Leukemia Is The White Blood Cell Disease
INTRODUCTION: Leukemia means white blood (Greek leukos, white; aima, blood). It is a cancer of the bone marrow or blood and is characterized by an abnormal growth of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes)and is divided into acute and chronic forms.
It affects the lungs, Kidneys, digestive tract or other parts of the body and can also collect in the testicles causing edema and swelling. It is one of the most common cancers among children, although it is not just a children’s disease, as many of us think.
It is newly diagnosed in about 29,000 adults and 2000 children every year in the US and has four primary types plus many sub-types of which only some of them are common in children.
Leukemia that has spread to the brain may produce central nervous system effects, such as headaches, seizures, weakness, blurred vision, balance difficulties, or vomiting and the disease, or the chemotherapy used to treat it, can cause anemia.
ACUTE LEUKEMIA: Leukemia in it’s acute form is characterized by the rapid increase of immature blood cells, and is potentially curable; However only a small number of patients are cured with todays therapy. It begins with one or a few white blood cells that have a lost or damaged DNA sequence and becomes worse quickly 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 distinguished by the excessive build up of relatively mature, but still abnormal, blood cells and often goes undetected for many years until it is identified in a routine blood test. It is more common between ages 40 and 70 and is rare among young people.
It tends to gets worse slowly and may not produce symptoms for years. Like many cancers, it is a disease that usually occurs in old age. Doctors often find chronic leukemia during a regular checkup, before there are any noticeable symptoms. In grownups, the acute forms occur in those of all ages, whereas the chronic forms tend to occur in people over 40 years. Although slow-growing chronic leukemia can also be seen in children, although it is very rare, accounting for less than 50 cases in children each year in the US.
TREATMENT: Treatment for leukemia is complex and it depends largely on age and health, the type and how far it has spread in the body. Treatment is usually considered necessary when the patient shows signs and symptoms such as low blood cell count. Generally speaking, all treatment is divided into several different phases. In children, an intensive 6-month treatment program is needed 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: declining hemoglobin or platelet count, progression to advance stages of the disease, painful and disease related over-growth of lymph nodes or spleen, lymphocyte doubling time (an indicator of lymphocyte reproduction) occuring in less than twelve months. The over all strategy is to control bone marrow and total body disease while using specific treatment for the central nervous system (CNS), when necessary. Maintenance treatments may be used to prevent re-ocurrence of the disease once remission has been accomplished. Regardless the plan or strategy, it is very important for the patient to understand the treatment that he or she is receiving and the reasons behind it.
CONCLUSION: Leukemia is a cancer of blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. These cells crowd out other types of blood cells produced by the bone marrow, including red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues throughout your body, and platelets, which help form blood clots.
Leukemia cells can spread to the lymph nodes and various other organs causing swelling and or pain and can also accumulate in the kidney, liver and spleen, causing enlargement of these organs. These cells also can affect the lungs and other parts of the body. Acute forms can occur in both children and young adults. Chronic forms usually occurs in older people, but can theoretically occur in any age group.
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.
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