Know More About Chronic myelogenous leukemia
Chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML is a rarely occuring cancer of the bone marrow. The bone marrow is a spongy tissue where the new blood cells are formed. During the condition of the CML, the number of white blood cells is increased. Since it is a chronic condition, it develops in the body much slowly as compared to other forms of the cancer.
In this form of cancer, the myelogenous cells are affected in the body. The frequency of its occurrence is usually high in the older adults as compared to children. However, it can occur at any age. If the disease is diagnosed, the condition can be cured. The levels of treatment complicate as the disease advances.
Causes
- The genes present in the cells of bone marrow undergo some malfunctioning that leads to the development of tumor cells. The origination of the process is not clear but it slowly advances into chronic myeloid leukemia.
- The unwanted proliferation of the cells leads to development of cancerous situations in the body.
- Sometimes, there could be issues when a new gene forms during the process of fertilization. The development of an abnormal chromosome can also lead to the formation of cancer cells in the bone marrow.
- The additional gene guves rise to multiple diseased blood cells. These cells grow in huge number in an uncontrollable fashion and give rise to masses or the tumors.
Signs and Symptoms
The patient can experience pain in the bones while he is suffering from cancer.
- Bleeding can occur quite easily and the patient can experience frequent fever.
- The patient feels full after eating a small amount of food and may feel tired all the time.
- Loss of appetite and unintended weight loss can also be experienced.
- Night sweats are a common symptom during chronic myeloid leukemia.
- The patients feels fullness or pain below the ribs on the left side.
Diagnosis
Physical Examination
During the physical examination, the doctor will look for viral signs like blood pressure and the pulse rate. The doctor takes the medical history and also asks about the family history of specific diseases if any. The doctor will also check the spleen, lymph nodes, and abdomen to see if there is an uneven swelling or enlargement of the body parts.
Bone marrow tests
The bone marrow tests are performed to collect the samples of the tissues in the suspected area. The doctor can perform it while doing bone marrow biopsy or bone marrow aspiration. The samples are sent for testing in the laboratories and the results are analyzed for the presence of cancerous cells.
Blood tests
The blood tests are an important part of the getting to know about any kind of infection or abnormalities. Often, the increased white blood cells are detected during the blood tests. These tests are helpful in determining the extent to which the body organs are functioning. The diagnosis of the disease becomes easy after these tests.
Checking for Philadelphia chromosome
The presence of the BCR-ABI gene or the Philadelphia chromosome can lead to detection of cancer cells. Tests like polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization helps in knowing about the presence of the tumor cells.
Side effects of such procedures
- Targeted drug therapy can lead to issues like mouth sores, changes in nails, increased blood pressure, problems in wound healing and blood clotting, skin problems like dry skin, rashes, and fatigue.
- Chemotherapy can lead to issues like tiredness, headache, nausea, Vomiting, appetite changes, Constipation, infections, hair loss, easy bruising or bleeding, and several others.
- Bone marrow transplant can pose the risk of developing more vulnerability to infections, easy bruising and bleeding, reduced red blood cell count, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, etc.
Treatments
The treatments depend on the intensity of the disease and the level of advancement that it has reached.
The phases into which the disease is divided are three. The chronic phase is the earliest phaae of the treatment and gives the best responses to the treatments used. The accelerated phase is the middle and transition phase that starts making the disease aggressive. The blast phase is last and severe stage where the cancer cells are spreading aggressively and cause harm to other parts of the body as well. It is a life threatening phase.
Targeted drug therapy
The primary focus of the doctors is to eliminate as much cancer cells as possible. The target drug therapy focuses on the specific abnormalities or weaknesses of the cancer cells and targets them. The drugs or the medication provided for dealing with cancer cells involve interfering with the BCR-ABI gene that produces the protein named tyrosine kinase. The drugs that are used to block the action of the protein may include Imatinib, Nilotinib, Bosutinib, Ponatinib, or Dasatinib. The targeted drug therapy is usually the primary treatment given to the patients of chronic myeloid leukemia.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a method of treatment that uses certain drugs to kill the cancer cells. These drugs or medications can be taken through the vein in the arm or through a pill as well. This treatment is either combined with the other treatments like surgery or can also be administered individually. It can also be combined with targeted drug therapy as well.
Bone marrow transplant
This is also termed as stem cell transplant and is used to provide a definitive cure to the disease. In this case, the doctor infuses the healthy cells in the bone marrow and eliminates the cancer cells using various treatments like chemotherapy. This treatment is applied towards the end because it holds several risks and involves a high rate of complications as well. The high doses of chemotherapy are used to attack the cancer cells present in the bone marrow.
Why chose Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a traditional and ancient system of medicine that emerged in India. In Ayurveda, the condition of malignant mesothelioma is termed Arbuda. The cancer causes an imbalance in the doshas namely Kapa, Vitta, and Kapha. It creates malfunctioning in the body. According to Ayurveda, the doshas need to be balanced in order to remain free from diseases and fatal infections. The biological cycle of the body needs to be maintained as such by the individual.
Several diet changes and foods like broccoli and carrot can be beneficial when someone is suffering from cancer. The foods rich in carotene should be consumed so that the levels of anti oxidants are maintained in the body. Since years, the Ayurvedacharyas used several therapies to treat the individuals with various disorders. The herbal drugs are used to treat the issues that the individuals face and they do not pose any threat to life or provide with any kind of consequences. There are no side effects attached with the inclusion of Ayurvedic herbs in the treatments.
A lot of herbs are known to be useful and beneficial in the process of dealing with the signs and symptoms of cancer. The Ayurvedic medicines and the herbal extracts do not have any kind of chemicals in them. These help to remove toxins from the body and purify it completely. Also, the natural ingredients help in enhancing the life expectancy of the people. The purest of herbs and their combinations are prepared under the supervision and guidance of the Ayurvedic experts.