According to the National Children's Cancer Surveillance Annual Report (2022), leukemia (32.89%) is the number one cancer among children with new tumors in China, and it ranks first in the incidence of tumors in both boys and girls. Leukemia is a serious threat to children's lives and health!
On the occasion of the National Cancer Prevention Publicity Week, CDC will take you to learn about leukemia, one of the malignant tumors.
1. What is leukemia?
Leukemia, also known as blood cancer, is a common malignant blood disease caused by the cancerous transformation of the body's hematopoietic stem cells. Leukemia can occur from newborns to the elderly. Acute myeloid leukemia is more common in adults and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. The incidence of chronic myeloid leukemia gradually increases with age, and the incidence of chronic lymphocytic leukemia does not increase significantly until after the age of 50.
2. What are the clinical symptoms of leukemia?
The early symptoms of acute leukemia are mainly anemia, fever, and hemorrhage, and the onset varies from acute to several. Patients with an acute onset may have a sudden, high fever, similar to a cold, and may also have severe bleeding, while patients with a slow onset often present with pale, purpuric skin, heavy menstrual bleeding or bleeding that is difficult to stop after tooth extraction, and most are detected at the time of medical attention.
3. Why do I get leukemia?
This is the most common question that patients ask doctors or ask themselves, and the causes of leukemia are numerous and complex, and there are still many reasons that even doctors and scientists do not know. However, according to tests and clinical data, the causes of leukemia can be divided into the following four types:
1. Ionizing radiation: There is a possibility of cell cancerization in one large dose of radiation or multiple small doses of exposure.
2. Chemical toxins: Long-term exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene, is one of the causes of leukemia.
3. Genetic factors: In most cases, familial leukemia accounts for only 0.7% of all leukemias, but if one of the twins has leukemia, the risk of developing leukemia in the other person is significantly increased.
4. Viral infection: Adult T-cell leukemia is caused by HTLV-1 virus, and HTLV-1 is transmissible and can be transmitted through blood transfusion or breast milk.
4. How to prevent leukemia?
1. Regular physical examinations.
People with a family history of leukemia or blood diseases should pay special attention to regular physical examinations, which are conducive to early detection of diseases and timely measures.
2. Eugenics.
Some children with genetic diseases and congenital chromosomal aberrations are very prone to leukemia, such as Fanconi anemia, trisomy 21, congenital immunodeficiency diseases, etc. Therefore, strict prenatal screening is very important during pregnancy.
3. Avoid exposure to chemicals.
Such as industrial waste gases, pesticides, etc., these harmful substances can increase the risk of leukemia. If contact cannot be avoided, you can wear a mask, gloves, etc. for protection.
4. Reduce exposure to radiation.
Long-term or high doses of ionizing radiation exposure to all kinds can increase the risk of leukemia, so people who are exposed to radiation for a long time should reduce the risk by wearing protective clothing and eyewear.
5. Maintain personal hygiene.
Wash your hands frequently, change your clothes frequently, keep the room ventilated, and keep the hygienic environment clean.
6. Use certain medications with caution.
Such as phenylbutazone and its derivatives, chloramphenicol, certain anti-tumor cytotoxic drugs, etc., these drugs can cause adverse reactions such as decreased immunity, anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia.
7. Maintain good eating and living habits.
Developing a healthy lifestyle from an early age, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, eating a balanced diet, exercising moderately, and feeling comfortable can effectively reduce the risk of cancer.
Source: Suzhou CDC