Leukemia Is The White Blood Cell Disease
INTRODUCTION: Leukemia means white blood. It is found in the bone marrow or blood and is characterized by an abnormal growth of blood cells, typically white blood cells (leukocytes)and is separated into its acute and chronic forms.
It can affect the digestive tract,kidneys, lungs, or other parts of the body and can also collect in the testicles causing swelling. Leukemia is one of the most common cancers of children, But isn’t just a children’s disease, as many think.
It is newly diagnosed in about 29,000 adults and 2000 children each year in the United States and has four main types and many sub-types of which only some of them are common among children.
Leukemia that has spread to the brain can produce central nervous system disorders, including headaches, weakness, blurred or distorted vision, seizures, balance difficulties, or vomiting and the drugs used to treat it, can cause anemia.
ACUTE LEUKEMIA: Acute leukemia is characterized by the rapid increase of immature blood cells, and is a potentially curable disease; However only a small number of patients are cured with current therapy. It begins with one or a few white blood cells that have a lost or damaged DNA sequence and gets worse very fast and may make you feel sick right away.
Leukemia tends to develop suddenly, however some chronic varieties may exist for years before they are even diagnosed. Immediate treatment is required due to the rapid growth and accumulation of the malignant cells, which then spill over into the blood stream and spread to other organs.
Although acute leukemia must be treated immediately, chronic forms of the disease are sometimes monitored for some time before any treatment is begun to ensure maximum effectiveness of therapy.
CHRONIC LEUKEMIA: Chronic leukemia is recognized by excessive build up of relatively mature, but still abnormal, blood cells and can go undetected for many years until it is identified in a routine blood test. It is more common between the ages of 40 and 70 and rarely occurs among young people.
It tends to gets worse slowly and may not cause symptoms for years. Like many other cancers, it is a disease of old age. Doctors often find chronic leukemia during a routine checkup, before there are any noticeable symptoms. In adults, the acute forms occur in those of all ages, whereas the chronic varieties tend to occur in people older than 40 years. Although slow-growing chronic leukemia may also be seen in children, it is very rare, accounting for fewer than 50 cases in children each year in the United States.
TREATMENT: Treatment for leukemia is complex and it depends largely on your age and health, the type and how far it has metastasize or spread. Treatment is generally considered necessary when the patient shows signs and symptoms such as low blood cell numbers. Generally speaking, all treatment is divided into several different phases. In children, an intensive 6-month treatment program is needed after induction, followed by 2 years of chemotherapy.
For children with low-risk, standard therapy usually consists of three drugs (prednisone, L-asparaginase, and vincristine) for the first month of treatment. High-risk patients receive higher drug doses plus treatment with extra chemotherapeutic agents. Follow-up therapy for ALL patients usually consists of: supportive care, such as intravenous nutrition and treatment with oral antibiotics.
In general, the indications for treatment are: dropping hemoglobin or platelet count, progression to advance or later stages of disease, painful,disease related over growth of lymph nodes or spleen, lymphocyte doubling time (an indicator of lymphocyte reproduction) of less than a year. Overall, the strategy is to control bone marrow and systemic or total body disease while offering specific treatment for the central nervous system (CNS), if necessary. Maintenance treatments may be given to prevent disease re-ocurrence once remission has been accomplished. Whatever the plan or strategy, it is important for the patient to understand the treatment that is being given and the reasons behind the selection.
CONCLUSION: Leukemia is a cancer of blood forming cells in the bone marrow. These cells crowd out other types of cells produced by the bone marrow, including red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body, and platelets, which are used to form blood clots.
Leukemia cells can spread to the lymph nodes causing swelling and or pain and can also accumulate in the kidneys, liver and spleen, causing these organs to enlarge. The cells also can affect the lungs and other parts of the body. Acute forms occur in both children as well as young adults. Chronic forms usually occurs in older people, but theoretically can occur at any age.
To date there is no single known cause for all of the different types of leukemia. Studies have linked exposure to chemicals, such as benzene, and hair dyes to the development of some forms of the disease. Viruses have been linked to other forms. Until the cause or causes are discovered, there is no known way to prevent the occurrence of Leukemia. As of 1998, it is estimated that each year, approximately 30,800 individuals will be diagnosed with Leukemia in the United States and 21,700 persons will die of the disease.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!