Leukemia – Eosinophilic

Overview

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. Leukemia begins when normal blood cells change and grow uncontrollably. Blood cells (including red cells that carry oxygen, white cells that fight infection, and platelets that cause blood to clot) are produced in the bone marrow, which is the spongy tissue inside the larger bones in the body. Abnormalities in the bone marrow cells can cause the overproduction or underproduction of certain blood cells. There are four main types of leukemia in adults:

• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

Eosinophilia is a condition that develops when the bone marrow makes too many eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that is involved in allergic reactions or used to fight certain parasites

Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing cancer. Some risk factors can be controlled, such as smoking; and some cannot be controlled, such as age and family history. Although risk factors can influence the development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer, while others with no known risk factors do. However, knowing your risk factors and communicating them to your doctor may help you make more informed lifestyle and health-care choices.

Symptoms

People with eosinophilic leukemia may experience the following symptoms. Sometimes, people with eosinophilic leukemia do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not cancer. If you are concerned about a symptom on this list, please talk with your doctor.

• Fever
• Unexplained fatigue or shortness of breath
• Cough
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Muscle pains
• Pruritus (itching)

Diagnosis

Doctors use many tests, such as evaluations of the blood and bone marrow, to diagnose eosinophilia. Although a patient’s signs and symptoms may cause a doctor to suspect eosinophilia, it is diagnosed only by blood tests and bone marrow evaluations. Some tests may also determine which treatments may be the most effective. Your doctor may consider these factors when choosing a diagnostic test:

• Age and medical condition
• The type of cancer suspected
• Severity of symptoms
• Previous test results

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy is delivered through the bloodstream, targeting cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy is given by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication, or a hematologist, a doctor who specializes in blood diseases. Some people may receive chemotherapy in their doctor’s office; others may go to the hospital. A chemotherapy regimen (schedule) usually consists of a specific number of cycles given over a specific time.
Chemotherapy used in treating eosinophilic leukemia include hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea), cyclophosphamide (Clafen, Cytoxan, Neosar), and vincristine (Oncovin).

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. A doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer is called a radiation oncologist. The most common type of radiation therapy is called external-beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body. When radiation therapy is given using implants, it is called internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy. Radiation therapy for eosinophilic leukemia is generally used as a palliative treatment (care given to improve a patient’s quality of life by treating symptoms and side effects of the cancer or its treatment).

Surgery

Surgery to remove the spleen (splenectomy), which also produces white blood cells, may occasionally be performed. A surgical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in treating cancer using surgery.