Hairy Cell Leukemia: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
Hairy cell leukemia or hairy cell leukemia is a cancer in which the patient’s bone marrow produces too many B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell typical of the adaptive immune response. Abnormal lymphocytes appear “hairy” under the microscope, hence the name of the pathology.
As the number of abnormal B lymphocytes increases in the blood, the proportion of healthy leukocytes, red blood cells and platelets decreases, with all the physiological effects that this entails. If you want to know the causes, symptoms and treatment of this disease, keep reading.
Who is at risk?
As indicated in an article published in Cancer Therapy Advisor , hairy cell leukemia (or HCL, by its English translation Hairy Cell Leukemia ) represents 2% of total leukemias, with an annual incidence of 1 case per 500,000 population. Men are much more prone to it; in particular 5 times more.
On the other hand, the average age of its appearance is 55 years. Thus, the typical patient is a middle-aged / elderly man with clinical signs such as fatigue, tiredness, and weight loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are 2 predisposing factors beyond gender and old age. These are as follows:
Exposure to radiation: People who work in radioactive environments or have undergone radiation therapy to kill cancer may be more likely to develop hairy cell leukemia. Even so, there is still no conclusive evidence of this.
Exposure to chemicals: prolonged exposure to agrochemicals and industrial compounds could promote this pathology, although it has not yet been confirmed.
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