Diagnosis is the first step on a long road that the person will travel with their leukemia. You will have to manage emotions, the impact on your environment, changes in your routine, perhaps alterations in your body due to the effects of medication and you may also encounter obstacles from your health coverage to access studies and treatments. But, to have the best possible prognosis, timely diagnosis is critical; this is highlighted by the ALMA Association in the framework of the organization of the 2nd Online International Congress for Patients with Leukemia, a free space to bring information to patients and their environment.
“There is a lot of burden that people with leukemia carry. For this reason, we organized the second edition of this congress, to bring them information, contribute to their empowerment and thus help them to be protagonists in the management of their disease”, said Fernando Piotrowski, a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia and Executive Director of ALMA.
Leukemia is a group of oncohematological diseases that originate in primitive cells that produce white blood cells. They are divided into acute (which develop rapidly) and chronic (which develop slowly) and, in turn, into myeloid and lymphoid, depending on the type of white blood cell. Each one has different therapeutic approaches and prognoses.[3].
In general, the main symptoms of leukemia are[4]:
Fever or chills
Persistent fatigue, weakness
Frequent or severe infections
Weight loss without trying
swollen lymph nodes
Enlarged liver or spleen
Easy bruising
recurrent nosebleeds
Small red spots on the skin (petechiae)
· Night sweats
Bone pain or tenderness
“The difficulty with these signs and symptoms of leukemia is that some are not very specific, can be confused with other conditions and are unlikely to cause the person to go to the ward for tests. For this reason, these awareness opportunities have to contribute, precisely, so that the community can identify what can guide detection and go to the doctor. Then, there, the condition will be confirmed or not with a blood test and specific studies, but it is important not to let valuable time go by trying to control the evolution of these diseases,” said Dr. Beatriz Moiraghi, staff physician at the Ramos Mejía Hospital. and one of the organizers of the Congress.
In slow-growing leukemias, such as lymphocytic or chronic myeloid, symptoms can be so vague that the diagnosis is often an unexpected finding that occurs when a person is tested for other reasons, since a routine blood test quickly shows the existence of abnormal levels of white blood cells.
“Acute myeloid leukemia, on the other hand, is considered a medical emergency because it requires treatment to start as soon as possible and there is no time to lose. In these cases, it is vital that the person does not confuse a high fever with flu or COVID-19. The best thing is to clear up the doubt by going to a guard”, remarked Dr. Moiraghi.
The last decades have been extremely prolific in terms of advances in innovation for the management of all leukemias. In cases such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, with finite chemotherapy-free schemes, the disease can be brought to undetectable levels for long periods of time and the person can lead a normal life. For other leukemias such as acute myeloid, combination drug schemes are being approved -available in our country- that manage to reduce the risk of mortality and increase survival in people who have chemotherapy contraindicated due to their frailty or advanced age.
More informed patients
At the congress for patients, leading figures will address topics such as advances and new approaches in the management of different types of leukemia, transplantation and its indications, the value of emotions in cancer, how to accompany a cancer patient, how distinguish fake news in cancer and the myths and realities of clinical research.
“The 2021 edition was an absolute success that exceeded all our expectations, reflecting the enormous need for information that patients still have. More than 5 thousand people from all continents participated. For this edition, we already have the adherence of multiple leading patient organizations in our region and, given the quality of the confirmed exhibitors, we hope to surpass what was obtained last year and continue to position this event as an annual milestone for the patient community. patients”, said Dr. Diego Montes de Oca, another of the congress organizers.
“We are extremely excited. To make this congress possible, doctors, scientific societies, patient associations and foundations have met, since together we are more and better, ALMA concluded.