Is bone marrow aplasia a cancer?
Although aplastic anaemia is not a malignant disease (cancer) it can be very serious, especially if the bone marrow is severely affected and there are very few blood cells left in circulation.
Why is aplastic anemia not cancer?
Researchers have discovered that most cases of severe aplastic anemia happen when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Although aplastic anemia is not a cancer, its treatment can be similar to therapies used to treat leukemias and lymphomas.
What are the causes of aplasia?
Causes
- Radiation and chemotherapy treatments. While these cancer-fighting therapies kill cancer cells, they can also damage healthy cells, including stem cells in bone marrow.
- Exposure to toxic chemicals.
- Use of certain drugs.
- Autoimmune disorders.
- A viral infection.
- Pregnancy.
- Unknown factors.
What is a aplasia in medical terms?
Aplasia: Failure to develop. This is not to be confused with the word, atrophy, which means that something develops and then wastes away.
Can you recover from aplastic anemia?
The only cure for aplastic anemia is a bone marrow transplant. If you need to wait for a bone marrow donor who is a good match, you may take immunosuppressive medicines such as antithymocyte globulin (ATG), cyclosporine or tacrolimus, and thrombopoietin receptor agonist eltrombopag.
What are the symptoms of bone marrow failure?
Bone marrow failure symptoms can include:
- Feeling tired, sleepy or dizzy.
- Headaches.
- Pale skin.
- Easy bruising.
- Easy bleeding.
- Prolonged bleeding.
- Frequent or unusual infections.
- Unexplained fevers.
How do you treat bone marrow?
Treatment for bone marrow cancer
- Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment designed to find and destroy cancer cells in the body.
- Radiation therapy.
- Biological therapy.
- Targeted therapy drugs.
- Transplant.