The illness cancer can cause different kinds of issues in the body of the patient. We all are aware of the advancements taking place in the medical world these days. But, in spite of these positive changes, the cancer illness still puts the patients and the doctors through a lot of stress.
Some patients might want to learn what level of eosinophils indicate cancer problem. Eosinophils are a very important white blood cell type that covers a lot of functions in the human body. Sometimes, the number of this cell variety might show a drastic increase. Such a situation is called eosinophilia and it can happen because of multiple causes.
In certain cases, eosinophilia can be taken as a sign of an underlying cancer issue. This occurs in the case of certain specific cancer varieties and we will learn about them in this discussion. So, without wasting further time, let’s answer the question: what level of eosinophils indicate the cancer problem.
Look carefully what level of eosinophils indicate cancer problem
Our body might make high amounts of eosinophils during different situations. When understanding the level of eosinophils that indicate cancer, we must take a look at the normal values of eosinophils in the case of a healthy individual. If the eosinophil count is below 500 cells / microliter of blood, then the person is said to be possessing a healthy eosinophil count. Whenever the eosinophil count rises above this given normal value, the person must become alert.
If the eosinophil count of the individual lies inside the range: 500 to 1,500 cells/mL, then the person is said to suffer from the condition Mild eosinophilia. A eosinophil count within the range 1,500 to 5,000 cells/mL is termed as Moderate eosinophilia. Finally, when the eosinophil count of the person lies above 5,000 cells/mL, then it is known as Severe eosinophilia condition. So, these are the different eosinophilia levels that can indicate the presence of cancer problem.
A term called Hypereosinophilia is very important when we are talking about the link between eosinophilia and cancer disease. This condition takes place when the eosinophil count in a person crosses the 1,500 cells/mL mark. Though it can occur because of different health conditions, we must not ignore the underlying possibility of a cancer issue. This is a tremendously dangerous situation and if it continues, the person might face multiple organ damage. It can also affect the correct functioning of different organs, like the brain, lungs, heart, skin, kidneys, digestive tract, etc.
Cancers that induce high eosinophil count
We have seen what level of eosinophils indicate cancer problem. Now, let us go through the different cancer types that can increase the levels of eosinophils in your body.
Lymphoma
Lymphoma cancer type affects the lymphatic system of the patient. The lymphatic system plays a very prominent role in our body by maintaining a healthy fluid balance, as well as protecting the body from different kinds of infections. So, when lymphoma occurs, the lymphatic system will not get the capacity to function correctly. There are two main lymphoma categories- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). High eosinophil count is seen in both the categories, but hypereosinophilia is more prominent in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) condition.
Leukemia
This is a blood cancer type that can affect the different varieties of blood cells present in our body. For instance, leukemia illness can occur in both lymphoid cells and myeloid cells of the body. Leukemia condition can be further classified into different sub divisions. The majority of them induce the eosinophilia condition. However, this problem is predominantly observed in two specific leukemia categories. These are- Acute eosinophilic leukemia (AEL) & Chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL).
Lung Cancer
Eosinophils are present in numerous tissues of our body in different concentrations. Some of these tissues include lungs, uterus, thymus gland, mammary glands, etc. The eosinophil count is said to be related to the progression of lung cancer disease.
Colorectal Cancer
Another cancer type that can lead to eosinophilia condition is colorectal cancer. The eosinophils are actually found in high concentrations in the gastrointestinal tract tissues. Whenever a tumor is present in this location, the eosinophils will infiltrate it. This induces the transportation of eosinophils from tissues into the person’s bloodstream.
Important Symptoms
Now that we know what level of eosinophils indicate cancer problem and what are the different cancer types that induce eosinophilia, let’s go through some of the important symptoms that might strengthen the fact that you are facing eosinophilia because of an underlying cancer issue. As we have already mentioned, high levels of eosinophils can happen due to several reasons. Cancer can be one of these reasons, and for confirming that you have to take the help of a doctor. The doctors will look for the signs of eosinophilic organ damage in the patient to determine the chances of cancer disease.
- Urticaria or angioedema
- Memory loss and confusion
- Dizziness
- Dyspnea
- Cough
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Mouth sores
If the above listed signs are present, then the healthcare provider will ask the patient to get some tests done to rule out different probable causes of hypereosinophilic syndrome. If these tests are unable to diagnose a cause, then the patients will be asked to undergo other tests, like Bone marrow aspiration, Chest computed tomography (CT), Bone marrow biopsy, Molecular testing, and Colonoscopy. These tests will provide the required information regarding the presence or absence of cancer.
Conclusion
So, we have learned what level of eosinophils indicate cancer problem, what are the different cancer types that induce eosinophilia, as well as some important signs that might indicate the presence of cancer. Thus, it can be ascertained that certain cancer types have the capacity to increase the eosinophil count in the patient’s body. So, cases of eosinophilia must be taken seriously and the root cause must be determined with the help of a healthcare provider. This will give the patients the capacity to initiate the necessary treatments without facing any kind of delays.
