What is the prognosis for spleen cancer?
The prognosis for spleen cancer is dependant on what type of spleen cancer a person has, according to Healthgrades. For instance, most spleen cancers do not start in the spleen and those that do may be either lymphomas or leukemia. Some lymphomas or types of leukemia grow fairly slowly. One type of cancer that can affect the spleen, follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, divides prognosis into three groups: low risk, intermediate risk and high risk, explains American Cancer Society.
What are the signs of spleen problems?
The most common symptoms of spleen cancer are:
- enlarged spleen, which may become twice as large as normal
- pain in the abdomen, usually in the upper left corner
- weakness
- unexplained weight loss
- fatigue
- fever
- night sweats
- high levels of lymphocytes in the blood
What are the symptoms of an enlarged spleen?
What are the Symptoms of an Enlarged Spleen
- A common symptom is acute pain. The intensity of this pain will depend on the extent of the growing organ due to inflammation, the worse the inflammation, the greater ...
- Another indication or symptom of inflammation of the spleen is a lack of appetite. ...
- Anaemia will be another symptom that we notice when we have an enlarged spleen. ...
What does pain from the spleen feel like?
Spleen pain is usually felt in the upper left part of the abdomen. Since the spleen sits next to the stomach and kidney, many people confuse spleen pain for stomach pain or kidney pain. There may be tenderness when applying pressure on the area and there are no distinctive features that can differentiate spleen pain.
What is the treatment for spleen cancer?
Common treatments for spleen cancer include: surgery called splenectomy that removes part of or the entire spleen. radiation therapy . chemotherapy. Historically, splenectomy was often the first treatment used, and studies have shown that most people. Trusted Source.
What is the spleen cancer?
What are the symptoms of cancer of the spleen? Spleen cancer typically develops when cancer in another part of the body, most often lymphomas and leukemia, spread to this fist-sized organ. The spleen is under the rib cage on the left side of the body.
How to tell if you have spleen cancer?
Spleen cancer is very often due to lymphomas and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in particular, so it is helpful to be aware of signs of this disease. Signs include: swollen, but usually not painful lymph nodes in the armpits, groin, and sides of the neck. feeling exhausted. alternating chills and fever. bruising easily.
Why do doctors remove the spleen?
Doctors may remove the spleen due to injury or illnesses, including cancer. When this happens, someone’s life is not substantially changed, but they may become more susceptible to infection and need to take precautions.
Where is the spleen located?
The spleen is under the rib cage on the left side of the body. It is part of the lymphatic system and plays a part in helping the body fight off disease. This role means it can also be considered part of the immune system. It is also possible to live without a spleen, although it is a very important organ.
Can hepatitis C cause cancer?
Trusted Source. between chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus, and the risk of developing a specific kind of cancer known as B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which can lead to spleen cancer.
Can spleen cancer be enlarged?
People with spleen cancer can have a variety of symptoms or none at all in some cases. Roughly 25 percent of people with SMZL. do not show symptoms. It is essential, however, to remember that an enlarged spleen does not necessarily mean that an individual has spleen cancer.
Causes and Symptoms of Spleen Cancer
Spleen cancer can develop primarily in the spleen, or since the organ is part of your lymphatic system, it can spread from another area to the spleen, which is known as secondary spleen cancer. Oftentimes secondary spleen cancer develops as a result of the spread of breast cancer, lung cancer or some types of skin cancer.
Spleen Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Since your spleen is part of the lymphatic system, if your doctor suspects that you may be dealing with spleen cancer, they will likely run some tests to determine if any other types of cancer are present.
What causes spleen cancer?
The most common causes of spleen cancer are lymphomas and leukemias. On occasion, other cancers, such as breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, liver, or colon, are the source of the malignancy. There is a type of cancer ...
Where is spleen cancer located?
Located behind the rib cage, the spleen is part of the body’s lymphatic system. Spleen cancer is unusual, in that it only rarely develops within the organ itself.
What is active surveillance?
Active surveillance: Active surveillance is taking a wait-and-see approach to the treatment of spleen cancer.
What is SMZL in medical terms?
The medical term for it is splenic marginal zone lymphoma – SMZL for short. It is a rare cancer, comprising only about two percent of all lymphomas. Risk factors for lymphoma include old age, being male, immune-system deficiencies, and viral infections such as Epstein-Barr.
How long does it take to get a spleen test result?
A tissue sample will be sent to a medical lab for analysis. You will receive test results in a few days to a couple of weeks. If you’ve developed spleen cancer, your physician or oncologist will assess its stage of development.
How does chemo kill cancer cells?
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is an effective means of killing cancer cells that have spread from their place of origin. Stem-cell transplantation: Radiation and chemotherapy destroy good cells as well as bad ones. This can be counteracted by injecting the patient with stem cells, often acquired from a cancer-free donor.
What is the stage of cancer?
He or she will determine the size and disposition of your tumors and the overall prevalence of cancer within your body. Cancer stages are generally rated from 0 to 4, with stage 4 being the most advanced and therefore serious version of the disease.
What are the treatments for spleen cancer?
Common treatments for spleen cancer. Several different therapies are available to treat spleen cancer including: Biological therapy to enhance the immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells. Chemotherapy to attack cancer cells. Participation in a clinical trial testing promising new treatments for spleen cancer.
What is the goal of spleen cancer treatment?
The goal of spleen cancer treatment is to permanently cure the cancer or to bring about a complete remission of the disease. Remission means that there is no longer any sign of the disease in the body, although it may recur or relapse later.
What are the risk factors for spleen cancer?
Not all people with risk factors will get spleen cancer. Risk factors for spleen cancer include: Advanced age. Certain types of infections.
What is the goal of hospice care for spleen cancer?
In cases in which spleen cancer has progressed to an advanced stage and has become unresponsive to treatment, the goal of treatment may shift away from curing the disease and focus on measures to keep a person comfortable and maximize the quality of life.
What are the complications of spleen cancer?
Complications of spleen cancer requiring emergency care are rare, but may include severe infection or rupture of the spleen. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for symptoms such as night sweats, difficulty breathing, pale or blue lips and fingernails, rapid heart rate (tachycardia), confusion or loss of consciousness, or fever and chills.
How do you know if you have spleen cancer?
Common symptoms of spleen cancer. Common symptoms of spleen cancer include: Abdominal pain or fullness, especially in the upper abdomen. Bone pain or joint pain. Easy bleeding or bruising. Fatigue. Fever and chills. Frequent infections. Night sweats.
What type of cancer can be found in the spleen?
These include lung cancers, stomach cancers, pancreatic cancers, liver cancers, and colon cancers.
What Are the Symptoms?
Cancer that begins in or spreads to the spleen can cause it to increase the size of. If this occurs, you may:
How Is It Diagnosed?
If your doctor suspects you have cancer in your spleen, they’ll probably run tests to look for other cancers. You might require bloodwork to check your blood cell counts.
How Is It Treated?
If your doctor finds cancer in your spleen, you may require a splenectomy as part of your treatment. There are 2 types:
Can It be Prevented?
There’s no way to completely prevent cancer in your spleen. However you may have the ability to reduce your risk.
What are the diseases that affect the spleen?
Inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Trauma, such as an injury during contact sports. Cancer that has spread (metastasized) to the spleen. A cyst, a noncancerous fluid-filled sac.
What is the procedure to remove a spleen?
This means the surgery is performed through small incisions. A laparoscope allows the surgeon to view and remove the spleen. If your spleen is removed, you cannot effectively clear certain bacteria from your body and will be more vulnerable to certain infections.
Why is my spleen overactive?
For example, sometimes the spleen is overactive in removing and destroying blood cells. This is called hypersplenism. It can happen for many reasons, including problems with too many platelets and other disorders of the blood. Causes of an Enlarged Spleen.
Why does the spleen swell?
But diseases can cause it to swell and become many times its normal size. Because the spleen is involved in many functions, many conditions may affect it. An enlarged spleen is not always a sign of a problem. When a spleen becomes enlarged, though, it often means it has been doing its job but has become overactive.
What causes a spleen to be enlarged?
Here are some common causes of an enlarged spleen: Infections. Viral infections, such as mononucleosis. Parasitic infections, such as toxoplasmosis. Bacterial infections, such as endocarditis (an infection of your heart's valves) Cancer. Leukemia, a cancerin which white blood cells displace normal blood cells.
What causes a large abscess?
A large abscess, a pus-filled cavity usually caused by a bacterial infection. Infiltrative diseases such as Gaucher disease, amyloidosis, or glycogen storage diseases. Symptoms of an Enlarged Spleen. Most people don't know they have an enlarged spleen because symptoms are rare.
How do you know if you have an enlarged spleen?
These are the most common symptoms of an enlarged spleen: Being unable to eat a large meal. Feeling discomfort, fullness, or pain on the upper left side of the abdomen; this pain may spread to your left shoulder. If you have pain that is severe or gets worse when taking a deep breath, see your doctor right away.
What causes a spleen to be enlarged?
A number of conditions, including liver disease and some cancers, can cause your spleen to become enlarged. Your spleen is an organ located just below your left rib cage. Many conditions — including infections, liver disease and some cancers — can cause an enlarged spleen, also known as splenomegaly (spleh-no-MEG-uh-lee).
What is the spleen?
Your spleen is an organ located just below your left rib cage. Many conditions — including infections, liver disease and some cancers — can cause an enlarged spleen, also known as splenomegaly (spleh-no-MEG-uh-lee). An enlarged spleen usually doesn't cause symptoms. It's often discovered during a routine physical exam.
How does an enlarged spleen affect the body?
An enlarged spleen affects each of these vital functions. As your spleen grows larger, it filters normal red blood cells as well as abnormal ones , reducing the number of healthy cells in your bloodstream. It also traps too many platelets. Excess red blood cells and platelets eventually can clog your spleen and affect normal functioning.
What are the complications of an enlarged spleen?
Potential complications of an enlarged spleen are: Infection. An enlarged spleen can reduce the number of healthy red blood cells, platelets and white cells in your bloodstream, leading to more frequent infections. Anemia and increased bleeding also are possible.
What diseases affect the liver?
Parasitic infections, such as malaria. Cirrhosis and other diseases affecting the liver. Various types of hemolytic anemia — a condition characterized by early destruction of red blood cells. Blood cancers, such as leukemia and myeloproliferative neoplasms, and lymphomas, such as Hodgkin's disease.
Can a doctor feel a normal spleen?
Your doctor generally can't feel a normal-sized spleen in adults but can feel an enlarged spleen. Your doctor will likely request imaging and blood tests to help identify the cause. Treatment for an enlarged spleen focuses on the underlying condition that's causing it. Surgically removing an enlarged spleen isn't usually the first treatment, ...
Can an enlarged spleen cause pain?
An enlarged spleen may cause: No symptoms in some cases. Pain or fullness in the left upper abdomen that may spread to the left shoulder. Feeling full without eating or after eating only a small amount from the enlarged spleen pressing on your stomach. Anemia.
