Leukemia – The White Blood 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 affects the digestive tract, lungs, Kidneys 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 of children, although it isn’t just a children’s disease, as many people 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: 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 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 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 of leukemia is complex and it depends on your age and health, the type and how far it has spread. Treatment is generally considered necessary when the patient shows signs and symptoms such as low blood cell counts. In general, ALL treatment is divided into several phases. In children, an intensive 6-month treatment program is needed after induction, followed by 2 years of maintenance 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 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 or other organs causing swelling and/or pain and can also collect in the kidney, liver and spleen, causing enlargement of these organs. They also can affect the lungs and other parts of the body. Acute forms can occur in children and young adults. Chronic forms mostly occurs in older people, but can theoretically occur in any age group.
There is no single known cause for all of the different types of leukemia. Studies have linked exposure to petrochemicals, such as benzene, and hair dyes to the development of some forms. Viruses have been linked to other forms. Until the cause or causes are found, there is no known way to prevent the occurrence of the disease. As of 1998, it is estimated that each year, approximately 30,800 individuals will be diagnosed with the disease in the United States and 21,700 individuals will die of the disease.