“Wolf Warrior” Handbook | Known as the “immortal cancer”, is it really that scary?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is called the "immortal cancer" because, although the disease does not necessarily cause death directly, it is extremely difficult to cure. Patients often suffer from the disease throughout their lives, causing serious damage to their body and mind.

Is systemic lupus erythematosus really that scary? What kind of disease is it? Let's answer the questions about it one by one -

01 Why is it called SLE?

Systemic means that all organs of the patient may be affected; erythema means that generally patients will have erythema on their bodies; lupus erythema refers to the erythema rash that appeared on the patient's face when the disease was first discovered, which especially resembles the wound caused by a wolf bite, so it is called lupus.

02 Why is SLE so dangerous?

SLE is a systemic disease that can affect almost all organs and tissues in the human body, including the skin, blood system, kidneys, lungs, heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, etc., causing multi-system damage and even endangering the patient's life.

SLE is a highly heterogeneous disease. Each patient presents differently. Mild cases only have skin and joint lesions, while severe cases can cause damage to the blood system and important organs such as the kidneys, heart, and lungs. It can even affect the central nervous system and cause neuropsychiatric lupus.

03 What are the early symptoms of SLE?

SLE causes many symptoms and is extremely difficult to diagnose, so many patients go to the wrong department at first, and even delay treatment. If you have the following symptoms in the early stage, you should be alert to whether you have SLE:

1. Fever, fatigue, weight loss;

2. Rash appears, including annular erythema, butterfly erythema and urticaria-like rash;

3. Oral ulcers;

4. Joint symptoms, including arthritis, joint pain, and swelling;

5. Respiratory system: cough, hemoptysis, even pleurisy and pleural effusion;

6. Cardiovascular aspects, including pericardial effusion and heart failure;

7. Urinary system: proteinuria and hematuria;

8. Hair loss, low back pain, decreased white blood cell count, dizziness, drowsiness, anemia, etc.

04 What are the differences between men and women suffering from SLE?

SLE is more common in young women aged 20 to 40, with the ratio of female to male being about 9:1. However, male SLE symptoms are often more severe than female SLE symptoms. Male patients are more likely to develop lupus nephritis, which is more complicated and difficult to treat.

05 Can physical examination diagnose and detect SLE?

General physical examinations cannot detect SLE at an early stage. Physical examinations are to check the general condition of the body, such as liver function, blood tests, urine routine, electrocardiogram, etc., and cannot be used to check for SLE. Therefore, if you have suspected SLE symptoms, you must go to the rheumatology and immunology department and have the doctor prescribe laboratory tests for SLE. At present, the diagnosis of SLE mainly relies on clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, histopathology and imaging examinations.

06 Can SLE be cured?

The treatment of SLE aims to reduce organ damage, improve quality of life and improve long-term prognosis. The treatment of SLE is a long-term process, and there is currently no complete cure. The treatment of SLE is mainly based on drug therapy, including hormone drug therapy, antimalarial drug therapy, immunosuppressants, biological agents, etc. In recent years, through the continuous efforts of medical scientists, many new drugs and new methods for the treatment of SLE have continued to emerge. For example, in April this year, the world's first dual-target biological agent, Taitasip, was launched in my country, bringing hope to more patients.

07 What are the precautions for taking SLE medication?

The main goal of drug treatment for SLE is to control lupus activity and prevent the progression of lupus lesions, rather than to cure it. Therefore, patients should follow the "five musts" and "five don'ts":

"Five Musts": Follow doctor's orders; get enough rest; control your emotions; eat a healthy diet; and have regular check-ups.

"Five Don'ts": Don't use medicine indiscriminately; don't overwork; don't expose yourself to the sun; don't blindly pursue treatment effects; don't stop taking medicine suddenly.

Author: Feng Jingxiong, Dazhou Central Hospital, Sichuan Province

Review expert: Liu Guiyang, Chief Pharmacist of the Pharmacy and Pharmacology Department of the Fourth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital