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Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi died on Monday at the age of 86, according to an announcement from his entourage to AFP. He suffered from chronic leukemia and was re-admitted on Friday to San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. But what is this disease?
THE rider is not anymore. While he was admitted again on Friday to San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Silvio Berlusconi died on Monday, according to an announcement from his entourage in the press.
Several trips to the hospital in recent years
The 86-year-old media mogul and senator, who had been to hospital several times in recent years, was admitted last Wednesday to the cardiology unit of San Raffaele Hospital in Milan for problems breathing, and lung infection. Last month, the billionaire leader had already spent four days in the same hospital, apparently for heart problems. But Silvio Berlusconi was above all suffering from chronic leukemia, a cancer which originates in the cells which produce blood in the bone marrow which weakens it.
The man had a rare leukemia
When chronic, leukemia often progresses slowly. “Chronic leukemia begins so insidiously that the patient does not notice anything abnormal “, explains the Foundation against Cancer in Belgium. “Therefore, it is only at a relatively late stage of the disease that the patient notices a decrease in vitality or even swelling of the lymph nodes or spleen. At this time, the disease has probably already been evolving for a few years.” explains the site.
The two main forms of the disease in adults are chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which mainly affects the elderly, and chronic myeloid leukemia in middle-aged patients. But according to the Reuters news agency, the leukemia suffered by Silivo Berlusconi was an even rarer form called “chronic myelomonocytic leukemia” or CMML, a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow and then spreads to the blood.
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, what is it?
While the bone marrow normally produces white blood cells (monocytes) to help the body fight infection, a patient with CLL produces abnormal monocytes that cannot defend the body. Gradually, the bone marrow fills with abnormal monocytes which then spill out into the bloodstream. Lack of normal cells causes weakness, fatigue, bleeding, infections, or enlargement of the liver and spleen.
The management then depends on the stage of the disease, as well as the age and state of health of the patient, but may offer chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell transplantation. The rare disease site Orphanet concludes, however, that between 15 and 30% of patients with CMML subsequently develop acute myeloid leukemia.
Although 30% of patients with CMML have chromosomal abnormalities, the exact cause of the disease is not known.
The end of a political figure who hit the headlines
Entering politics in 1994, Sivlio Berlusconi then founded the Forza Italia party, was President of the Italian Council for nine years and dominated Italian politics for twenty years. He is also known for sex scandals and lawsuits that have tarnished his image and made headlines. But for many Italians, Silvio Berlusconi represents the golden age of the country’s economy. Nicknamed “the immortal” for his longevity in politics, his funeral will take place next Wednesday in Milan.