A leucemia aguda é um tipo de câncer relacionado à anormalidade da medula óssea, o que leva à produção anormal de células sanguíneas. A leucemia aguda pode ser classificada em mieloide ou linfoide de acordo com os marcadores celulares identificados por meio da imunofenotipagem, que é uma técnica laboratorial utilizada para diferenciar células que são muito semelhantes na visualização em microscópio.
Esse tipo de leucemia é mais comum em crianças e adultos jovens e é caracterizada pela presença de mais de 20% de blastos no sangue, que são células sanguíneas jovens, e pelo hiato leucêmico, que corresponde à ausência de células intermediárias entre os blastos e os neutrófilos maduros.
- O tratamento da leucemia aguda é feito por meio de transfusões sanguíneas e de quimioterapia em ambiente hospitalar até que não sejam mais detectados sinais clínicos e laboratoriais relacionados à leucemia.
Symptoms of myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoid are related to changes in blood cells and bone marrow abnormalities, the main ones being:
Nearly half of patients develop these symptoms for up to 3 months until leukemia is diagnosed by tests such as:
Além desses exames, podem ser solicitados pelo hematologista a pesquisa de mutações por meio de técnicas moleculares, como NPM1, CEBPA ou FLT3-ITD, para poder indicar a melhor forma de tratamento.
Acute childhood leukemia in general has a better prognosis than in adults, but treatment of the disease should be done in a hospital setting with chemotherapy, which has side effects such as nausea, vomiting and hair loss, so this period can be very exhausting for the child and family.Despite this, children are more likely to cure the disease than adults.See what the effects of chemotherapy are and how it’s done.
Treatment for acute leukemia is defined by the hematologist based on symptoms, test results, the person’s age, presence of infections, risk of metastasis, and recurrence. The duration of treatment can vary, and symptoms begin to subside 1 to 2 months after onset. of polychemotherapy, for example, and the treatment can last about 3 years.
Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia can be done by chemotherapy, which is a combination of medications, platelet transfusion and the use of antibiotics to reduce the risk of infections because the immune system is compromised.Learn more about treating acute myeloid leukemia.
For the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia, it can be done through polychemotherapy, which is performed with high doses of medications to eliminate the possible risk of the disease reaching the central nervous system.Learn how to treat lymphocytic leukemia.
If the disease is repeated, a bone marrow transplant may be opted because, in this case, not everyone benefits from chemotherapy.
A cura na leucemia diz respeito à ausência de sinais e sintomas característicos da leucemia no período de 10 anos após o fim do tratamento, sem que haja recaídas.
For acute myeloid leukemia, a cure is possible, due to various treatment options, but as age progresses, healing or disease control may be more difficult; the younger the person, the greater the chances of recovery.
In the case of acute lymphocytic leukemia, the chance of healing is higher in children, about 90%, and 50% healing in adults up to age 60, however, to increase the chances of recovery and prevent recurrence of the disease, It is important that it is discovered as soon as possible and that treatment is started soon after.
Even after starting treatment, the person should perform regular checkups to see if there is a recurrence and, if necessary, resume treatment immediately so that the chances of complete remission of the disease are greater.