What are the Various Kinds of Bone Marrow Cancer?
Usually bone marrow cancer occurs due to cancer spreading to the bone from some other organ, when it is referred to as secondary bone cancer. On examination under the microscope, these cancers bear a resemblance to the original tissue they came from, such as the lung, breast, prostate, and so on.
Primary bone marrow cancers, on the other hand, are the type that occurs in the bone marrow cells that form blood, and these are:
Multiple Myeloma: This is a type of bone marrow cancer that affects the plasma cells, which are a kind of white blood cells that occur in the bone marrow. The disease occurs due to the plasma cells growing abnormally. Normally, plasma cells produce antibodies. So, when these malignant or abnormal plasma cells divide and multiply rapidly, without order or control, as is the case in cancerous cells, it results in the production of huge amounts of abnormal antibodies, which accumulate in the blood as well as the urine. With the growth of the plasma cell tumor, the surrounding bone is also destroyed. These effects result in an impaired immune system, damage to the kidneys, and pain in the bones. The disease is referred to as multiple myeloma since it can affect multiple sites of the body where bone marrow occurs.
Leukemia: This disease occurs when the bone marrow produces white blood cells that are abnormal. Leukemia is a term that defines 4 different types of diseases: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, or ALL; Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, or AML; Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, or CLL; and Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, or CML.
Acute myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphocytic are both made up of blast cells, referred to as myeloblasts or lymphoblasts. The term `acute' is indicative of the disease progressing rapidly, in the absence of treatment. Chronic leukemia either does not have any blast cells or they are few in number, and it progresses comparatively slowly.
Lymphoma: This usually affects the lymphatic system, but sometimes can begin in the bone marrow. For example, Hodgkin lymphoma, which usually affects the lymph nodes, but can also affect the bone marrow.
What are the Symptoms of Bone Marrow Cancer?
Although the initial signs of bone marrow cancer can differ from one person to another, some of the common symptoms are fever, loss of weight, loss of appetite, and fatigue. The problem is that these initial signs of bone marrow cancer can be so subtle and erratic tat the affected person usually delays seeing a doctor until the cancer has spread to other parts. Another problem is that these symptoms can indicate something else apart from cancer. Hence, only a trained physician will be able to diagnose accurately whether these symptoms are indicative of bone marrow cancer.
Some of the other bone marrow cancer symptoms are: pain; a hard lump on the affected bone; tenderness, stiffness, or swelling in the bone, usually near or inside a joint; frequent fractures for no reason; anemia, or low red blood cells; a lowering in the resistance to infections; dizziness, shortness of breath, and general weakness.
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