May 31, 2023 – If you test negative after having COVID-19, it's a very good idea to get a whole health check. This is particularly vital for people who find themselves in danger for blood cancer or have had blood cancer, akin to leukemia.
If you could have blood cancer, you want to get a transparent picture of how strong your immune system is – which experts say is particularly vital if you could have symptoms of Long COVID. That's because most leukemia treatments end in some type of immunodeficiency, meaning these patients have a weakened immune system and due to this fact struggle to fight off any infections present at the identical time.
Several studies have also found a possible link between COVID and leukemia, based on the incontrovertible fact that patients developed the disease shortly after contracting COVID.
A study by researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and the Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Centro Universitário Christus and Universidade Federal do Ceará in Brazil, described how previously healthy young adults were diagnosed after recovering from COVID acute myeloid leukemia, Acute lymphocytic T-cell leukemia And myelodysplastic syndromewhich in about 50% of cases results in acute myeloid leukemia.
And Iranians Research reported on a patient who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia about 40 days after COVID and who had a pointy drop in hemoglobin and platelet levels. Another study investigated the chance that COVID increases the likelihood of developing Hairy cell leukemiaIt is vital to notice that these cases weren’t widespread, however the authors of those studies have really helpful further research to find out whether a conclusive, known link may be established between COVID and a subsequent blood cancer diagnosis.
“Although significantly more research is needed to prove a conclusive link between the two, data have shown the negative impact of COVID-19 infection in patients with blood cancers,” said Lee Greenberger, PhD, chief scientific officer of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “What we know for sure is that COVID-19 infection can be very dangerous for people with blood cancers, especially those with B-cell-depleting cancers. We must continue to focus on helping them avoid infection and its serious consequences.”
Read on for a more in-depth have a look at the impact of COVID-19 on leukemia to date and the way you and your doctor can best protect your health based in your specific risk aspects.
What are the symptoms of leukemia?
Leukemia, a cancer of the tissues that make blood in your body, including your bone marrow and lymphatic system, can, as we now have seen, are available in different forms. For this reason, the symptoms can vary. Symptoms can contain:
- Chills or fever
- Lose weight without effort
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Tiredness that doesn’t go away
- Slight bleeding or bruising
- Night sweats
- Small red spots on the skin
- Your bones feel tender or painful
What are the chance aspects for leukemia?
The risk of developing leukemia is higher in the next cases:
- Do you could have a family history of the disease
- Are you a Smoker
- You have already undergone cancer treatment akin to chemotherapy or radiation
- Having a genetic disorder akin to Down syndrome
- Have been exposed to chemicals akin to benzene and formaldehyde at work
How can COVID-19 cause leukemia?
One possible cause is that COVID causes hematologic changes within the weeks following infection that may reduce cellular immunity in some patients. The authors of the Mount Sinai/Brazilian Hospital study imagine there’s a possibility that COVID causes an abnormal immune response within the body that would trigger the cell mutations that cause leukemia.
However, no cause might be found that would clearly explain a connection.
“There are several hypothetical mechanisms that could be proposed to explain why and how COVID might ultimately lead to blood cancer,” said Oscar B. Lahoud, MDa specialist in bone marrow transplantation and cell therapy on the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. “It could lead on to numerous stimulations of the immune system and rapid proliferation. Mutagenesis [the process by which DNA changes, resulting in a gene mutation]but these mechanisms are not supported by any documented experimental data.”
If you've had COVID, should you get tested for leukemia?
“At this time, I’d not recommend that any patient with a previous COVID infection be screened for leukemia or other blood cancers,” Lahoud said. “However, patients with a robust family history should discuss their potential risks with their doctor no matter COVID. [doctors].”
If you have already got leukemia, how exactly might COVID affect you?
The treatments and medications you are taking may make a COVID infection difficult to regulate.
“Many blood cancer therapies are immunosuppressive and thereby inhibit the ability to clear COVID-19 infection,” said Greenberger. “Any patient with blood cancer who suspects COVID-19 infection or who tests positive for COVID-19 must contact their [doctor] immediately.”
And standard treatments for COVID needs to be used with caution.
“There are antiviral therapies that can help you recover from a COVID-19 infection, but they must be given soon after infection,” Greenberger continued. “If paxlovid is used, your doctor should consider its effects on other current medications, such as those used to treat your blood cancer. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has a four-stage Information sheet to help patients understand their risk and plan ahead should they become infected.”
At the same time, you do not want to stop your leukemia treatment.
“Data has shown that delaying treatment for patients with high-risk blood cancers, akin to acute leukemia, has had devastating consequences,” said Lahoud. “However, as therapeutic interventions against COVID have emerged, we will now higher treat patients with COVID and concurrent leukemia. These include remdesivir, dexamethasone and monoclonal antibodies.”
Bottom line: Work with your doctor to create a concrete plan for your optimal outcome.
“Some leukemias don’t require treatment and may be treated expectantly for several years, while others require immediate initiation of therapy,” said Lahoud. “We can now treat COVID quite effectively and achieve rapid remission of respiratory and systemic symptoms, so treatment of each diseases is mostly possible.”
If you might be at high risk for leukemia or have the disease, take precautions against COVID – like wearing a mask in crowds, keeping your distance from sick people, and getting tested in the event you feel sick. Don't panic – just be proactive.