What is blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, or BPDCN.
So I'm really glad to be able to spend a few moments with you talking about BPDCN.
First the basics. It's a long word. So I want to kind of make sure I spell it out.
So BPDCN. The B is blastic, so immature cells, PDC plasmacytoid dendritic cells. So a very specific type of blood bone marrow immune skin cell. And the neoplasm of course means new growth or cancer. So
it is a long word to say.
It's a cancer of a very specific type of a cell. And that cell is important because it traffics among the skin, the blood, the bone marrow, the lymph nodes, and is essential to our immune system. So it's a cancer of a very specific type of cell.
first of all it's not an easy disease to say. So it's plastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. It's a mouthful.
It's essentially a type of cancer of a very specific type of blood cell that really has both myeloid and lymphoid elements of it. And I will start by saying it is not a common disease.
So most people are not that familiar with it. It's rare. Ultra rare, in fact. And it involves cells that can be anywhere from in the skin to the bone marrow to other organs and even the central nervous system.
So it's a type of blood cancer, of a type of cell that is aggressive and can get worse over time.
What are the signs and symptoms of BPDCN?
varied you know, skin that's a big one that we see. Systemic symptoms, fevers, night sweats could be, you know, bleeding, mouth bleeding, rectal bleeding.
It could be, infections that, you know, that ultimately lead to an evaluation.
So it really depends on the individual. It's very varied. And that makes it challenging because it's varied.
Where is BPDCN found in the body?
it's a good question because it is very confusing. And if you have breast cancer you can you have a sense of lung cancer. You kind of know where the lungs are.
So BPDCN are cells that are hematologic cells so from the hematopoietic system that originate in the bone marrow, but then can travel can be anywhere, including the skin, including the central nervous system, including any organ, actually.
it's a blood cell. Blood cells come from the bone marrow, but could end up anywhere.
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