07 avril 2023
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was recently admitted to intensive care at a Milan hospital. At 86, the rider is suffering from a lung infection and a very specific form of chronic leukemia.
Leukemia is a cancer that starts in the cells that make blood in the bone marrow. Adult leukemias are defined according to their acute or chronic form.
« Chronic leukemia begins so insidiously that the patient does not notice anything abnormal “, explains the Foundation once morest Cancer in Belgium. ” At first, he does not feel sick, and quite often this condition is discovered by chance. The excessive proliferation of blood cells associated with this form of leukemia proceeds very gradually. Therefore, it is only at a relatively late stage of the disease that the patient notices a decrease in vitality or even swelling of the lymph nodes or spleen. At this time, the disease has probably already been evolving for a few years. »
The two main forms of the disease are chronic lymphocytic leukemia (which mainly affects the elderly) and chronic myeloid leukemia (especially in middle-aged patients).
Silvio Berlusconi: a rare leukemia
In the case of Silvio Berlusconi, it would be, according to the Archyde.com agency, a rarer form, which mainly affects the elderly, called “chronic myelomonocytic leukemia” or CMML. This type of cancer starts in the bone marrow and then travels to the blood.
White blood cells called monocytes help the body fight infections. In LLMC, the bone marrow produces abnormal monocytes. They are not fully developed and cannot function normally. These abnormal blood cells remain in the bone marrow or are destroyed before entering the bloodstream. As the disease progresses, the bone marrow fills with abnormal monocytes. These abnormal blood cells then spill out into the bloodstream.
Because the bone marrow is full of abnormal cells, it can no longer make enough other types of blood cells. So the low number of normal cells in the bloodstream eventually causes symptoms. Which can cause weakness, fatigue, unexplained bruising, bleeding, infection, or enlargement of the liver and spleen.
In terms of risk factors, approximately 30% of CMML patients have chromosomal abnormalities “, specifies the Leukemia and Lymphomia Society. But the exact cause of the disease is not known. However, there are certain known elements that increase the risks: age (over 60), being a man, having been exposed to certain chemicals or even certain anti-cancer drugs.
Management will obviously depend on the stage of the disease, as well as the patient’s age and state of health. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or stem cell transplantation.
To note : Between 15 and 30% of patients with CMML go on to develop acute myeloid leukemia.
