Leukaemia, hairy cell
Symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia
The symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia develop slowly and aresimilar tothose ofother types of leukaemia. They include:
- unintentional weightloss
- pale skin
- weakness, tiredness and breathlessness
- frequentinfections
- bleeding or bruising easily
- pain or swelling in your abdomen (tummy) (see below)
The abnormal white blood cells can accumulate in your spleen, causing it to increase in size. The spleen is an organin the upper left side of your abdomen, behind your stomach and ribs.
If your spleen is enlarged , it's likely you'll have a painful lump on the left side of your abdomen. If this is the case, you should visit your GP so the lump can be examined.
An enlarged spleen may remove normal blood cells from your bloodstream. This can lead to a further reduction in the number of normal red and white blood cells and platelets in your blood.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dez 2018
Introduction
Hairy cell leukaemia is a rare type of chronic leukaemia that gets its name from the hair-like strands around the cancerous cells.
Symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia
The symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia develop slowly and aresimilar tothose ofother types of leukaemia. They include: unintentional weightloss pale skin weakness, tiredness and breathlessness fr
Diagnosing hairy cell leukaemia
Ifyour GPsuspects leukaemia, they may refer you to a haematologist (a specialist in blood disorders). The haematologist will carry out blood tests to determine how many different types of blood cells
Treatment for hairy cell leukaemia
As hairy cell leukaemia develops slowly, immediate treatmentmay not be needed. You'll have regular blood tests to monitor your condition. Treatment may be recommended ifthe number of abnormal white b
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