In recent years, the incidence of malignant tumors in children in China is on the rise, and malignant tumors have become the main diseases threatening the lives of children in China. Among them, leukemia is a common malignant tumor of the blood system in children, which is the “No. 1 killer” of childhood malignant tumors. How can we stop the hand of “blood cancer” from reaching the innocent children? Let’s learn more about leukemia.
Leukemia, commonly known as “blood cancer”, is a malignant disease that originates from hematopoietic (lymphatic) stem cells. Patients with this disease have a large number of abnormal leukemia cells in their blood, bone marrow, and various tissues and organs. These cells proliferate and inhibit normal hematopoietic function, and patients develop a range of symptoms, including anemia, bleeding, and enlargement of the liver and spleen lymph nodes to varying degrees.
How is leukemia caused 1, chemical factors Some chemicals have a leukemogenic effect. In recent years, there are many reports that indoor decoration and furniture, toy pollution is a major cause of the rising incidence of leukemia in urban children. Some toxic and harmful substances, such as benzene and formaldehyde are recognized as carcinogenic substances in the world. Certain anti-tumor cytotoxic drugs, such as nitrogen mustard, cyclophosphamide, methylbenzylhydrazine, VP16, VM26, etc., have leukemogenic effects.
2, radiation factors There is evidence that various ionizing radiation can cause human leukemia. The occurrence of leukemia depends on the dose of radiation absorbed by the human body. Leukemia can be induced after the whole body or part of the torso is exposed to moderate or high doses of radiation. It is still uncertain whether small doses of radiation can cause leukemia.
Some studies have found that women who have had abdominal x-ray exposure during pregnancy are nearly 10 times more likely to have leukemia in their children.
3, genetic factors The incidence of leukemia is higher in people with chromosomal aberrations than in normal people. People with a family history of leukemia are 12 times more likely to develop leukemia than those without a family history. However, leukemia is not directly inherited, but indirectly inherited, called susceptibility to inheritance, that is, in the same environment, those genetic constitution susceptible to certain factors to induce leukemia.
4, viral factors RNA viruses in animals such as rats, cats, chickens and cattle leukemogenic role has been affirmed, such viruses caused by leukemia mostly belong to the T-cell type.
5, other factors Environmental pollution, food contamination and other factors may lead to the emergence of children with leukemia, such as pesticide residues on certain fruits and vegetables, as well as some food and water that do not meet health standards may be the cause of the disease. There are also surveys that say that pregnant women who smoke or are passive smokers have a nearly 50% higher chance of having children with leukemia later in life.