Blood Cancer Cure - an Urban Legend
Published on Oct 03, 2016 and last reviewed on Dec 20, 2022 - 1 min read
Abstract
Numerous messages are being circulated in social media about the drug Imatinib, which is said to cure blood cancer. Is it a fact or a myth?
One of the common health related message circulating in different social media mentions that blood cancer cure has been found and it is a simple tablet.
These messages often are accompanied by some address where it is claimed and that the drug is available free of cost. Such a message is nothing, but nuisance both from patient and physician perspective.
Role of Imatinib
Blood cancer is of various types and one of which is CML that is chronic myeloid leukemia. It is treatable with the drug Imatinib and similar drugs in that class, but is not curable. The patient requires regular follow ups and investigations. Moreover, not 100% percent cases respond to it. The drug is also utilized in a few other types of cancers and leukemia. The drug is often available at subsidized rates at a few cancer institutes.
Erroneous Information
The downside of such message creates an unrealistic expectation among patients when they are told that it is not curable with this drug. We have even seen that a few people do not trust doctors. Instead, they go to the center mentioned in the message to confirm and I am not saying that those institutes are the origin of these messages. However, it does not change the reality. Patients with other types of blood cancers also keep asking about this drug, as they believe that it can cure them.
So, the next time you receive another such message kindly correct the facts on the group or at least do not forward it further. Do your part to stop this.
For further information about the treatment of cancer consult a cancer specialist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/medical-oncologist/cancer
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
Is It Possible to Cure Blood Cancer?
Blood cancer is rare, with a considerably high curability rate pertaining to the current medical advancements. Therefore, the only constraint of curability is timely diagnosis and early treatment.
2.
Is It Possible to Survive Blood Cancer?
According to follow-up studies, the five-year survivability stands at a good 70 %, meaning that patients undergoing cancer therapy for blood cancer have a probability of 70 % of being cancer free and alive after five years of remission.
3.
What Causes Blood Cancer?
Blood cancers result from genetic mutations which give rise to abnormal blood cells that show the characteristic cancer behavior.
4.
Name the Three Types of Blood Cancers.
The three types of blood cancers are
- Leukemia.
- Lymphoma.
- Myeloma.
5.
Can Blood Cancers Be Painful
Blood cancers are usually painless, although some types of cancers may cause some kind of body ache, discomfort, and breathlessness.
6.
Is It Possible to Live For 30 Years With Leukemia?
Leukemia is rarely curable, but many patients can survive for many years. The survivability of leukemia is just 15 % for a five-year follow-up.
7.
Is It Possible to Recover Fully From Leukemia?
Although there is no absolute cure for leukemia, it is possible to treat and remit leukemia. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplant.
8.
What Happens In the First Stage of Blood Cancer?
In the first stage of blood cancer, there is a sudden increase in white blood cells and enlarged lymph nodes. The cancer is non-spreadable at this stage, and the risk is usually low.
9.
What Is Done to Detect Blood Cancers?
Some tests to detect blood cancers are
- Complete blood count.
- Electrophoresis- to look at blood proteins.
- Test for cancer cell markers.
- Test to detect circulating tumor cells.
- Tests to detect cancerous genetic material.
10.
Which Are the Most Common Types of Blood Cancers?
The most common blood cancers are non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and multiple myeloma.
11.
Which Six Signs Are Representative of Leukemia?
Six signs of leukemia are
- Non-specific symptoms (fever, fatigue, and pain).
- Frequent infections.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Easy bleeding or bruising.
- Weight loss.
- Enlarged liver or spleen.
12.
Which Cancers Are Not Curable?
Some cancers are fatal and impossible to cure:
- Pancreatic cancer.
- Mesothelioma.
- Gallbladder cancers.
- Esophageal cancer.
- Liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
- Lung cancers.
- Acute monocytic leukemia.
- Brain cancer.
- Acute myeloid leukemia
13.
Which Is the Fastest Spreading Cancer
There are over 80 different types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Except for the slow-growing types, these are one of the fastest-growing cancers in the human body.
14.
Which Leukemia Is Curable?
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has shown good prognostic value, with cure rates as high as 90 %.
15.
Which Is the Most Uncommon Type of Blood Cancer
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a very rare type of blood neoplasm (a non-Hodgkin lymphoma) with an annual incidence of three per million of the population.
- 7 urban legends about cancer
https://www.eehealth.org/blog/2016/03/7-urban-legends-about-cancer/ - Let’s get to the bottom of it – 7 common cancer myths, unpicked
https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2023/07/19/lets-get-to-the-bottom-of-it-7-common-cancer-myths-unpicked/ - Leukaemia Myths
https://www.leukaemiacare.org.uk/support-and-information/information-about-blood-cancer/blood-cancer-information/leukaemia-myths/
Last reviewed at:
20 Dec 2022 - 1 min read
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