Some patients may have very high white blood cell (WBC) counts at the time of diagnosis. These elevated WBC counts can sometimes impair blood flow to the brain, lungs, eyes and other
sites, and also cause damage in small blood vessels. Hydroxyurea (Hydrea®) is sometimes given to lower very high WBC counts rapidly until a CML diagnosis is confirmed through blood and bone marrow tests. Hydroxyurea is taken as a capsule by mouth. Lowering those very high WBC counts can help reduce the size of the spleen. Once a diagnosis of CML is confirmed, doctors will usually start tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy and discontinue hydroxyurea. Leukapheresis is a procedure that uses a machine similar to a dialysis machine to remove white blood cells from the circulating blood. Leukapheresis is used to lower WBC counts if chronic phase CML is diagnosed during the first months of pregnancy, when other treatments may be harmful to fetal development. For more information about pregnancy and CML, see Pregnancy. OverviewYour blood, which accounts for about 8 percent of your normal body weight, plays an important role in how your body functions. As your blood circulates throughout your vascular system, it supplies all of your organs with oxygen, nutrients, hormones and antibodies. Blood is made of an almost equal mix of plasma (the liquid that transports cells, waste and nutrients, among other things) and blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). When cancer occurs in the blood, it’s usually the result of an abnormal and excessive reproduction of white blood cells. Blood cancers account for about 10 percent of all diagnosed cancers in the U.S. each year. Blood cancers (including leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma) are more common in men than women. Childhood leukemia accounts for about 25 percent of all cancers in children. “Some blood cancers may cause symptoms such as severe fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, or lymph node swelling,” says Scott Frederick Huntington, MD, MPH, a Yale Medicine hematologist in the Department of Hematology. “Other blood cancers may show no symptoms and slowly progress over years.” Treatments for blood cancers also vary, ranging from active surveillance without cancer-directed therapy to standard cancer treatments including immunotherapies, chemotherapies and targeted agents. “With over 100 different types of blood cancers now recognized, it is important to have an accurate diagnosis prior to deciding on treatment,” says Dr. Huntington. Yale Medicine has both clinicians and pathologists who specialize in blood cancers and review challenging cases during tumor boards to reach a consensus prior to starting therapy. What, exactly, is blood?Blood has four main parts:
What is blood cancer?Cancer is caused by a dysfunction in cellular growth and behavior. In a healthy body, new white blood cells are regularly generated to replace old, dying ones. The excessive production of white blood cells in the bone marrow leads to blood cancers. How many kinds of blood cancer exist?There are three primary types of blood cancer:
Who is at risk for blood cancer?The risk factors for blood cancer are not fully understood, though it is believed that blood cancers develop from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Smoking, radiation exposure, and exposure to certain
chemicals have all been linked to increased risk of some types of blood cancers. Epstein-Barr virus, HIV and human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus infections are also risk factors for developing lymphomas and leukemias. What are the symptoms of blood cancer?Symptoms of blood cancer vary by disease but typically include the following:
The swelling of lymph nodes, liver and spleen are also common, and anemia can occur in some blood cancers. How is blood cancer diagnosed?
What are the treatments for blood cancer?Treatment will depend on several factors. These include the type of blood cancer you have, your age, how fast the cancer is progressing, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. Because treatments for blood cancer have vastly improved over the last several decades, many types of blood cancers are now highly treatable. Common treatments include the following:
What is Yale Medicine’s approach to treating blood cancers?Yale uses a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating blood cancer. “Clinicians specialize within a subgroup of blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma) and meet regularly with pathologists, radiologists and radiation oncologists to ensure consensus on the diagnosis and treatment plan,” says Dr. Huntington. Once the proper diagnosis is made, patients have access to world-class cancer care and cutting edge clinical trials, he says. What cancer causes high white blood cell count?Rarely, a high white blood cell count can be a symptom of certain blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Is a high white blood count an indicator of cancer?A high white blood cell count could signal certain types of cancer, such as leukemia or lymphoma, but it more often is a sign of inflammation or infection. When there is a pathogen in your body, your immune system releases cells to fight it off and heal your body.
What white blood cell count indicates cancer?The WBC count range for people with CML is much higher than normal levels. The median WBC count among people with CML is 100,000/μl , but it can climb higher. Some sources note that people with acute or chronic leukemia may have a WBC count in the 100,000–400,000 range.
What conditions may be associated with high white blood cells?A high white blood count may mean you have one of the following conditions:. A bacterial or viral infection.. An inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis.. An allergy.. Leukemia or Hodgkin disease.. Tissue damage from a burn injury or surgery.. |
What cancers cause high white blood cells
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