General Aspects of Leukemia

Many people suffer from leukemia these days. A large number of cases of cancer are identified to be leukemia. Leukemia is a sort of cancer of the blood and marrow. The disease is characterized through the overproducing of immature blood cells (stem cells) that aren’t able to fully develop and to carry out the activities of normal blood cells.

According to their functions and structure, there are three different types of cells within the normal blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Through the process of hematopoiesis, these three types of blood cells are developed from a distinctive type of blood cell called stem cell. Stem cells divide and go through several stages of development to finally form a mature blood cell of a particular type, with a certain, distinctive function in the body. The process through which a stem cell morphs into a mature blood cell takes place within the bone marrow.

According to the speed of development and the persistence of the disorder, there are two types of leukemia: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is known to develop very rapidly, while chronic leukemia is developed slowly. According to the types of blood cells affected by the disease, leukemia can either be lymphocytic or myelogenous.

Lymphocytic and myelogenous types of leukemia are developed from different types of cells: the lymphocytic type of leukemia develops from cells called lymphoblasts or lymphocytes in the spongious tissue of the bones, while the myelogenous type of leukemia (sometimes refered to as myeloid and myelocytic leukemia) develops from myeloid cells.

In the case of acute forms of leukemia, the abnormal cells come from early, immature cells. Such forms of the disorder have a very fast rate of development, due to the fact that normal stem cells tend to multiply frequently. Leukemia cells usually don’t divide faster and more frequently than normal stem cells, they simply don’t stop their process of division when they should. Sometimes the numbers of white blood cells are very high, while in other cases they can be normal or low.

Chronic leukemia, apart from its slow development, is different from acute leukemia by the level of maturation that the diseased cells are able to reach. Stem cells affected by chronic leukemia reach a higher level of maturation but they present abnormalities and they can’t act as healthy white blood cells do. Unlike acute leukemia, in the chronic form of the disease the unhealthy cells have much longer periods of life and they tend to accumulate in different parts of the body.

Leukemia affects people of all age groups. While children usually respond better to the treatment for leukemia and sometimes deal well with the disease, adults difficultly cope with this form of cancer.

Regardless of age and sex, many people are diagnosed with forms of leukemia. Children tend to respond better to some types of leukemia, while adults difficultly cope with the disease. The cases of acute leukemia exceed those of chronic leukemia by approximately 10 percent. Older adults seem to be affected the most by acute leukemia. Around two thirds of acute leukemia cases seem to occur after the age of 60.

About the Author:
Groshan Fabiola
If you want to find great content on different leukemia related issues like chronic leukemia, acute leukemia and many more visit www.leukemia-guide.com .
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Understanding and Recognizing Leukemia Symptoms

Leukemia is a sort of cancer of the blood and marrow. The disease is characterized through the overproducing of immature blood cells (stem cells) that aren’t able to fully develop and carry out the activities of normal blood cells.

Each type of mature blood cells has specific traits and roles inside the body. White blood cells or leukocytes have an important role in the immune system, contributing to overcome infections. White blood cells also help in healing flesh wounds and cuts. Red blood cells or erythrocytes contain hemoglobin, which has a great importance in transporting oxygen to the cells within the organism. Red blood cells are vital for the process of cell respiration, carrying oxygen to cells and removing carbon dioxide from them. Platelets have an important role in repairing damage at the level of blood vessels, accumulating to seal any cuts or tares.

Leukemia leads to the accumulation and crowding of diseased stem cells at the level of the bone marrow, which decreases the normal production of healthy blood cells. The lack of normal blood cells leads to the appearance of leukemia symptoms. It is important to understand that despite the fact that leukemia causes an over production of white blood cells, these cells are immature and can’t substitute for normal blood cells. Due to this, the body is exposed to many forms of infection.

The most common leukemia symptoms are: anemia (insufficient number of red blood cells in the bloodstream), risks of bleeding (insufficient number of platelets in the bloodstream), nose bleeding, bleeding of the oral cavity, predisposition to bruising, high exposure to infections due to lack of white blood cells, improper healing.

Other leukemia symptoms may be fatigue, lack of concentration, poor psychical performance, fever, loss of appetite and weight loss.

In the case of chronic leukemia, which facilitates the accumulation of diseased blood cells in different places inside the body, the leukemia symptoms may be migraines, insomnia, decreased vision and hearing, loss of balance, faints and seizures. Some of these leukemia symptoms need immediate medical intervention, as they may lead to further complications.

Sometimes people with leukemia may have enlarged liver and spleen, causing abdominal swelling or enlarged lymph nodes. The body glands of the organism can also be affected by leukemia.

Leukemia symptoms have a non-specific character. This means that they can be misleading in establishing an appropriate diagnose, as they may also occur in the cases of other diseases. Medical professionals are the only persons able to distinguish leukemia from other illnesses with resembling symptoms. Proper diagnose is very important in order to quickly begin the administration of specific treatment. Blood analysis and careful body examinations can reveal the presence of leukemia. Leukemia is considered to have a high rate of mortality and although the disease can be overcome through treatment and therapy, it can cause death if its presence is not noticed in time. Therefore, prompt intervention is required for leukemia, regardless of its type.

About the Author:
Groshan Fabiola
If you want to find great content on different leukemia related issues like leukemia symptoms, leukemia causes and many more visit www.leukemia-guide.com .
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Multiple Myeloma: Commonest Form Of Blood Cancer!

Multiple Myeloma is the commonest form of cancer of blood cells, accounting for 15 per cent of all blood cancers. There are about 2500 new cases per annum in the UK, giving rise to 10-15,000 patients with the condition at any one time. The overall incidence is rising, and is higher in Afro-Caribbeans.

Multiple myeloma is treatable, but it cannot be considered a curable condition.

Types of Myeloma
There is really only one main type of myeloma, but in different people, the cancerous plasma cells make different antibodies. Doctors more often call these antibodies 'immunoglobulins'. In each case of myeloma, only one type of immunoglobulin is overproduced, but this varies from patient to patient. There are 5 basic immunoglobulins – A, G, M, D and E. In myeloma, the commonest one that is overproduced is IgG and the rarest IgE.

Controlling your symptoms
Even if it is not possible to get your myeloma into remission, you can have treatment to help control the symptoms it causes. This may be mild chemotherapy to damp it down. Or you may have radiotherapy to any trouble spots in your bones. Bisphosphonates can also be used to try to slow down the progress of the myeloma. And to reduce the levels of calcium in your blood if this is too high. Your doctor may suggest a treatment called plasma pharesis if the level of abnormal immunoglobulin protein is too high in your blood. Too much protein in the blood can make it too thick and plasma pharesis will take out the excess protein.

Smouldering myeloma
You may also hear the term 'smouldering myeloma'. This is a condition that is much the same as MGUS. The only difference is that the immunoglobulin levels are slightly higher than in MGUS. But they are not rising and the condition is usually stable for long periods of time. There is a risk that the condition will speed up and develop into full blown multiple myeloma.

How does one develop myeloma?
The cause of myeloma is not known. It is not inherited and it is not contagious. In common with other blood cancers there is an increased incidence in patients exposed to radiation.

Organic-chemical exposure may increase incidence, but there are no clear data. A recent report suggests that multiple myeloma patients have a higher incidence of infection (up to 80 per cent or more) by a human herpes virus (HHV8) than do normal subjects (up to 25 per cent); these reports are unconfirmed.

About the Author:
Camry James
As with many other types of cancer, the outcome depends on how advanced your cancer is when it is diagnosed. Knowing the signs early can save your life! Find out more about Multiple Myeloma at http://www.eask.info
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/33606.html
Added: 07 Aug 2006

How Is Leukemia Treated?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. There are two types of leukemia, chronic and acute, which are treated differently and have different symptoms. Acute leukemia rapidly progresses and needs immediate, aggressive treatment. Chronic leukemia can take months or years to show symptoms and may not need immediate treatment but will require ongoing monitoring.

Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals to treat the cancer. It causes many side effects such as hair loss, nausea and decline of the immune system. The complete course of therapy can be from two to five years including maintenance. This is the most common form of treatment for leukemia with the desired result being total remission. Even without symptoms, ongoing monitoring must occur to guard against relapse.

Radiation therapy is another form of treatment. It is painless and in low doses causes very few side effects. Where the radiation is concentrated and the exposure levels will determine the side effects, if any, and the severity of them. Damage to the skin, swelling and infertility are among the possible side effects.

A bone marrow transplant is an effective way to prolong the life of cancer patients. It is, however, a risky surgery and requires a donor which can be difficult in attaining. These surgeries should be performed at state of the art hospitals specializing in cancer treatment. This surgery has a high mortality rate and is therefore used only in life threatening cases.

Immunotherapy is a means to stimulate the immune system so the body can attack the cancer cells. This type of treatment is still in its early stages and continually under development. It is believed that this type of treatment may prove less harmful than chemotherapy or radiation therapy and may someday supplant these treatments as a method for treating cancer.

Long term effects of leukemia treatments may cause anemia. This side effect can be treated by blood transfusions or platelet transfusions. There are risks with transfusions but it is believed transfusions will help reduce the threat of additional complications such as heart attacks. Doses of antibiotics are also generally prescribed to leukemia patients to help counteract the danger of infection cause by declined immune system or treatment side effects.

There are currently almost 200,000 people in the United States diagnosed with leukemia and an estimated 35,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. It is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 20. There are many treatment facilities throughout the United States specializing in cancer treatment. Early diagnosis, aggressive treatment, and monitoring will help prolong life and increase chances of a person going into remission.

About The Author:
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for http://www.leukemiaclinical.com. To learn more about leukemia, visit http://www.leukemiaclinical.com/acutemyeloidleukemia/.

Article Submitted On: June 29, 2006

June 29, 2006

Article Source: EzineArticles

Leukemia 101 what you need to know about

Cancer in any form is a deadly disease. But when it affects the most vital components of the body then their fatality increases manifold. One such type of cancer is cancer of the blood, technically known as leukemia. Blood is the most important tissue of the body. It is the connective tissue which carries and supplies oxygen and other vital elements to the remotest parts of the body. The importance of blood can be understood by the fact that it is the most important of all the connective tissues which provide the nutrients and other vital elements to the body.

The most dangerous feature of leukemia is that it is related to the blood which has access to almost all body organs including the all important brain and heart. The incidence of cancerous cells being carried to the different parts of the body increases drastically due to this fact. Another striking aspect of the blood cancer is that it affects the leukocytes or the “white blood corpuscles” of the blood. These are the ones that protect the body from external infections. Thus the immunity of the body is seen to decrease drastically due to leukemia. The main effect of the disease is that the body starts producing infected and abnormal cells that hinder the function of blood i.e. carrying of oxygen.

A patient suffering from leukemia is seen to loose weight due to anemia. This happens because the cancerous cells are unable to carry the hemoglobin properly which is the chief source of iron to the body. And due to that the body looses all vitality. The situation of the patient becomes vulnerable because the brain also starts to dysfunction due to infected blood. Headache, night sweats etc. can be commonly seen to occur as an attachment to this deadly disease.

The people living in areas prone to radioactive waste disposal and activity are most common targets of leukemia. Overexposure to radioactivity causes the cells to mutate and function abnormally. The children who are diagnosed with Down syndrome have a high probability to develop leukemia. Over exposure to Benzene, the industrially important hydrocarbon is also a known cause of blood cancer. The abnormal cells are easily detected under the microscope. Thus the doctor suspicious of such a disease advises the patient for a bone marrow examination. The onset can be detected by the swollen lymph nodes of the body which are commonly found in armpits, around the neck and at the thigh.

Chemotherapy is the most effective but a very painful way of killing the cancerous cells. The patient is subjected to drugs orally. The patient undergoes tremendous pressure as he is injected with lot many chemicals at a time. Another treatment is through the radiation. It is also very treacherous way of getting treated. The patients are seen to loose hair and texture of skin.

Leukemia though very dangerous is still curable and the research in the field is also being done on an extensive basis. Proper treatment at the right time can prevent the reflux of this disease. Methods like bone marrow transplant, which may be required at a later stage, are also effective in treating the patient. Above all to over come with the disease a person needs to be loved and supported by all. Leukemia is fatal disease but life is mightier then it.

About the author:
Mansi gupta writes about leukemia topics.
Circulated by Article Emporium