types of leukaemia cancer are
- Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)
- Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML)
- Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
- Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)
Doctors classify leukaemia cancer based on two factors:
- Speed of progression:
i) Acute leukaemia
ii) Chronic leukaemia
- Types of cells affected:
i) Lymphocytic leukaemia
ii) Myelogenous leukaemia
Ways to Prevent Leukaemia Cancer
Different types of leukaemia cancer cause different problems and show different symptoms. Fatigue, bruising, fever, recurring infections, vomiting, weight loss, and night sweats symptoms of leukaemia cancer. The following are some of the preventive methods to prevent leukaemia cancer.
- Quit smoking
Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for leukaemia cancer. Smoking causes around 16 different cancer types. Our body is designed to deal with harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke but only within a limit. Cigarette smoke and the chemicals present in cigarette smoke have some connection with leukaemia cancer. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of developing acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
The presence of benzene in cigarette smoke is a significant cause. It is proven that a smoker inhales 2 mg of benzene daily. Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to prevent leukaemia. The number of cigarettes you smoke in a day increases the risk of leukaemia cancer, so reduce the count as a first step.
- Reduce chemical exposure
Benzene is a solvent used in the rubber industry, refineries, chemical plants, shoe industries, motor vehicle exhaust, glues, cleaning products, detergents, and paints. Long-term exposure to benzene causes leukaemia. Formaldehyde has also been associated with leukaemia. The presence of formaldehyde in pressed wood products causes leukaemia cancer. Many studies have proved that workers exposed to formaldehyde had more chromosomal changes in early white blood cells in the bone marrow.
As a preventive method, use exterior-grade pressed wood products (least toxic type as it off-gases less and faster). Pesticides are one of the reasons for leukaemia in children and adults. Remember to use precautions when using gardening chemicals. If you have any doubts about leukaemia cancer, you can consult experts like Dr Manish Singhal – the best oncology doctor in Delhi.
- Reduce body weight
Overweight and obese people can develop leukaemia easily. However, body weight can be controlled. Initiating some steps to keep a moderate weight can reduce the risk of leukaemia cancer.
Prepare a balanced diet chart and follow it to reduce body weight. Regular physical activity can affect body conditions.
Risk Factors of Leukaemia
The causes of leukaemia cancer are not known. So it is difficult to explain the exact prevention methods. Some of the risk factors of leukaemia are given below.
- History of radiation therapy (chemotherapy)
Chemotherapy affects healthy cells as well as cancer cells during the treatment. This is the reason for hair loss, anaemia, and diarrhoea during chemotherapy. In some cases, long-term exposure of normal cells to chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause the development of new types of cancer.
Many drugs are given to cancer patients to kill cancer cells in chemotherapy. Experts assume that these drugs can damage the DNA in the bone marrow and trigger the production of harmful cancer blood cells, which lead to leukaemia.
The chemo works throughout the body, affecting some healthy cells of both the skin and the hair. Chemotherapy treatment can destroy cancer cells and control the spread of cancer cells. The high-energy beam in the radiation therapy damages cancer cells. The radiation damages the normal cells that come in its path. Due to this, studies prove that breast cancer patients may be at risk for developing leukaemia in the future.
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
Myelodysplastic syndromes are closely related disorders that develop in the bone marrow. They occur due to the changes of the hematopoietic stem cells (immature cells) in which all the blood cells develop. Thus the bone marrow makes fewer red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The immature cell count increases and fills up the bone marrow; so there remains no space for the red and white blood cells and platelets. This overgrowth is called acute leukaemia cancer.
Myelodysplastic syndromes are commonly known as preleukemic conditions because some people with myelodysplastic syndromes are diagnosed with acute leukaemia in the future as a complication of the disease.
- Congenital diseases
Some congenital diseases can increase your risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Some of the conditions are Klinefelter syndrome, Fanconi anaemia, Down syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Bloom syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia, and neurofibromatosis.
- Family history
Is leukaemia hereditary or not? Certain types of leukaemia are caused by some mutations in the DNA. These genetic mutations alter the regular procedure of normal blood cell production in the bone marrow and prevent these blood cells from proper functioning. These mutations are genetic; however not necessarily hereditary. Yes, of course, leukaemia is caused by mutations in the DNA, but they aren’t often inherited from the family (acquired gene mutation). Hereditary cancers like breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers can put families at risk.
If you have any symptoms of leukaemia, it’s time to consult a doctor. Prevention methods and risk factors of cancer knowledge can help you reduce the cancer impacts. If you search for a leukaemia cancer doctor in Delhi NCR, Cancer Consult India (CCI) is the right place. The best cancer doctor in Noida, Dr Manish Singhal, can help you conquer cancer.