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PATIENT INFORMATION

Difference between blood cancers and blood disorders:

Blood cancers are malignant growths of blood cells, while blood disorders are conditions that prevent blood from functioning properly.

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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.

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Blood disorders affect one or more parts of the blood and prevent your blood from doing its job. Many blood disorders are inherited. Other causes include other diseases, side effects of medicines, and a lack of certain nutrients in your diet. 

Types of blood cancers:

Blood cancers affect the production and function of your blood cells. Most of these cancers start in your bone marrow where blood is produced. Stem cells in your bone marrow mature and develop into three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. In most blood cancers, the normal blood cell development process is interrupted by uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of blood cell. These abnormal blood cells, or cancerous cells, prevent your blood from performing many of its functions, like fighting off infections or preventing serious bleeding.

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There are three main types of blood cancers:

  • Leukaemia, a type of cancer found in your blood and bone marrow, is caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. The high number of abnormal white blood cells are not able to fight infection, and they impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets. CLICK here to read more.

  • Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which removes excess fluids from your body and produces immune cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that fight infection. Abnormal lymphocytes become lymphoma cells, which multiply and collect in your lymph nodes and other tissues. Over time, these cancerous cells impair your immune system. CLICK here to read more.

  • Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce disease- and infection-fighting antibodies in your body. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, leaving your body's immune system weakened and susceptible to infection. CLICK here to read more.

  • Other types of blood cancer include: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), Essential thrombocythaemia (ET), Polycythaemia vera (PV), and Myelofibrosis. 

Types of blood disorders:

There are over a 100 types of blood disorders of which some are listed below:

  • Thalassemia

  • Sickle Cell Anaemia

  • Aplastic Anaemia

  • Haemophilia 

  • Fanconi Anaemia 

  • Anaemia of Chronic Disease

  • Hemochromatosis

  • Iron Deficiency Anaemia

  • Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

  • Leucocytosis

  • Leukopenia

What is a stem cell transplant and what can it treat?

Stem cell transplant is a medical procedure where healthy stem cells are infused into your body to replace the unhealthy stem cells. Stem cell transplants are carried out by a highly trained team of transplant physicians and nurses.

 

A stem cell transplant is a treatment for some kinds of cancer. This includes blood cancers such as Leukaemia, Lymphoma, and Multiple Myeloma.

 

Stem cell transplant can also treat certain solid cancers like Ewing sarcoma, Germ cell ovarian cancer, Neuroblastomas.

 

Stem cell transplant is also a successful treatment for some genetic conditions and blood diseases that are not cancer for example thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia, aplastic anaemia, fanconi anaemia etc.

 

You may hear your transplant being called a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant.

How many types of stem cell transplants are there?

There are 2 types of stem cell transplants:

Autologus Transplant: The stem cells in an autologous transplant come from the same person who will get the transplant, in other words the patient is the donor as well.

 

Allogenic Transplant: The stem cells are donated by another person for the patient, making sure the HLA Typing is matching.

The stem cells could be donated by

  1. Sibling

  2. Match unrelated donor(MUD), here the person is somebody completely unknown, can belong to another country.

  3. Umbilical cord blood.

  4. Half match from parent to child or vice versa.

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