Leukemia (Blood Cancer) : Overview, symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment

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Leukemia (Blood Cancer)
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Leukemia (Blood Cancer)

• Leukemia is a cancer of the early blood-forming
  cells. Most often, leukemia is a cancer of the
  white blood cells, but some leukemia's start in
  other blood cell types. A person who has leukemia
  suffers from an abnormal production of blood
  cells, generally leukocytes (white blood cells).
  WBCs are a vital part of your immune system. They
  protect your body from invasion by bacteria,
  viruses, and fungi, as well as from abnormal
  cells and other foreign substances.

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There are two divisions if leukemias

• Chronic and acute leukemia-There are several
  stages of maturation in a white blood cells
  lifespan.
• Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease
  that results in the accumulation of immature,
  useless cells in the marrow and blood. They are
  squeezed out of the bone marrow too early and are
  not functional.
• Chronic progresses more slowly and allows more
  mature, useful cells to be made. Acute leukemia
  crowds out the good cells more quickly than
  chronic leukemia.
• Lymphocytic and myelogenous leukemia-Leukemias
  are also subdivided into the type of affected
  blood cell.
• If the cancerous transformation occurs in the
  type of marrow that makes lymphocytes, the
  disease is called lymphocytic leukemia. A
  lymphocyte is a kind of white blood cell inside
  the vertebrae immune system.

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There are two divisions if leukemias
Continue

• If the cancerous change occurs in the type of
  marrow cells that go on to produce red blood
  cells, other types of white cells, and platelets,
  the disease is called
• Rarely seen in children. About 15,000 new cases
  of CLL are diagnosed annually. myelogenous
  leukemia.

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Symptoms of Leukemia

• Excessive sweating, especially at night (called
  "night sweats")
• Fatigue and weakness that don't go away with rest
• Unintentional weight loss
• Bone pain and tenderness
• Painless, swollen lymph nodes (especially in the
  neck and armpits)
• Enlargement of the liver or spleen
• Red spots on the skin, called petechiae
• Bleeding and bruising easily
• Fever or chills
• Frequent infections

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Persons affected by leukemia

• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) -Acute
  myelogenous leukemia (AML) can occur in children
  and adults. About 21,000 new cases of AML are
  diagnosed annually .This is the most common form
  of leukemia.
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) -Acute
  lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occurs mostly in
  children. About 6,000 new cases of ALL are
  diagnosed annually.
• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) -Chronic
  myelogenous leukemia (CML) affects mostly adults.
  About 7,000 new cases of CML are diagnosed
  annually.
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)-Chronic
  lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is most likely to
  affect people over the age of 55. It's very
  rarely seen in children. About 15,000 new cases
  of CLL are diagnosed annually.

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Causes of Leukemia

• The exact cause of leukemia is not known, but it
  is thought to involve a combination of genetic
  and environmental factors.
• Leukemia cells have acquired mutations in their
  DNA that cause them to grow abnormally and lose
  functions of typical white blood cells.
• It is not clear what causes these mutations to
  occur. One type of change in the cells' DNA that
  is common in leukemia's is known as a chromosome
  translocation

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Risk factors of Leukemia

• Some of the risk factors may be
• Artificial ionizing radiation
• Viruses - HTLV-1 (human T-lymphotropic virus)
  and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
• Benzene and some petrochemicals
• Alkylating chemotherapy agents used in previous
  cancers
• Maternal fetal transmission (rare)
• Smoking
• Twins may have a greater risk of having leukemia
  due to single gene or multiple gene.
• People with Down syndrome have a significantly
  higher risk of developing leukemia, compared with
  people who do not have Down syndrome.

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Treatments of leukemia

• There are certain treatments which can be used
  for treating leukemia, this are
• Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill leukemia cells.
  Depending on the type of leukemia, patient may
  take either a single drug or a combination of
  different drugs.
• Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to
  damage leukemia cells and inhibit their growth.
  Radiation can be applied to a specific area or
  the entire body.
• Stem cell transplantation replaces diseased bone
  marrow with healthy bone marrow, either from
  other part of the body, or from a donor. This
  procedure is also called a bone marrow
  transplant.

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Treatments of leukemia
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• Biological or immune therapy uses treatments that
  help the immune system recognize and attack
  cancer cells.
• Targeted therapy uses medications that take
  advantage of vulnerabilities in cancer cells. For
  example, imatinib (Gleevec) is a targeted drug
  that is commonly used against CML.

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Diagnosis of Leukemia

• The primary diagnosis of leukemia is done by
  looking at the family history and by doing
  physical examination. Certain blood test, biopsy
  and imaging techniques are useful for the
  diagnosis.
• Blood tests -A complete blood count which may
  determine the number of WCs, RBCs, and platelets
  in the blood. The blood is also seen under the
  microscope in case of certain cute condition.
• Biopsy- Tissue biopsy is done by taking one
  marrow or lymph nodes and looking for it under
  the microscope.
• Other test can be done, which are
• Flow cytometry examines the DNA of the cancer
  cells and determines their growth rate.
• Liver function tests show whether leukemia cells
  are affecting or invading the liver.

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Diagnosis of Leukemia
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• Lumbar puncture is performed by inserting a thin
  needle between the vertebrae of your lower back.
  This allows the doctor to collect spinal fluid
  and determine if cancer has spread to the central
  nervous system.
• Imaging studies, such as X-rays, ultrasounds,
  and CT scans, help doctors look for any damage to
  other organs that's caused by the leukemia.
• Leukemia can be controlled if diagnosed in early
  stage. Certain tests should be done for diagnosis
  as soon as a person starts to get early symptoms
  which may indicate leukemia.

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