Bleeding gums: A warning sign of cancer

Doctors warn that if bleeding gums occur frequently, people should pay close attention because it could be a warning sign of leukemia.

Bleeding gums can be a sign of a dangerous blood disorder.

Two-year-old patient Nguyen Pham Kh., residing in Thanh Hoa, is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. Kh.'s father shared that his son had been healthy and rarely ill since birth. However, in March of this year, the child began experiencing bleeding gums. The bleeding occurred even without brushing his teeth or with just minor contact with something.

The couple took their child to a pediatrician near their home, who diagnosed the child with periodontitis and prescribed antibiotics. However, the bleeding gums did not subside.

Even when the child put a small medicine box in her mouth, the bleeding wouldn't stop. The parents took their child to Hop Luc Hospital in Thanh Hoa, where the doctor suspected a blood disorder and referred Kh. to the National Cancer Hospital for further examination. The result was that she had leukemia: “My wife and I couldn't believe our ears because she hadn't shown any symptoms, just bleeding gums. Who would have thought it was cancer?”

Recently, an English teacher in Son La was taken to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion with uncontrollable bleeding from her gums.

Patient Eldniz (1992), an Azerbaijani national, was admitted to the Institute in a state of severe physical weakness due to blood loss from bleeding in the leg. At Son La Provincial General Hospital, the patient was initially diagnosed with suspected acute leukemia.

Following extensive testing, patient Eldniz was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (an acute myeloid leukemia) accompanied by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a severe condition that can be life-threatening.

According to Master Vu Quang Hung, Deputy Head of the Chemotherapy Department at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, after only 7 days of treatment, patient Eldniz received 41 units of blood of blood type B. This is one of the most serious cases where blood transfusions were required in such a short period of time.

According to Master Vu Quang Hung, leukemia cells proliferate in the blood and bone marrow, leading to a decrease in platelets and red blood cells, internal bleeding, and fatigue. Simultaneously, patients are susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections due to a severe decline in white blood cells.

Therefore, the patient required both blood transfusions and antibiotic treatment, targeted therapy, and blood product transfusions. Compared to his initial condition upon admission, Eldniz is now out of critical condition, but he still requires continued treatment and mechanical ventilation.

At the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, doctors once treated a 36-year-old male patient from Hoa Binh province. Initially, the patient had some bruises on his skin and even bleeding gums when brushing his teeth, but he did not seek medical attention. By the time he arrived at the hospital, it was too late. Despite the doctors' best efforts to save him, his condition was too severe, and he succumbed to a brain hemorrhage due to thrombocytopenia (low platelet count).

Therefore, doctors advise against ignoring the signs of bleeding gums because it can be a warning sign of dangerous blood disorders.

Not only is bleeding gums a warning sign of leukemia, but Swedish scientists have recently published information indicating that it can also be a sign of breast cancer in women.

A group of scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm conducted a study and showed that people who frequently experience bleeding gums have an 11 times higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who do not have this symptom.

Since its publication, this study has sparked much controversy and conflicting opinions. Further specific research is needed to establish a link between cancer risk and bleeding gums.

According to Infonet