Hairy cell leukemia is a disease in which cells are cancerous (malignant) in the blood and bone marrow. The disease is called hairy cell leukemia because the cancer cells look “hair” when examined under the microscope.
Hairy cell leukemia affects white blood cells known as lymphocytes, produced in the bone marrow and other organs. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside large bones of the body.
It produces red blood cells (which carry oxygen and other materials to all tissues of the body), white blood cells (which fight infection) and platelets (which cause blood to clot).
Lymphocytes are also produced in the spleen (an organ located in the upper abdomen that produces lymphocytes and filters old blood cells from the blood), lymph nodes (small bean-shaped structures found throughout the body ) and other organs.
When developing hairy cell leukemia, there may be an accumulation of leukemic cells in the spleen, causing it to swell. Can also occur if there are too few normal white blood cells in the blood because the leukemia cells invade the bone marrow, and bone marrow is unable to produce enough normal white blood cells. This can cause an infection.
You should see a doctor if the following symptoms:
- Constant tiredness “The spleen larger than normal – If you develop an infection that will not heal
If you have symptoms, your doctor will send him to do blood tests to count for each of the different types of blood cells. If the results of blood tests are not normal, maybe you have to carry out some more.
The doctor may also perform a bone marrow biopsy. During this test involves inserting a needle into a bone and removes a small amount of bone marrow, which is analyzed under the microscope. The doctor may well determine the type of leukemia you have and plan treatment.
Your chances of recovery (prognosis) depends on the number of cancer cells you have in the blood and bone marrow, their age and general health status.
Tags: bone marrow, Cancer, cancer cells, Hairy cell leukemia, Lymphocytes, white blood cells
