In an interview with Fantástico, actress Susana Vieira revealed that she suffers from chronic lymphocytic leukemia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia, both in remission
Susana Vieira, 81, revealed in an interview with “Fantástico” (TV Globo) that she suffers from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. According to her, the disease has no cure and “there is no point in undergoing a bone marrow transplant”.
The actress also revealed that she suffers from another pathology: autoimmune hemolytic anemia. “It’s obvious that as you get older you become worried. So this disease, it seems like God, has left me alone. Or maybe I’m more at peace,” she said.
According to Susana, both diseases are in remission. For treatment, she maintains a healthy lifestyle. “The discipline of doing the exercises, which they tell me to do. And I eat everything, rice, beans, lots of flour. I eat everything, bread, butter, everything,” she said.
What is chronic lymphocytic leukemia
According to Christiane Secco, oncohematologist at the Center for Advanced Oncology of the São Vicente de Paulo Hospital (HSVP-RJ), it is not an autoimmune leukemia. The condition has this name because it is a proliferation.
“That is, the increase in a blood cell called a lymphocyte that we consider mature, is not a new lymphocyte and does not cause large changes like when there is proliferation of immature cells,” he explains.
When there is proliferation of mature cells, it is a chronic disease. So, that’s why the disease is called chronic lymphocytic leukemia, because it has a chronic lymphocyte proliferation, reinforces the specialist.
Is autoimmune hemolytic anemia related to this condition?
According to the doctor, the anemia Susana refers to is not necessarily linked to leukemia. “You may have autoimmune hemolytic anemia without being related to chronic lymphocytic leukemia or being related to the disease,” Christiane says.
However, chronic lymphocytic leukemia can generate antibodies that cause autoimmune anemia. This anemia is extremely sensitive to corticosteroids. And it is also responsive, if appropriate, to the treatment of the disease”, adds the doctor.
Remission of the condition
Susana Vieira says she is in remission because, in most cases, chronic lymphocytic leukemia only coexists with other pathologies or coexists with a healthy patient, a patient considered healthy without other major problems, underlines Christiane.
“You see that that patient has chronic lymphocytic leukemia only because a test is done and you notice an increase in lymphocytes in the blood. But these malignant cells do nothing, they simply exist without causing other symptoms. So, Susana Vieira says that her the disease is in remission for this reason: it has no other symptoms, only an increase in lymphocytes which can be detected by the blood count”, he specifies.
Treatment
Susana Vieira’s condition, in fact, has no cure, underlines the specialist from the São Vicente de Paulo Hospital (HSVP-RJ). According to the doctor, medicine has not yet managed to bring chronic lymphocytic leukemia into complete remission. Therefore, the condition can last years (10 or more) without major manifestations.
Furthermore, a bone marrow transplant is not necessary because this procedure cannot remove the lymphocytes present in the blood count. “The first treatment perspective is, as in the case of Suzana Vieira, observation, when the patient only has an increase in lymphocytes without other symptoms”, explains the professional.
The doctor follows the patient, with serial blood tests every 3 or 4 months to evaluate whether he has signs of anemia, low platelets or a significant increase in leukocytes. It is also important to perform a physical exam to see if the patient has swollen glands,
liver, spleen. “All this must be examined by the doctor at each office visit. So the first therapeutic perspective is not to treat”, explains Christiane.
If the patient has disease progression, that is, any signs of the disease, which may be anemia, low platelets, enlarged glands, liver, spleen or white blood cells, treatment begins.
“Nowadays there are several options for this treatment. And when that time comes, the evaluation will have to be made based on numerous factors, including the type of leukemia that this patient has in terms of genetic alterations”, concludes the specialist .
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
