Leukocytes are increased in skin diseases and skin cancer
In the human organism, the leukocytes are increased in skin cancer. Every type of cancer involves a change in the cells . These mutated cells multiply and form proliferating daughter cells. The immune system tries to fight the changed cells by increasing the formation of white blood cells. Their job is to destroy antigens and endogenous cells that have such mutations.
Cancer causes foreign cells in the body
Like other types of cancer, skin cancer is a disease of the genetic material. In this case, there is a change in certain genes that ensure cell growth. They call themselves guardian genes. The mutation impairs the normal function of the cell, resulting in impaired cell growth. Already at this stage, the number of leukocytes in skin cancer is increased. The white blood cells try to destroy the foreign bodies in the form of cancer cells.
Since the mutated cells also multiply due to cell division, the organism needs a large number of white blood cells . Thus, the production of leukocytes from the bone marrow is running at the highest level. If the leukocytes in skin cancer are increased, the physicians recognize this by means of a blood test. The increase in leukocytes is called leukocytosis in technical terms . In a differential blood count , the doctors can also see which subtypes of white blood cells are multiplying.
Melanomas form in skin cancer
Ebenso kommt es bei Hautkrebs zu einer vermehrten Bildung von Wucherungen. Der Grund liegt in der Beschädigung der Apoptose-Gene durch die Krebszellen. Diese Gene verantworten den programmierten Zelltod. Mutiert ein solches Gen, erfolgt nicht das geplante Absterben der entsprechenden Zelle. Stattdessen wächst diese unkontrolliert weiter. Sie teilt sich und besteht als Tumorzelle. Im Fall von Hautkrebs entsteht auf diese Weise das maligne Melanom, der schwarze Hautkrebs.
There are also basalioma and squamous cell carcinoma as types of skin cancer. Doctors call a basalioma basal cell cancer or basal cell carcinoma. Another name for squamous cell carcinoma is squamous cell carcinoma. With each of these malignant skin tumors, doctors recognize two special features. They show uninhibited growth, which mainly affects adjacent organs. It seems to be of the highest priority that the leukocytes are increased in skin cancer. By attacking the growing tumor cell, the white blood cells temporarily limit the damage.
The second characteristic of malignant, i.e. malignant, melanomas consists in the colonization of daughter cells. In the same case, these accumulate on other parts of the body and form daughter tumors. The technical term for these growths is metastases. Only the basalioma does not have any of these peculiarities. Nevertheless, the organism of affected persons produces more leukocytes.
In the case of skin cancer, the cell structure dissolves
As with any type of cancer, the mutated cells in skin cancer detach from the cell structure. This causes the gene modification of the affected cells. To prevent the cancer cells from penetrating into the adjacent tissue, the white blood cells fight the foreign bodies. In addition, the leukocytes form interferons. These are cell hormones that doctors call cytokines. They consist of protein chains and set various processes in motion. Interferons belong to three groups:
- die Alpha-Interferon,
- die Beta-Interferon
- and the gamma interferons.
The white blood cells make the alpha interferons, which attach to cells affected by skin cancer. In this way, they try to inhibit uncontrolled cell growth. Furthermore, the interferons released by the leukocytes prevent the division of the affected cells. In this way, the patient’s immune system tries to prevent the formation of daughter cells that attach to other tissue.
In addition, the alpha interferons activate other endogenous defense cells. These include, for example, the macrophages . Other defense cells are the T-lymphocytes responsible for cell destruction and the natural killer cells. If the leukocytes are increased in skin cancer, there is an increased number of interferons. Along with medical treatment, the chances of curing this type of cancer are good.
The summary of leukocytosis in skin cancer
If patients suffer from skin cancer, mutated cancer cells invade the healthy tissue. They ensure uncontrolled cell growth. The increased formation of white blood cells causes an increase in certain interferons. These attach themselves to the cells affected by the cancer and inhibit their further growth. In the case of malignant skin cancer in particular, this gains priority in order to prevent the formation of secondary tumors, metastases.
Further:
https://www.uke.de/kliniken/hautklinik/downloads/klinik-dermatologie-venerologie/Behandlung_des_malignen_Melanoms.pdf
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