LEUKEMIA SOLUTION Tips, Info and Guide

What is leukemia, and what are its types and its treatment

2009-10-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

-acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
-chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The acute leukemia developers very rapidly and is more dangerous, while chronic leukemia develops more slowly and is not too severe. Unfortunately the cause of leukemia still remains unknown, but doctors and researchers are working hard to find it.

Patients with leukemia are not able to fight against diseases anymore because the white blood cells are defective, and when the cancer spreads through the whole body a simple infection can be almost deadly to the patient.

Leukemia has many symptoms that may vary from patient to patient. The most common are:
-a general state of fatigue and weakness
-sudden weight loss for no reason
-fever that appears out of nowhere
-very frequent infections with viruses that are hard to cure because the body can't fight them anymore
-bone pain
-sudden bleeding and blood in urine

It is extremely important that you visit a doctor as soon as you suspect anything because unfortunately the cancer can spread fast and once it has affected all the body little can be done to stop it from killing you.

Leukemia can be treated, but it depends on how far it has advanced. The treatment tries to reduce the white blood cell productions. Then doctors determine whether the patient responds to the treatment or not. If he does, then it is continued, but even if the treatment manages to stop the defective cell production, it may still occur, even after a few years. If the treatment is successful the patient must return from time to time so that the doctors can kill all the remaining blood cells.

The treatment methods are chemotherapy and radiation therapy, or in some cases transplants can be done.

Some patients do not survive the treatment, but the number of victims is decreasing as years pass, and we can only hope that an effective cure will be found in the near future.

How to Prevent Leukemia

2009-10-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is actually a very tricky disease that may be very hard to diagnose at early stages, but there are certain cautionary measures that can be undertaken to prevent the disease. These measures will also have to do with changes in one's lifestyle. People are actually advised to avoid exposing themselves to herbicides, insecticides and other chemicals to reduce the risks of contacting the disease.

Medics have also argued that Leukemia, in some cases, may be in the genes of a particular bloodline. If there is a history of Leukemia in one's lineage, there is a high chance of striking a member of the same lineage. It is also necessary to see a doctor for check-up if one notices exaggerated weight loss. Medics also argue that people who exercise regularly have low chances of developing the leukemia.

Though prevention of Leukemia is hard, diet can contribute greatly to its appearance. Societies where junk and fatty foods are not in common have reduced chances of experiencing Leukemia prevalence. If a person has been experiencing some disorders of blood, chances are higher that he may also be at risk of contracting Leukemia. It is thus necessary that such a person seeks medical advice as early as possible.

Any chronic health condition may be very hard to bear, and most people have a problem when asked to see a doctor quite often, especially when they are not sick. Leukemia is a disease that Prevention from its penetration or adverse effects is possible, only when the condition is detected early.

By Syed Muzaffar Aqleem Tirmizi

Discover More About Childhood Leukemia and Its Chronic Symptoms

2009-10-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Are you aware of childhood leukemia and where did it come from? You may be thinking that this is not a problem for you or your children today, but how about the future and the next generation? Nobody can't tell where this hematological disease come from, what may have started it, or what may have caused it. And this is what makes it somewhat depressing.

If you have a child who suffers from this disease, have you tried asking your doctor what may have caused this? Usually they can't really pinpoint which is which, for there are so many possible things that can trigger this, like for instance exposure to chemicals like benzene and dioxins, improper use of plastic materials, multiple nutritional problems, and merely because of genetics. All of these may affect the immune system of a child which may lead to further problems and diseases like this cancer of the blood called leukemia.

Do you know that it has been said that every single person has cancer cells in the body and it is possible that we may have already acquired them even at birth. However, these cancer cells are merely not detected as cancer unless it reaches a certain number which can be confirmed as a detectable size through a series of tests done. So you might be wondering how come your child has reached the age of 2, yet that is the only time that he or she have acquired this disease.

You may not be aware of it at first, but in the previous years or months that you are taking care of your child, he or she might have already acquired the chronic symptoms of leukemia, however wasn't still diagnosed having it because the cancer cells can't still be detected. The chronic symptoms may occur to be as a normal illness like frequent fever any time of the day, occasional stomach aches, sweating at night, bruising, getting colds and cough more often than usual. These symptoms are due to frequent ups and downs of the composition of your child's blood count. And usually a pediatrician would ask for a Complete Blood Count test and may prescribe a medicine to cure any possible infections.

Even a pediatrician can't detect childhood leukemia that soon, unless they have done all the tests and created their own work plan to pin point the main issue. Results of the tests sometimes may lead to severe anemia, or iron deficiency, but with concrete tests such as bone marrow testing, you will then be referred to a hematologist who would be able to read the findings of possible cancer cells present in the bone marrow.

It is not that easy to detect childhood leukemia if you are not aware that cancer is already present in our system and it can be triggered. With a strong immune system you can definitely prevent these cells from multiplying. So, better start living a healthy lifestyle and be aware of the environmental factors which could cause such health issues.

By Geri R.

Leukemia Treatment With Green Tea?

2009-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Chronic lymphocyte leukemia is the most common subtype of leukemia in the United States. It is presently an incurable disease. Unlike most other types of cancer in which early diagnosis increases the probability that a patient can be cured, treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy is associated with increased toxicity but no increase in patient survival.

Despite this grim fact, there is good news. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown patients with chronic lymphocyte leukemia in a phase one study, had a reduction of their lymphocyte in 33 % of participant. By doing so, the team of cancer researchers from the State University of New Jersey, established a positive link between green tea and a potential treatment of leukemia.

Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the consumption of green tea decreased the risk of cancer. Furthermore, prevention of the apparition of a tumor in animal models by tea, supported its ability to interfere with basic cancer processes, like angiogenesis and inflammation.

Green tea in a pill is still a long way off before the Food and Drug Administration approves this to be prescribed by your oncologist. By counting the phase 2 and the phase 3 studies, we are talking about 4 to 5 years before commercialization if all went well. And I am not bring the cost of these pills.

A tasty drink made with inexpensive ingredient, tea bought from the local market could sidestep many of these concerns. After all, food is the one medicine that we seem quite willing to take at least three times a day.

By Yanick Bertrand Ph.D.

Mantle cell lymphoma. An indolent or an aggressive disease?

2009-09-30T02:58:00.000-07:00

Mantle cell lymphoma is a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma type of cancer and it represents affection of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system, as part of the immune system, helps fighting against infections or foreign particles. The lymph drains through lymph vessels, a network of tubular channels, into the bloodstream and accumulates in lymphocytes. The lymphocytes or the white blood cells are divided in two groups: the B cells or the B lymphocytes and the T cells or lymphocytes, and can be located not only in the lymph nodes, but in the lymphoid tissue too.

B lymphocytes search the organism for infections or foreign bodies. When something wrong is found B cells transform into plasma cells and secrete antibodies to neutralize the infection. This is the moment when T cells get to do their job. Once neutralized by the B cells the infection or foreign body is destroyed by the T lymphocytes.

While moving through the lymphatic system, the lymph is filtered by the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are located in various regions in our body such as neck, armpit, chest and groin and even abdomen, and have the mission to destroy antigens.

From the two categories of lymphoma that we know, mantle cell lymphoma is a non-Hodgkin’s disease, being a result of weakness from the immunity system. By dividing, slowly or rapidly, the malignant cells form a numerous population that enlarges the lymph nodes. Mantle cell lymphomas symptoms are different from a case to another, and are strictly related to the stage of disease, sex and age of the patient.

MCL is a B cell lymphoma that develops in the zone of the lymph nodes and it is a form of non-Hodgkin’s disease caused by the malignant B lymphocytes.

Mantle cell lymphoma is considered as being a two stage disease. In cases when lymphomas divide slowly the diagnosis is low grade disease, but in cases when the malignant cells divide rapidly the diagnosis is set as high grade lymphoma, in urgent need of proper treatment. Because of this classification of the mantle cell lymphoma, specialists have doubts about where to situate this lymphoma, along with indolent or aggressive diseases.

Mantle cell lymphoma affects especially men that are over 50. Fewer than 33% of the patients are women.

MCL symptoms are pretty much alike to the other lymphomas symptoms. The immune system is getting weaker and from this time towards, problems occur. In early stage the enlargement of lymph nodes is one of the most common symptoms just like anemia and in final stages neurological problems appear.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Mantle cell lymphoma. An indolent or an aggressive disease?

2009-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

2009-08-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

Scientists have searched new methods of curing Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
For some patients chemotherapy and radiation therapy had good results but for others they have been toxic. For certain types of patients the "monoclonal-antibody–based" therapy has been safe and effective for example: (rituximab) Rituxan and Bexxar which have been tested and which will be administered to patients.

Antibodies are produced by our immune system to protect us against foreign substances which enter our body for example in infections to viruses, transplants. Antibodies(which are found in the blood) bind to one antigen like a key in the lock and this is the signal to which the immune system responds. Monoclonal antibodies are produced in laboratory and they are all the same not like ours which are produced in the body all different. For example, there are the monoclonal antibodies which treat tumor or cancer. Antibodies may be produced as murine(similar in structure with one of a mouse), or half mouse, half human or humanized.

Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma have tumors which are made of B-lymphocytes a type of blood cell, that’s why the therapy with monoclonal antibodies may be effective. The monoclonal antibodies action are directed on B cells and have been tested intensely alone or with a toxin that can kill tumor cells or with radioactive combinations. It is a matter of choice in the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma for some the therapy with monoclonal antibodies may be of great effect , but for others it may lead to complications, in patients with a low health status we can’t administer radioactive antibodies.

Rituxan is used in combination with chemotherapy to treat lymphomaand and is the only monoclonal antibody treatment currently approved for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Rituxan has also been combined with radiation therapy for an even greater effect, has been given twice intravenously in an outpatient clinic, without anything else it is usually given once a week for 4 weeks intravenously. There may appear side effects: chills, rigors or shakes, fever.
Bexxar is a murine monoclonal antibody, has been studied in the radioactive form is administered in two intravenous infusions one week apart, during the week between there are made tests to determine the correct quantity of radiation which will be administered. The treatment with Bexxar has not been yet approved. Unpleasant reactions (such as fever, chills, shakes) occur and patients must take oral iodine supplement for a three week period to minimize the risk of thyroid damage. Human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) response is a reaction that seems to occur as an immune response to to the murine antibody.

There are studied several other monoclonal antibodies treatments, like Oncolym and "LL2” that have an acceptable toxicity and a demonstrated anti-lymphoma effect. In conclusion, the treatments with monoclonal antibodies against non-Hodgkin lymphoma have some sort of toxicity so they are viewed as potential strategies, but it is not clear yet if they are suited for all the patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

By: Groshan Fabiola

The risk for the patients with RA to develop lymphoma

2009-08-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease which was proved to have a strong connection with lymphoma.Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymph nodes. The traget of the treatment in RA is to lower pain and to prevent the disease from worsening. this link between the two diseases is considered by many specialists when establishing the appropriate treatment in RA.

There have been made a lot of studies in order to justify the association between chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and malignant lymphomas.

RA manifests as a gradual deterioration of the tissues surrounding the joints, leading to pain and difficulty when moving the affected fingers, elbows and knees. This happens because the patient’s own immune system attacks cells around the joints.

RA is diagnosed more often in women and it leads to lymphoma more often in men. This is why it is believed that most people with RA will never develop lymphoma.

There are different stages of RA. We can speak about a low stage or degree of RA, a moderate and a severe one. This classification is made after the number of joints which are affected. There is also a link between the stage of the RA and the risk for the patients to develop lymphoma. If there are less than 6 joints affected the patient can be diagnosed with a low degree of RA; between 6 and 20 joints affected, there is a moderate RA and over 20 joints affected there is a severe stage of RA.

The patients with a low degree of RA have the lowest risk of developing malignant lymphoma, while those with a moderate and severe level of RA have the highest risk of developing this type of cancer.

There is no connection between the medication used to treat RA and the development of lymphoma. The standard treatment in RA includes methotrexate, anti-malarial agents, oral steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin.

But there are some new treatments which include anti-TNF-alpha drugs which seem to increase the risk for the patients with RA to develop lymphoma.

There are no studies that can prove which kind of RA treatment can reduce the risk of developing lymphoma.
So as it is not very clear what drugs or which of the stages of the RA increases the risk to develop lymphoma, it is very important for the patients to understand the phenomenon and to ask the doctor for help to lower the risk.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Lymphocytes and lymphomas classification

2009-08-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

A disease of white blood cells called lymphocytes take to lymphoma, a complex cancer that is often confusing for patients and doctors as well. Its understanding must be completed after the good perception of the terms normal lymphocytes and lymphoma (malignant) lymphocytes and their classification.

Fighting infections, this is the thing that white blood cells, called normal lymphocytes, do. Lymphocytes are divided in B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes, each one of them with different responsibilities. When discovering an infection B cells become plasma cells and secrete antibodies which stick to the infected cells. The other white cells will eliminate the antibodies and the infected particles (also known as antigens) as soon as they recognize it.

T cells can also attack antigens, combat viruses and tumor cells, but they do not secrete antibodies like B cells, their responsibility being resumed at body immunity.

The numerous T and B lymphocytes go through the body in search of antigens to combat. The B and T cells recognize different antigens and when meeting one, lymphocytes divide rapidly and their number increases.

After dividing, the T and B lymphocytes form groups and may cause lymph nodes to enlarge.

Identical lymphocytes form a cell population. These cells, in any way they divide, slowly or rapidly, can cause lymph nodes to enlarge. Unlike normal lymphocytes, lymphoma (malignant) lymphocytes do not mature normally remaining at the stage of development.

In the last decades our questions about lymphoma were answered differently. Science could offer us irrelevant classifications of lymphoma. From 10 to 10 years approximately we receive more and more answers, more detailed and always in change. Lymphoma classification has a strong connection with lymphocyte tumors classification. The last known classification uses the lymphoma cells morphology, phenotype and genotype to determine the type of lymphoma.

The morphology means how malignant lymphocytes look under the microscope. The type of lymphoma lymphocyte can be determined only in labs and refer to unique characteristics. The genotype refers also to a unique characteristic, the DNA of the malignant lymphocytes. Only after these classification tests the diagnosis of lymphoma can be certified.

Just like lymphocytes, lymphomas are divided into two groups: Hodgkin’s disease and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The first group, Hodgkin’s disease, not as common as the second one, is composed of cells known as Reed-Sternberg cells, and a mixture of infected particles. This disease affects young adults, unlike the Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma that it’s often discovered at people over 60, but fortunately it’s curable in most of the cases.

By: Groshan Fabiola

General things about mantle cell lymphoma

2009-08-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymph nodes and is known as cancer of the lymphoid tissue. We know two categories of lymphomas: Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

We are going to talk about a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma. This type of cancer can be defined as an enlargement of the population of malignant lymphoid cells, happening in the area of the lymph nodes and tissues. These cells have an unusual structure being considered as mutant cells because of their lack of development. Maturing improperly these cells become cancerous.

The lymphatic system helps the body to fight against infections or foreign particles. When the white cells are mature they seek for infections through the body. There are two types of white cells in the lymphatic system, the B cells and the T cells. Once an infection is found by the B cells, the second type of white cells, the T ones come to destroy it. This is how the immune system works.

Lymphomas are cancerous cells from the lymphatic system. The non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas that occur in the lymphatic system include follicular lymphomas, Burkitt’s lymphomas which are non-cleaved lymphomas, MALT lymphomas which are lymphomas from the marginal sides of the tissues, small and large cell lymphomas, and the subject of discussion, the mantle cell lymphomas (MCL).

The classification of the mantle cell lymphomas separates them into three categories: mantle zone type MCL cells, nodular type and immature (blastic) type. Diagnoses, in most of the cases, refer to mixed mantle or nodular type MCL.

The mantle cell lymphoma is a great concern, many specialists debating over this subject. Some consider it intermediate while others say that mantle cell lymphoma is a low-grade cancer because of its slow development. Both of these sides come with arguments based on studies and both sides are right. Patients suffering of blastic type MCL have less chances of survival comparing to the other MCL patients, because in these cases cancer spreads faster.

Persons suffering of mantle cell lymphoma are rarely under 50 and women represent a little more than a quarter in the patients number.

It’s not easy to say if a patient suffers of mantle cell lymphoma. Some believe that an immunologic test is required for a correct diagnosis.

Treatment is prescript by specialists, because each case is unique and is related to many factors like age, sex and especially stage of disease.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Good news about Bexxar and follicular lymphoma

2009-07-29T14:36:00.001-07:00

Until three or four years ago, there weren’t a lot of treatment choices for lymphoma patients who relapsed or had their cancer transform into a more aggressive form of the disease. Fortunately, these patients have many more options today due to targeted therapies such as Rituxan (rituximab), vaccines, stem cell transplants and the radioimmunotherapies, Zevalin (ibritumomab) and Bexxar (tositumomab).

Bexxar is the topic of today’s blog.

Basically, radioimmunotherapies combine a drug with a radioactive substance. Bexxar is composed of the monoclonal antibody tositumomab and the radioisotope Iodine-131, which is attached to the antibody. In lay terms, radiation is usually given externally, but in the case of Bexxar it is given internally, attached to the tositumomab.

Approximately 90 percent of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas have the CD20 antigen on the surface of the cells. With Bexxar, tositumomab finds and sticks to the CD20 antigen, and the Iodine-131 then gives off radiation and kills the cells.

This differs from Rituxan (which only kills the cells that have the antibody attached), in that it may also kill other cancer cells near the cells to which Bexxar is attached. It’s like a drive-by shooting. Anyone close to the target is at risk and can become collateral damage.

Bexxar has been approved for B-cell NHL patients who have already been treated and whose disease did not respond or has returned. It has also been approved for those with transformed disease. It is only given one time (unlike Rituxan, which can be given repeatedly).

The really good news is that results from investigational trials of Bexxar show that complete remissions can be achieved in newly diagnosed patients, as well as in end-stage patients who have exhausted all other options. Bexxar may soon become approved as a frontline treatment for several lymphomas.

As usual, with most drug therapies, Bexxar can be a little scary. Someone I know had Bexxar in the early years (it has been studied for 13 years), but it caused him some sleepless nights thinking before deciding to get it. He was in the hospital when it was administered and he didn’t see anyone for two days. His food was given to him by staff dressed like astronauts because at that time they didn’t know how high of a radiation contamination risk it was. If no one could even be in his presence, what was his level of contamination!? He was told not to share a bed with anyone or be around others for one to two weeks after his treatment. Scary stuff.

By: Diane Fallon

General aspects of Mantle Cell Lymphoma

2009-07-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) takes part to a group of cancers which affect the lymphatic system. This diseases are known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The immune system is a part of the lymphatic system. It’s role is to protect the body against agents that can determine infection and disease. It is represented by a network of tubular channels called lymph vessels that drain a fluid with a watery aspect known as lymph. Lymph is drained from different areas of the body into the bloodstream. It accumulates in the tiny spaces between tissue cells and contains proteins, fats, and certain white blood cells called lymphocytes.

Lymph circulates through the lymphatic system and it is filtered by small structures called lymph nodes. This filtering helps to remove microorganisms (e.g., viruses, bacteria, etc.) and other foreign bodies that can affect the human body. The lymph nodes are organized in groups and they are located throughout the body, including the neck, under the arms, at the elbows, and in the chest, abdomen, and groin. In the lymphatic nodes are stored the white blood cells called lymphocytes. They may also be found in other lymphatic tissues. The lymphatic system includes mot only the lymphatic nodes, but also the spleen and the tonsils. The role of the spleen is to filter worn-out red blood cells and produces lymphocytes. The tonsils helps to fight infection too. Lymphatic tissues also include the thymus. It is a relatively small organ located behind the breastbone. It is thought to play an important role in the immune system until puberty. Another important role in the imune system is played by the bone marrow, which is the spongy tissue inside the cavities of bones. The bone marrow produces blood cells. Lymphatic tissue and circulating lymphocytes can also be found in other regions of the body, such as the skin, small intestine, liver, and other organs. There are two main types of lymphocytes: B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytess. The B- lymphocytes produces specific antibodies in order to destroy certain invading microorganisms The T-lymphocytes destroy directly the microorganisms or helps the activities of other lymphocytes.

The cause of Mantle cell lymphoma and of the other cancers of the lymphatic system called lymphomas is represented by the errors that can occur in the production of a lymphocyte. This kind of errors determine the lymphocyte to transform into a malignant cell. If there is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth and multiplication of malignant lymphocytes it may lead to the enlargement of a lymph node region or even regions. The malignant process can involve the spleen and bone marrow and spread to other tissues and organs. The results of the malignant proliferation are specific complications that threaten the life of the patient.. The symptoms and physical findings are different from case to case. They depend on the extent and region or regions involved and on different other factors.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas are considered to be lymphomas caused by abnormal B-lymphocytes and or derived from abnormal T-lymphocytes. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell lymphoma that develops from malignant B-lymphocytes which can be observed in a region of the lymph node called the mantle zone. The Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma may also be described considering certain characteristics of the cancer cells which can be seen under a microscope. it is very important how rapid is their tendance to grow and spread. Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma can be considered a low- grade lymphoma The malignant cells tend to grow and spread slowly. There are few associated symptoms. There are also "intermediate-" or "high-grade" lymphomas in which the malignant cells grow rapidly. This forms require prompt treatment. Experts have classified MCL as an aggressive lymphoma, even if there are some aspects of indolent lymphoma.

According to various studies MCL affects men over the age of 50 years. Many affected patients have widespread disease at diagnosis, with involved regions including multiple lymph nodes, the spleen, and sometimes the bone marrow, the liver, and even regions of the gastrointestinal tract.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

2009-07-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Both non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other conditions can cause similar symptoms. So the presence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cannot be given from these symptoms. In this case in establishing the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma an important role is occupied by diagnostic tests.

When non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is diagnosed no symptoms are present to patients. Often the lymphoma is discovered by doctor after a physical examination or an investigation for some other condition, such as a blood test or a chest X-ray.

Symptoms can be divided into four broad groups: swelling in one or more lymph nodes, constitutional symptoms, symptoms that are attributable to lymphoma swellings outside the lymph nodes, symptoms that are attributable to decreased numbers of blood cells.

The most common symptom of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the time of diagnosis is a painless, swollen lymph node, usually in the neck, the armpit or the groin. These swellings do not present pain or other symptoms, but often steadily increase in size. Patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and some with indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma present swollen lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis.

Swollen lymph nodes are very common and the people with swollen nodes do not have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The most common cause of swollen lymph nodes is infection. Swollen lymph nodes go down after the infection has cleared up.

Other common symptoms include: constitutional symptoms (symptoms of being generally unwell) and symptoms that are attributable to lymphoma swellings outside the lymph nodes. Symptoms indicating that a person is unwell are called constitutional symptoms.

Symptoms that commonly occur in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma include: recurrent, unexplained fevers (with body temperature over 38 degrees Centigrade), night sweats, which may drench nightclothes and sheets, unintended weight loss (defined as losing more than 10% of the body weight in 6 months), severe and persistent fatigue or tiredness and decreased appetite.

Fevers, night sweats and weight loss are used in the staging of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma stage IIB indicates that one or more of these three symptoms are present, whereas stage IIA indicates that none of these three symptoms is present. These first symptoms are sometimes called ’B symptoms’.

Other symptoms that people with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma may experience include: breathlessness or cough itchiness that is persistent and may be felt all over the body.

If the lymphoma is in another part of the body, outside the lymph nodes different symptoms can occur. Abdominal pain, indigestion or diarrhea may be caused by a lymphoma in the stomach or intestines. Recurrent, unexplained fevers, night sweats and unintended weight loss: the so-called ’B symptoms’ Fevers, night sweats and weight loss may be present to patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Numbers of blood cells (such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) are decreased at people with lymphoma. This happen because the lymphoma is in the bone marrow, where blood cells are made. Sometimes cell numbers can be decreased even if a sign of any bone marrow involvement is not present.

People are tired and breathless when low numbers of red blood cells, or anemia are present. Low numbers of white blood cells make people more prone to infection and low numbers of platelets makes people more likely to bruise or bleed easily. In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can appear all of these.

It is important to know these symptoms for a better treatment.

By: Groshan Fabiola

What are the symptoms of lymphoma?

2009-07-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Lymphoma is a very difficult disease if watched from the symptoms perspective. That is to say that besides being quite "ugly " , these lymphoma signs can also be attributed to other medical conditions as well. Cat scratch fever has similar symptoms to lymphoma, making this disease even that more difficult to diagnose. There are two types of lymphoma for which symptoms are presented: non- Hodgkin’ s lymphoma and Hodgkin’ s lymphoma.

The symptoms for lymphoma disease are as follows:
- general tiredness and lack of your energy; these apply in both lymphoma cases;
- swelling of the lymph node; the upper parts of your body are more often affected, but any node that is related to the lymph organ can swell; this is not painful at all, opposite to the lymph nodes that get infected; these symptoms as well can be found in both lymphoma types;
- loss of weight is another symptom that applies to both lymphoma diseases; if you suffer from lymphoma, you are very likely to loose at least six percent of your body weight in a very short period of time;
- you will also suffer from chills and fever if suffering from any of the lymphoma diseases; the fever that you will have is not persistent;
- itching is another lymphoma symptom, but it applies more to Hodgkin’ s lymphoma, than to the other lymphoma type; the itching is more deep in your skin and it can affect almost any part of your body;
- sweating at night, for apparently no reason is another lymphoma sign, that as the one above, refers more to the Hodgkin’ s type of lymphoma;

Besides these lymphoma symptoms, that are the most common ones, there are also some other signs, which are less common:
- pain in the lower back is a sign for both lymphoma types of disease; this happens because the lymph nodes that are expanding actually press your nerves;
- in the Hodgkin’ s lymphoma case, after consuming alcohol, you may suffer from pain in your lymph nodes;
- lesions, itching and even skin patches are also symptoms of lymphoma, but this time of the non- Hodgkin’ s type of lymphoma;

To diagnose lymphoma by it’ s symptoms alone is quite difficult if not impossible. This is why x- rays or some tests must be used as well. At present, there are almost 35 different lymphoma types. The treatment used differs from a type of lymphoma to another.
By: Groshan Fabiola

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

2009-07-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

Lymphoma is a term for cancers of the lymphatic system, which includes the spleen, the lymph nodes, and lymphatic vessels. Hodgkin's disease is a type of lymphoma that typically affects young men under the age of 30. All other types of lymphatic cancers are grouped under the term nonHodgkin's lymphoma. The types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma vary from non-aggressive (those that remain in the lymphatic system) to aggressive (those that spread, either quickly or slowly, to other organs of the body). Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma usually affects men over the age of 40.

When detected early, Hodgkin's disease is easily treated and has a high cure rate. In fact, close to 90 percent of all cases are cured. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, while not as easy to cure, is often successfully treated.

The exact cause of lymphoma is unknown though the disease is suspected to have a hereditary component.

Signs and Symptoms

Painless swelling of lymph nodes

Itching all over the body

Chronic or intermittent fever and chills

Fatigue and weakness

Appetite and weight loss

Coughing and shortness of breath

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you suspect you have lymphoma, see your physician immediately. To diagnose the condition, your doctor gives you a thorough physical examination, as well as blood and urine tests. If lymphoma is suspected, your doctor may perform a chest X-ray or tomography scan of your abdomen A lymph node biopsy or bone marrow bioPSY may be used to confirm diagnosis.

Radiation is the most common avenue of treatment for Hodgkin's disease; if the cancer is wide spread, chemotherapy is often used. In cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chemotherapy is the preferred treatment, but radiation is sometimes used. Surgery is rarely used as a treatment option for lymphoma. (See "Conventional Medical treatment" in the "Bladder Cancer" entry for more information on radiation and chemotherapy.)

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupunture Acupuncture can be very effective in clearing toxins from the lymphatic system and in helping manage lymphoma-related pain and/or treatmentrelated nausea.

Acupressure This form of massage can be useful in draining toxic lymph nodes and improving the flow of chi throughout the entire lympathic system.

Chinese Herbal Therapy Herbs can be used as tonics to repair damage that chemotherapy and radiation may inflict on the body's immune system. Popular immunity fortifying herbs include formulas such as Rehmannia Six and Cerebral Tonic Pills, along with added angelica, astragalus, Chinese yarn, codonopsis, cordyceps, ginseng, and gotu kola.

for Lymphoma - By: Brain

Characteristics of Hodgkin’s lymphoma

2009-06-10T04:22:00.000-07:00

Lymphomas are the cancer of the lymphoid tissue, so Hodgkin’s disease which is a type of lymphoma, is also a cancer of this tissue. Lymphoid tissue is part of the lymphatic system which is a major component of the immune defense system. The elements that represents the immune system are organs like spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes, cells and vesels.THe lymph is a fluid made of plasma and white blood cells, created and transported from tissues to the bloodstream by the immune system.

The lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped organs located in different areas of the body. this is the place where the lymph usually develops. There are some situations in which lymph develops in patches of lymphatic tissue in organs like the stomach or intestines.

The lymphoma is classified in two categories of diseases, the Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The appearance under the microscope of the cancer cells is different in these two types of lymphoma. The malignant cells which are present in Hodgkin’s lymphoma or the simply Hodgkin’s disease are called by the scientists Reed-Sternberg cells. This disease was identified for the first time in 1832 by the physician Hodgkin. That’s why this disease is called like this.The cause of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is not very well known, but there are known the risk factors that may make a person more likely to develop it. These factors include a compromised immune system and the exposure to the Epstein Barr virus. This virus is responsible for the infectious mononucleosis.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a rare form of cancer. It can affect adults and children. It is more frequent between 15 to 40 years and after 55 years. It is also more common in men.

The symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are similar to the symptoms of every infections: enlarged lymph nodes (swollen glands), night sweats and unexplained weight loss. It is very important for the individuals who experience these symptoms to contact a physician to determine the cause. If it is suspected the Hodgkin’s disease, it is recommended to make a biopsy of the area. The procedure involves removing a small sample of the lymph node tissue which will be exanimate under a microscope.

If the diagnosis is sure, the physician must establish how far the cancer has spread or the stage of the disease. This is necessary for the physician to plan the treatment and it is known that the if the disease has been identified in a lower stage there is a better prognosis for recovery.

Hodgkin’s disease is a type of lymphoma. Lymphoma is the cancer of the lymphoid tissue which is part of the lymphatic system. This is a major component of the immune system which consists of organs such as spleen, lymph nodes and vessels. The lymphatic system produces and transports a fluid made of plasma and white blood cells called lymph, from tissues to the bloodstream.

As the lymph nodes, small, bean-shaped organs are located in different areas of the body, Hodgkin’s lymphoma can start almost everywhere. The lymph nodes are found to the neck, armpit, chest and groin. So it usually begins in the lymph nodes, but in some cases, it can start in patches of lymphatic tissue in organs such as the stomach or intestines. The function of the lymph nodes is to produce immune cells like lymphocytes and plasma cells which are involved in filtering bacteria, cancer cells and other foreign material from lymph and which harm the body. When the antigens reaches into the lymph nodes and they recognize them they respond by enlarging and producing additional white blood cells. These white blood cells include lymphocytes and antibodies that help combat a variety of external threats.

There are known two types of lymphocytes involved in the immune response:

* B lymphocytes (B-cells) which defend the body from invading bacteria and other harmful substances. These particles activate the B cells and they transform into plasma cells, which produce antibodies. The antibodies mark the antigens or the foreign materials and then they distroy them.

* T lymphocytes (T-cells) destroy antigens, infected and malignant cells directly, without producing antibodies.

If the lymphocytes cells continue to grow and expand, the lymph glands or other organs in which they are located begin to enlarge. The cells form lumps which develops in the body. The organ function is affected because of the lymphocyte masses which grow larger. It is more difficult for normal cells to function.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is named after the physician who first discovered it in 1832. Hodgkin’s lymphoma spreads through the lymph vessels to neighboring lymph nodes and even to other areas of the body including the liver, bone marrow, spleen or lungs through the lymphatic system or the bloodstream.

The other kind of lymphoma is non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is more frequent than the other form. Hodgkin’s lymphoma can usually be distinguished from Non- Hodgkin’s when tissue is examined under a microscope. This tissue is optained using the method of biopsy. The characteristic cells found in Hodgkin’s lymphoma are known as Reed-Sternberg cells and they are named after the physicians who first described them in detail. It is thought that Reed-Sternberg cells are a form of malignant B–cells.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Detailing The Basics Of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

2009-06-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

Acute myelogenous leukemia

AML, (acute myelogenous leukemia), is an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood. It is the most common type of leukemia. AML is also known by the following names-acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Blood cells are malformed and useless. The cells can accumulate in parts of the body.

Acute myelogenous leukemia statistics

• Rare in people under 40 years old
• More common in men than in women
• Average age is 65 years old
• 5-year survival rate
o under 65 years old-33%
o over 65 years old-4%
• 2007 it is predicted there will be 13,000 cases (majority will be adults)

The symptoms of acute myelogenous leukemia include abnormal blood counts, a general run-down, unwell feeling that never gets better, reoccurring infections, swollen lymph nodes, and bone/ joint pain. Symptoms are acute (comes on suddenly, and accelerates quickly) instead of chronic (mild symptoms that gradually worsen over years).

When the malformed cells collect around parts of the body, it can cause skin, lung, central nervous system, kidney, and even testicle problems. Initially, acute myelogenous leukemia may mimic other conditions. Blood tests identify the possibility of AML. The final diagnosis is usually made after a bone marrow test and sometimes by a spinal tap, also known as a lumbar (lower spine) puncture (LP).

There are several types treatments available, one or more will be used to treat a dignosis of AML.

Chemotherapy-strong drugs taken orally or intravenously that kills the cancer cells. Occasionally it’s injected directly into the spine. It is a systemic treatment because it travels throughout the whole body.

Radiation-high energy rays like X-rays kill the cancer cells

Bone marrow transplants-unhealthy cancer producing bone marrow is destroyed and replaced with matching bone marrow.

Immunotherapy-stimulates the immune system to destroy cancer cells or boosts natural defenses. It can be a made naturally or artificially.

Risk factors for AML

• Previous chemotherapy or radiation treatments
• Exposure to radiation and chemicals like benzene
• Genetic disorders like Downs Syndrome
• Smoking
• Blood disorders like myelodysplasia.

People with risk factors should watch more closely for symptoms of AML because early treatment increases survival rate.

Decisions concerning treatment in acute myelogenous leukemia

2009-06-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Leukemia, especially the acute myelogenous leukemia, which is the most common, is a very serious disease. This condition can go from bad to worse very quickly. Talking to your doctor about the treatment options that are available for you is crucial in this case.

When first diagnosed with this type of leukemia, induction chemotherapy is the first step towards remission. Many of the leukemia patients actually succeed, but there are cases when their condition does not get any better. All leukemia patients will also go through a second treatment phase to try preventing relapse. This second step is more based on the risk factors of the leukemia patient. As I have said before, although chemotherapy can be very successful in almost all leukemia cases, there are patients whose condition will not improve. This is the main reason why, your doctor should also talk to you about the possibility of having a transplant.

Almost 90 percent of all patients under 60 that use chemotherapy as a leukemia treatment will see an improvement in their condition, reaching remission. However, transplant is sometimes the first choice of some leukemia patients. Although this may not be the case for you, talking about the possibility of having a transplant is good. This allows you to have a more flexible treatment and also a quicker transplant, if necessary. In most leukemia cases, if not all, it is best that you be prepared for this option as well. In order to do that, there are some steps you have to take:
- first, acute myelogenous leukemia patients must see a doctor specialized in transplant and discuss with him/ her the risk factors; the leukemia patients also has to undertake a few tests;
- second, you should talk to all your family members that are potential donors and tell them to get tested, either when you are, or soon after;
- together with your doctor, you should then see the list with all other donors and see if there might be a match for you;
- if you are one of those unfortunate leukemia patients that find no suitable donor, then you should definitely talk to your doctor about an autologous transplant;

There are patients who should under any circumstances, discuss transplant in their leukemia case. These are people that will not be able to tolerate transplant. Older leukemia patients or people who suffer from other medical conditions are those that can not go through a transplant procedure.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Medication errors in Leukemia

2009-06-02T04:48:00.001-07:00

According to a new scientific study on children suffering from lymphoblast Leukemia, up to one in five patients do not get the appropriate medication due to errors in establishing the proper chemotherapy. Also other Cancer related researches have discovered wrongly prescribed or administered drugs. Most of the errors had small therapeutical interest, but some of them might expose the children to further reoccurrences or on the other hand to symptoms of a medication overdose.

Every year an astonishing number of almost 89 thousand American patients die in hospitals due to an inappropriate medical treatment, 700 of the death cases being caused by the lack of proper medication. Though, these very often encountered cases of medication mistakes in children especially, are not well studied and researched. The wrong administration of the drugs can occur in one or more of the next steps: some prescriptions are wrongly written by physicians, some are wrongly interpreted and processed by the pharmacists, and some drugs are being administered wrong by the caregivers.

Most common mistakes are made by doctors, pharmacists and parents on outer children that should receive a proper care at home instead of remaining in the hospital for a quite long period of time required for the Leukemia treatment. Most of the outer patients suffer little damage from the medication mistakes as many of the wrong drug prescriptions are traced down before they get to be administered to children. Most errors in the medication are benign as they only get to be administered shortly in a few cases. Cancer drugs are however far more toxic and with precise marrow safe doses. They must be strictly prescribed and administered according to specific even complex protocols.

In a recent study, types and rate of medication errors in children following a Leukemia treatment were searched. All blood cancer children were outpatients receiving prescriptions for the required chemotherapy. The authors of the research reviewed a number of 69 patients which have received medication prescriptions and have been administered leukemia drugs.

19% of the leukemia pediatric patients, meaning 13 of 69 children, were identified to have suffered from a wrong chemotherapy. One or more errors were also detected in about17 children in a group of 172. Twelve of the traced mistakes were caused by a deficient administration of the drugs to the patients and five cases were caused by a wrongly prescribed dose of medication.

Most of the made errors had little clinical meaning, but in 4 children the medication mistakes had the potential of becoming dangerous for the future of the therapy. Some patients even suffer from a late administration of the daily dose and risk reoccurrence while a smaller part of the Leukemia treated children receive an overdose of medication.

Specialists detected a rate of 10% errors in medication and proposed the use of a new simplified chemotherapy protocol to minimize the risk of such mistakes.

Different cells producing leukemia

2009-05-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

All over the world in every year more than 100 000 people fall prey to leukemia, which is a malignant cancer, and about 10 000 to 20 000 patients of them are children.Leukemia starts and spreads in the blood and marrow.Leukemia can be acute and chronic, myelogenous and lymphocytic the last two indicate the cells types involved.

The cancer is called lymphocytic leukemia when in blood can be found a lot of lymphocytes.In the case of myelogenouse leukemia, granulocytes or monocytes are the white blood cells that are multiplying.Lymphocytic leukemia and myelogenouse leukemia can be acute and chronic.The difference among acute and chronic leukemia is the development of the cells and the progress rate.The acute leukemia progress quickly and contains immature and functionless cells in marrow and blood, but the chronic leukemia is very slow and the cells are often mature and functionally active.

The production of normal red and white blood cells and platelets almost ceases because the cells of the marrow grow in an uncontrolled mode.From this point of view the anemia can develop in the patient because the blood becomes deficient of red blood cells.Also the lack of white cells which helps in fighting against infections lead to deteriorate the body’s immune system.Also the platelets can vanish from blood and marrow because the bleeding rate increases.Among the causes which lead to the appearance of the leukemia are the pollution, toxic chemicals, radiations,hereditary.

The symptoms are different from patient to patient.Day-by-day the immune system of the patient deteriorates, so at the patient appear an discomfort and fatigue, abnormal bleeding, enlarged spleen, fever, chill, flu-like condition, weight loss, problems with appetite, petechiae formation on tiny red spots under the skin, swollen, painful and bleeding gums, swelling of digestive tracks, testicles.Other patients with leukemia can have sores in the eyes, frequent headaches, vomiting.Fortunately leukemia can be treated and the common treatments are chemoterapy and radiation.

The most aggressive treatment against leukemia is the Stem Cell Transplant which can be done from two modes.In the first mode from the patient are taken and preserved the Stem Cells which are returned the patient,only after the cancer cells had killed by using chemotherapy or radiation therapy.The other technique is about the replacing of new and healthy Stem Cells with the damaged bone marrow cells of patient.

Day by day the researches are working hard to discover the principal cause of leukemia and to find the best treatment for the people with leukemia.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Used methods for killing leukemia

2009-05-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

The most common treatment for leukemia is the chemotherapy.The therapy for children is produced by radiation and it is used only to treat leukemia in the central nervous system and the testicles.Unfortunately leukemia cannot be cured by surgery.A stem-cell transplant is the method which can be used.

Besides chemotherapy, immunotherapy can be successfully used.Therapeutic vaccines are used in human patients.Induction, consolidation and maintenance are the three phases of chemotherapy used in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia and it develops over the course of a two to three year period.

In the case of chemotherapy induction and intensification are used for treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia.Chemotherapeutic drugs provided by the cerebrospinal fluid are received by patients throughout the course of treatment.In what concerns the cerebrospinal fluid chemotherapy discourage the spread of leukemia cells to the central nervous system.

Remission is the goal of induction.The body eliminates 99 percent of leukemia cells.The bone marrow is filled with normal hematopoietic stem cells.For most cases chemotherapy treatments last for about a month.For the patients with high-risk higher doses are used and for the acute myelogenous leukemia, different drugs are used.In both cases chemotherapy is continuously administered for ten consecutive days.

For inducing remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia are used retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide, after month of treatment patients survive induction.The person’s condition is critical until blood counts return to normal.Different treatments are required by chronic forms of the disease.The treatment is succesful by using the following medication:imatinib mesylate for patients with chronic myelogenousleukemia and cladribine and 2-deoxycoformycin which are both effective against hairy cell leukemia, a type of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Ten billion leukemia cells remain in the body after induction.The role of goals of consolidation referring to an intensification are to eliminate leukemia cells from locations such as the central nervous system and the testicles,where the cancer cells remains undetected by the immune system;the role of the cells being the one which reduces the number of leukemia cells remaining in the body.The last phase of treatment is the maintenance.Patients with low-risk and high-risk receive different drugs for leukemia in this case,but the drugs are used at lower doses than in the induction phase.

A relatively-new and complex treatment for leukemia is transplantation which consist in cells collected from cavities within bones where blood cells form or from the blood.For children with a poor chance of survival and for whom the treatment relapses the transplantation is used.Blood-forming stem cells are collected from patient or a donor with a nearly identical cell type.In this case the cells are frozen for storage.If the umbilical cord blood is available it can be use as a source of stem cells.

To kill all cancerous cells the patient follows a treatment with a very high dose of chemotherapy and radiation.All normal bone marrow cells are killed due to the does of chemotherapy and radiation.Then the bone marrow is repopulated by the stored stem cells which return to the body.To treat disease and also to maintain the immunity of the body immunotherapy is used.For the patients with leukemia interferon alfa which is an immune-system activator produced as a drug for bolstering the immune system of the body is successfully used.

The custom-made and duplicated antibody is produced in the laboratory and it is designed to interfere with malignant cells only which can also reduce the number of disease cells.Mylotarg is the monoclonal antibody has been approved for treatment of adults with refractory acute myelogenous leukemia.The improved technics and the science evolution have helped the people to find out different ways of destroying leukemia.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Acute lymphocytic Leukemia in children

2009-03-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

Cancer in any of its forms is known to the society as a condition of adults or elder persons; still it can occur at any age even during the care-free childhood period. Children diagnosed with cancer must rapidly grow up and learn hoe to face the illness as well as their parents that will have to be able to care for them.

The most common form of malignant tumors in children is the acute lymphocyte Leukemia and it is known to affect about 2500 pediatric patients every year. The acute forms of Leukemia develop rapidly and spread to the entire body in just a few months if left untreated. Knowing how to recognize the disease seems to be most important as Leukemia can lead to death in a very short time if not treated properly.

Leukemia develops inside the bone marrow and spreads to the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and nervous system. Cancerous marrow cells produce abnormal blood cells; insufficient or inefficient red blood cells lead to anemia, a low number of white blood cells leaves the body helpless to infections, and decreased number of platelets caused bruising and bleedings. General symptoms like headaches, weakness or vomiting also occur when the cancer reaches other main organs.

No way of prevention is known to us today as leukemia cannot be linked to any lifestyle factors. A good life expectation can only be reached if a doctor is seen immediately when symptoms occur and a proper treatment is quickly administered.

The most specific diagnose is the bone marrow biopsy when a small amount of marrow is extracted from the thighbone with a needle. The microscopic examination of the tissue can establish the presence of cancerous cells inside the bone marrow. Further analysis includes blood tests for searching changes in number and function of the three vital blood cells. In Leukemia a risen number of white cells are found together with a decreased number of red ones. Through the blood tests certain diagnose of the particular form of blood cancer can be established.

Cancer cells are dangerous as they divide very quickly and an efficient primer treatment with chemotherapy must stop their multiplication. More types of chemotherapeutics are required to kill all cancerous cells as Leukemia is known to spread very rapidly throughout the whole body. The drug therapy is a long-lasting process and can produce several side-effects such as hair loss, infections, tiredness, nausea, anorexia and vomiting.
New ways of therapy are searched that should only affect the cancerous cells unlike conventional drugs. The stem cells transplantation targeting to replace the lost marrow working cellularity seems to give hopeful results.

Blood cancer can reoccur and therefore a treatment with stem cells can give more effective results. If Leukemia cannot be treated, doctors try ways of making the patient’s life with cancer easier by relieving the symptoms. About 85% of the children that have survived 5 years without cancer reoccurring are considered to have been cured.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Treatments

Alternative Medicines And Treatment For Leukemia

2009-03-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is a type of cancer. Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All cancers begin in cells, which make up blood and other tissues. The disease usually starts in the white blood cells.

The blood-forming (hematopoietic) cells of the bone marrow make leukocytes to defend the body against infectious organisms, such as viruses and bacteria. If the cells reach the central nervous system and build up in the cerebrospinal fluid that support s the brain and spinal column, they can cause headaches and seizures. Leukemia often is thought to be a childhood disease. In fact, leukemia strikes 10 times as many adults as children. The American Cancer Society (ACS) predicts that about 35,070 new leukemia cases will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the most frequently reported form of leukemia in adults, and approximately 11,930 new cases are anticipated in 2006.

Lymphocytes, which are found in both the blood stream and the lymphatic system, coordinate the immune response and produce antibodies. If untreated, the surplus leukemic cells overwhelm the bone marrow, enter the bloodstream, and eventually invade other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). In this way, the behavior of leukemia is different than that of other cancers, which usually begin in major organs and ultimately spread to the bone marrow

Causes of Leukaemia
The exact cause of leukemia is unknown.

* As with other cancers, smoking is considered a risk factor for leukemia, but many people who develop leukemia have never smoked, and many people who smoke never develop leukemia.
Symptoms
Damage to the bone marrow, by way of displacing the normal bone marrow cells with higher numbers of immature white blood cells, results in a lack of blood platelets, which are important in the blood clotting process. This means people with leukemia may become bruised, bleed excessively, or develop pinprick bleeds (petechiae).

White blood cells, which are involved in fighting pathogens, may be suppressed or dysfunctional. This could cause the patient's immune system (white blood cells etc.) to start attacking other body cells.

Finally, the red blood cell deficiency leads to anemia, which may cause dyspnea. All symptoms can be attributed to other diseases; for diagnosis, blood tests and a bone marrow examination are required.

Alternative Treatment of Leukaemia
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) standardized extract, 250 - 500 mg daily, for antioxidant, anticancer and immune effects. Use caffeine-free products. You may also prepare teas from the leaf of this herb.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum ) seed standardized extract, 80 - 160 mg two to three times daily, for detoxification support.

Acupuncture may alleviate symptoms. Acupuncture may help to enhance immune function, normalize digestion, and address disease conditions. For many patients and physicians, acupuncture has become one of the most widely used alternative interventions in cancer therapy support.

A multivitamin daily, containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the B-complex vitamins and trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and selenium.
L-theanine, 200 mg one to three times daily, for nervous system support.

By: Brain

Check Out the Related Article : Preventing Leukemia

Tests for determining leukemia

2009-03-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

The stem cells are formed by the leukemia cells in the bone marrow.These cells have uncontrolled growth and lead to decrease production of normal blood cells.From this point of view the symptoms are:anemia, increased risk of bleeding which include bleeding gums, nosebleeds, bruising, increased risk of infection, slow healing.

The common symptoms of leukemia are:fatigue, lack of appetite, weight loss, fever,sweating.When leukemia arrives to the thymus gland the possible symptoms are:coughing or shortness of breath when the trachea is pressed by the enlarged thymus and swelling of the head and arms (SVC syndrome) when the superior vena cava is pressed by the enlarged thymus.

In the case when the leukemia spreads to the central nervous system there are other possible symptoms like: headaches, poor school performance, weakness, seizures, vomiting, poor balance, blurred vision.Other potential symptoms are: enlargement of the liver and spleen, enlargement of the lymph nodes,enlargement of the testicles and bone or joint pain.

The symptoms of acute myelogenous leukemia are gingivitis and rash.The blood tests demanded for the leukemia diagnosis are: low red blood cell count, low platelets count, high white blood cell count, presence of white blood cell blasts.If blood tests shows leukemia presence, additional cells for analysis are obtained from the : bone marrow named bone marrow biopsy, lymph nodes named lymph node excision and cerebrospinal fluid named spinal tap.

To classify leukemia are used the following techniques: microscopic analysis of cell size and shape, cytochemistry-microscopic analysis of cell after treatment with chemicals, immunocytochemistry of flow cytometry-analysis of cells after treatment with laboratory antibodies, cytogenetics-analysis of the chromosomes in leukemia cells and molecular genetics-analysis of specific DNA sequences in leukemia cells.

When a child is diagnosed with leukemia the tests to be performed are the following: a chest x-ray for determine leukemia masses in the chest, bone x-rays for determine leukemia invasion of the bones or joints, a CT Scan for determine leukemia in certain lymph nodes and an MRI for determine leukemia in the brain.After the leukemia has been diagnosed additional tests can give informational about: the type of leukemia, the characteristics of the leukemia cells and its evolution through the body.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia in most cases is present to children and is indicated by two types: high-risk or low-risk.Patients with low-risk respond better to treatment with the possibility of curding, and patients with high-risk respond also to treatment but receive a more intensive treatment.Even if leukemia represents the blood cancer nowadays it can be treated due to the science evolution.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Preventing Leukemia

Mantle cell lymphoma

2009-02-22T09:12:00.000-08:00

Examined under the microscope, the Mantle cell lymphoma appears as an expansion of the mantle zone area of the lymph nodes.It is represented by a homogenous population of malignant small lymphoid cells, which are cancerous cells that travel from the bone marrow to the lymph nodes and spleen. They are different from the normal lymphocytes, they are not mature properly. Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare type of Non- hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The lymphocytes are white blood cells produced by the immune system of the human body. Regarding their origin, there are two types of immune cells, the B cells which are made in the bone marrow and the T cells which are made in the thymus. After they are made they are eliminated in the lymph which is a clear liquid that bathes tissues and circulates in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system in the place where occur the cancers known as lymphomas. If the B cells are affected there can be a Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma which include follicular lymphomas, small non-cleaved cell lymphomas (Burkitt’s lymphomas), marginal zone lymphomas (MALT lymphomas), small lymphocyte lymphomas, large cell lymphomas. In this category of diseases is included the mantle cell lymphomas too.

At the beginning, the MCL cells develops in limited areas. Regarding this aspect there are three subsets of MCL cells: the mantle zone type, the nodular type and the blastic or immature type. In the most cases these various types develop together and the diagnoses are of mixed mantle and nodular type. During the development of the MCL the non-cancerous mantle centers also become invaded by cancerous cells. In about 20% of these cases, the cells become larger and they are imature ones.

As it is initially slow-growing, this type of cancer it was first believed to be a low-grade cancer, but the average survival rate it was substantially shortened. Because of the mixed nature of MCL cells, specialists tend to give this disease a new classification. The presence of the blastic type of cells is considered as a high-grade cancer because it spreads at about the rate of other lymphomas belonging to that category. It is very important to describe the precise nature of these cells, because this may help specialists involved in the study of MCL to get to an agreement.

Mantle cell lymphoma affects persons with ages between 50 - 70 years and it is diagnosed more frequently in women. This type of cancer has the shortest average survival of all lymphomas.

Nowadays the cause of MCL is unknown. It has many symptoms that appears in other lymphomas too. Patients generally complain of fatigue, low grade fevers, night sweats, weight loss, anemia, rashes, digestive disturbances, chronic sinus irritation, recurrent infections, sore throat, shortness of breath, muscle and bone aches and edema. A more specific symptom is the spleen enlargement. This clinical aspect is present especially in the nodular type of MCL. An early stage is the swollen lymph nodes. At the beginning this has no explanation because the general health of the patient is good. Anemia is another syptom that characterizes MCL, but it is a mild type of anemia. Some patients can also report lower back pain and burning pain in the legs and testicles. In an advanced stage of the MCL the lymph nodes increase in volume, the general health is compromised and the symptoms become more pronounced. In the end stage the MCL spreads to the central nervous system and appear the neurological symptoms.

As MCL is very similar to several other lymphoma types, imunologic tests are recommended for a correct diagnosis. One of this kind of tests is Immunophenotyping which determine what kind of surface molecules are present on cells, and which is the exact type of lymphoma, from a tissue sample.

When the diagnosis is sure it must be known that mantle cell lymphoma has already spread into many other tissues such as the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow or to the ring of adenoid, palatine and lingual tonsils at the back of the mouth or even to the gastrointestinal tract. If the MCL spread to the colon it is diagnosed as multiple lymphomatous polyposis.

The treatment for MCL is established depending on the type of MCL and it stage.

There is no standard treatment for MCL patients. The patients diagnosed with MCL have been treated with surgery, radiation, single drug or combination chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. The most common chemotherapy regimens for treating MCL includes the drugs: Cyclophosphamide (cytoxan, neosar), adriamycin (doxorubicin or Hydroxydoxorubicin), vincristine (Oncovin), and Prednisone and it is called CHOP.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Preventing Leukemia

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2009-02-22T02:32:00.000-08:00

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Click Here to Know How you can Link Exchange with Me

Link Exchange Rules

2009-02-22T02:29:00.000-08:00

Look at the Sidebar on the Right Page, You can see the menu Related Website.

In the menu Related Website, I provide maximum 50 link website and description and absolutely I will make your link Do Follow and it's mean that search enggine will increase your website SEO link quality easily.

How the Way :

If you want to link exchange with my website, so the first time you have to do is only adding my link "http://leukemiasolution.blogspot.com/" on your blogroll/link widget or if you want to add my link as a part of your article post so you have to add my link "http://leukemiasolution.blogspot.com/" including the description below :

"Get Top Tips and Complete Information about Leukemia Solution on www.leukemiasolution.blogspot.com"

for example.

http://leukemiasolution.blogspot.com

Get Top Tips and Complete Information about Leukemia Solution on www.leukemiasolution.blogspot.com

After you add my link to your website, so you can send me an email on "g4m4food@gmail.com" with subject "'Leukemia Solution link exchange". On the email you must tell me where you put my website link on your website "tell me the URL address" and don't forget to tell me your website link and your website description, after I review your website and My Website link on your website, I will add your link to my sidebar menu, and I will confirm you as soon as possible by email.

That is really simple, isn't it ??

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Different treatments to treat Mantle cell lymphoma

2009-02-16T15:39:00.000-08:00

Lymphoma is a serious affection which affects different parts of the body and usually occurs in many forms. One of the most severe form of lymphoma is known as Mantle cell lymphoma. In addition to this, Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma which tends to develop and spread very fast to other organs of the body. Due to the fact that Mantle cell lymphoma spreads very fast to different parts of the body, treatments of this type of affection should be good enough to reach to all the infected cells. Unlike chemotherapy which is the main form of treatment, bringing successfully results, other treatments, such as surgery or radiation therapy are not enough useful to reduce the cancer.

To begin with, chemotherapy has proved to be the most efficient treatment to treat Mantle cell lymphoma. Chemotherapy can be administrated in the form of injections, drips in the veins or even tablets. Much more, a treatment for this affection may include different types of drugs and the doses depend on the patient condition. In most cases, the treatments prescribed include the CHOP regimen, a combination of four drugs which is taken in a single day and repeated every three weeks for six ot eight cycles. Even though, chemotherapy brings important results, the disease may occur again. In order to prevent a recidivism of Mantle cell lymphoma, specialists use to prescribe chemotherapy combinations, such as treatments for leukemias. On the other hand, these combinations of chemotherapy might be very toxic for some patients who suffer from Mantle cell lymphoma.

Secondly, another efficient treatment includes monoclonal antibodies such as Rituximab, usually used to treat Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Mantle cell lymphoma as well. Another way to treat Mantle cell lymphoma which tends to be a hard procedure and not widely practiced is the bone marrow or stem-cell transplant. Radiation is another procedure which is usually used when the disease is not very severe. Much more as it is known that this disease affects many areas of the body, radiation is not the best choice.

In conclusion, even though mantle cell lymphoma tends to be an incurable disease, treatments for this affection have the role in prolonging and improving the life of the patients. Nowadays many new treatments are being tested and much more clinical trials may help the patient considerably.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related article : Leukemia Symptoms

The Lymphatic System

2009-01-20T23:01:00.000-08:00

Lymphoma symptoms can range from non-existent to severe. When the disease affects the central nervous system, the patient may suffer from confusion and/or seizures and acute neurological dysfunction. In the early stages patients experience no pain or discomfort.

The disease is sometimes confused for other common illnesses, such as the common cold, flu or respiratory infections. People reporting non-specific symptoms do not have lymphoma, but anyone who experiences persistent symptoms should consult a physician to eliminate the possibility of lymphoma.

Aloxi (palonosetron HCL) injection prevent the nausea and vomiting often caused by lymphoma chemotherapy. Non-specific lymphoma symptoms include: fever, sweating, chills, unexplained weight loss, itching, fatigue and lack of energy.

A complete physical examination will be performed when a lymphoma is suspected. Doctor will palpate the lymph nodes in the neck, under the chin, around the tonsils, shoulders, elbows, under the arms and in the groin area. To establish if swelling exists in the chest or abdomen, and particularly in the area of the spleen and liver other parts of the body will be examined.

The presence of lymphoma may be detected during a physical examination followed by diagnostic tests such as a biopsy, blood tests, x-ray imaging, scans, as well as possibly bone marrow and cerebrospinal fluid tests.

The symptom is usually painless, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and underarms. Enlarged lymph nodes in other parts of the body, such as the spleen, groin, legs, or ankles may be present at other patients. Swelling can occur in the abdomen, where the enlarged lymph nodes may cause discomfort or a bloated feeling.

Other symptoms include fever, fatigue and anemia, the latter due to low red blood cell numbers. An increase in infections, resulting from lowered numbers of functioning white blood cells and an impaired immune system occur to many patients. During the early stages of the disease no pain is experienced by patient.

Compression of the blood vessels may be caused by the swollen lymph nodes. The expanding lymphoma may trigger edema (swollen tissue) or thrombosis (blood clots). Lymphoma is rarely found in the eyes, testicles, skeleton or central nervous system.

Symptoms associated with lymphoma are: painless swollen lymph nodes, in the neck, chest, armpit, groin or spleen, sweating and fever, abnormal tiredness, weight loss, loss of appetite, persistent itching, persistent cough, persistent breathlessness and pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol.

When referring to the stage or location of a disease a physician may use the terms "systemic" or category "A" and "B". The symptoms which affect the entire body are the "systemic" ones. These symptoms include sweating, fever or weight loss.

Depending on the symptoms that patient presents a doctor will prescribed a proper treatment which will relieve the pain.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Symptoms

Diagnosing lymphoma

2008-12-24T02:42:00.000-08:00

To diagnose a lymphoma case if very difficult because many of the lymphoma symptoms are similar to those of other medical conditions. However, based on the symptoms, you might suspect a lymphoma case and go see a doctor, where you will have a physical examination. Only through this thorough examination, and sometimes x- rays, your doctor can diagnose you with lymphoma.

When you go see your physician for an examination because you suspect a lymphoma case, here is what to expect: he/ she will start to palpate all your lymph nodes. They are situated in your neck, right under your chin, around your tonsils, your elbows, shoulders, in your groin area and under your arms. Besides this examination of these areas of your body in order to proper diagnose lymphoma, your doctor will also feel your abdomen and chest to see if there is any swelling there as well. Your liver and spleen will also be examined by palpation. If your doctor, after this examination, believes that there is a presence of lymphoma, further test will be made. The physical examination is just the beginning of the lymphoma diagnoses process. The test that are made after the examination serve to better determine if you indeed are suffering from lymphoma or not. A biopsy, x- rays, blood tests and scans are the next tests that you will have to take in order to be diagnosed with lymphoma. If the results in those lymphoma tests
are inconclusive, then you will probably also have to take a bone marrow test.

Lymphoma symptoms are not enough to diagnose this disease, because they can also be associated with other diseases as well. However, they serve to give you an idea that something is wrong. Here are some of the most common symptoms of lymphoma:
- swollen nodes, which are painless is the primary lymphoma sign;
- anemia, loose of weight and fatigue also tell you that you might be suffering from lymphoma;
- fever and sweating, mostly at night, for no apparent reason are also signs that indicate a lymphoma case;
- shortness of breath and an annoying, persistent cough are also lymphoma symptoms;
- itching, sometimes all over your body is one of the lymphoma signs as well;

There are also some other symptoms which can indicate a lymphoma case, but they are less common. Back pain or swollen tissues are some of the rare lymphoma symptoms. They appear because your lymph nodes can actually compress some of your nerves.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Symptoms

Gleevec therapy method for Leukemia

2008-12-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

The therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia with Gleevec (Imatinib mesylate) began to be used in patients in 2001 and seemed to be real success. Since that time, a clinical study revealed the efficiency of Gleevec in other cancer types as well such as in hypereosinophilic syndrome, another blood cancer.

Gleevec is a targeted drug on abnormal cells of the body and doesn’t attack healthy cells like other chemotherapeutics. Gleevec is efficient against a protein called BCR-ABL from the class of enzymes known as thyrosine kinases which is responsible for the excessive multiplication of mature and immature white blood cells in the chronic myeloid Leukemia.

Most cancer forms are caused by genetic mistakes leading to the production of malfunctioning proteins that send a wrong message to the cells. When the abnormal enzymes are inhibited by chemotherapy, the cancer progression is also stopped. Scientists work to find other similar drugs like Gleevec that have the capacity to inhibit dysfunctional enzymes such as tyrosine kinases.

In normal conditions, tyrosine kinases send different signals to the cells stimulating them to perform different actions. Abnormal enzymes send modified messages to the cells allowing them to multiply particular cells in an abnormal rate and cancer appears. 4500 new cases of CML are discovered every year and Gleevec was firstly used on this type of cancer. Chronic myeloid leukemia is caused by a translocated, genetically modified chromosome called Philadelphia causing the occurrence of abnormal tyrosine kinases. This is the primer cause of leukemic cells occurrence in the bone marrow and blood.

Many of the chemotherapeutics used to treat leukemia have negative effects on other healthy tissues as well like skin, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal track or hair follicles, and causes injuries to organs like heart, kidneys or lungs. Gleevec is targeted on mutant protein and enzyme cells and only destructs this type of genetically modified tissues. Gleevec also has its side-effects such as nausea, vomiting, skin rashes or fluid retention due to its toxicity but they are far less dangerous for the human body than other drugs.

The drug therapy using Gleevec proved far more efficient than earlier methods and showed real more improvements for the CML patients. It impressively reduces the number of white blood cells and the number of leukemic cells inside the bone marrow. Gleevec can also be used on persons not responding to the Interferon therapy or the ones that proved intolerant to it.

The administration of Gleevec is easier as well as it is available as a pill not as injections like most of the other drugs. This aspect makes the self-administration possible and spares patients from staying in the hospital for long periods of time.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Do you want to know about "Statistic data on Leukemia", if yes so you can check this link below..
Statistic data on Leukemia

Check Out the Related Article : What is Leukemia?

Used methods for killing leukemia

2008-12-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

Lymphoma people are different

2008-12-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

One of the first things I noticed after being diagnosed with lymphoma is that my lymphoma compadres appear to be a little different from those with other cancers.

Even though 60,000 people are newly diagnosed each year, the disease is rarely mentioned in the news despite the fact that some very famous people have died from the disease. Jackie Onassis died from NHL as did King Hussein of Jordan. Baseball great Roger Maris, aviator Charles Lindbergh, cartoonist Jeff MacNelly (”Shoe”), and director Louis Malle all died from lymphoma. Mickey Mantle, Jr. succumbed to the disease a few months after his famous father died. Gene Wilder, who lost his wife, Gilda Radner, to ovarian cancer, has been treated for lymphoma, as have Mr. T of “The A-Team” and Paul Allen of Microsoft (Hodgkin’s).

Arte Johnson of “Laugh-In” was treated for lymphoma. Ironically, the same disease took the life of Dan Rowan, also from “Laugh-In.” The list goes on and on.

Lymphoma is really a silent disease, and I think it’s because so many with the disease don’t talk about it.

I’ve tried to think of a reason and the only one I came up with is that the cancer for many of us is not debilitating so we don’t act or appear sick. If we don’t appear sick, then we aren’t being asked a lot of questions.

Another thing I’ve noticed since doing this blog is that lymphoma people appear to be interested only in the blogs that talk about specifics about the disease or things that can help in fighting the disease. Again, I’m basing this on the responses to the blogs. Clearly, people aren’t interested in hearing about anything personal, like vacations or things to do for relaxation, which makes it hard to write several blogs a week.

By: Diane Fallon

Check Out the Related Article : What is Leukemia?

Statistic data on Leukemia

2008-12-15T23:36:00.001-08:00

Leukemia is the blood cancer form and originates in a malfunctioning bone marrow that tends to produce abnormal red and white cells in an increased rate. The most important four types of Leukemia are the acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia and the acute and chronic lymphocytic Leukemia. The name of the condition stands for the cell type involved.

The acute type of leukemia develops with an increased production of abnormal white cells making the body unable to fight infections; red blood cells and platelets are insufficient and the organism suffers from bruising, bleedings and anemia. Chronic forms of Leukemia are not as aggressive as they give the normal cells time to regenerate.

About 25000 new equal cases of acute and chronic Leukemia appear every ear. Most cases appear in adults and persons over 60 years but the acute lymphocytic Leukemia has an increased rate in children. Annually, about 10000 cases in adults are diagnosed as acute myelogenic Leukemia, 8000 are chronic lymphocytic Leukemia, 500 are chronic myelogenous forms and about 3500 are acute forms of lymphocytic Leukemia. The rest of the cases are unclassified blood cancer types.

All types of Leukemia are most commonly encountered in men than in women. Men subjects cover about 56% of all Leukemia new cases in a year. Americans with European descent seem to be more affected by cancer than those with African origins; about 131000 new cases of cancer are detected in African Americans every year but most of them are not related to blood cancers.

Americans with Indian or Hispanic origins are far more affected by Leukemia than African Americans and about 50% of the cases are encountered in male subjects. Elderly persons are most highly affected inside all populations.
Minority groups like Caucasians are more affected by Leukemia forms than other ethnic groups like Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. European descent children show increased rate of susceptibility compared to African American children.

Most of the new occurred cases of cancer in children below 15 are of Leukemia. About 2500 new cases of acute forms of lymphocytic leukemia are identified in the USA annually and it tends to be the most encountered form of cancer in children. High percents of the cases occur in children aged 3-4 and less in infants or 19 years old patients. In the last 25 years the chance of cure in specialized centers has increased due to new therapy methods.

People over 40 and older persons are more touched by acute myelogenous Leukemia and the secondary Leukemia type found in adults is chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Information and Facts about Acute Leukemia

Lymphoma – Treatment for Lymphoma

2008-12-14T08:18:00.001-08:00

Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymphatic system. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is called Hodgkin's disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. It consists of a network of vessels that carry fluid called lymph, similar to the way that the networks of blood vessels carry blood throughout the body. Lymph contains white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes attack a variety of infectious agents as well as many cells in the precancerous stages of development.

Symptoms of Lymphoma

Fevers - which can come and go, this can be accompanied by chills or a feeling of temperature swings (HL, NHL).

Chest Pain: If lymphoma involves the lymphatic tissue of the thymus, the gland located in front of the heart, it may cause chest pain. In addition, an enlarged thymus may press on nearby structures such as the trachea (windpipe) or superior vena cava (SVC), the large vein that carries blood from the head and arms back to the heart.

Coughing, respiratory difficulties in general, and shortness of breath can all be experienced if tissue is affected in the chest cavity. This puts pressure on the trachea at times causing the symptoms.

Itching - itching without an apparent cause or rash, sometimes deep in the skin rather than on the surface, sometimes on different parts of the body.

The enlarged lymph node sometimes causes other symptoms by pressing against a vein or lymphatic vessel (swelling of an arm or leg), a nerve (pain, numbness, or tingling), or the stomach (early feeling of fullness).

Trachea: Pressure on the trachea can lead to coughing, fatigue, shortness of breath, and other respiratory difficulties. Pressure on the superior vena cava may produce SVC syndrome, a swelling of the head and arms. SVC syndrome involving the brain can be fatal and must be treated immediately. But enlarged lymphatic tissue in the chest cavity generally tends to displace - rather than press upon or encase- adjacent structures.

Treatment for Lymphoma

Chemotherapy: Doctors use a combination of drugs — given orally or by injection — against fast-growing cancer cells. This combined treatment approach is used for intermediate- and high-grade lymphomas and advanced stages of low-grade lymphomas. A single drug may be used if you have a low-grade type of the disease.

Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma usually comes from a machine outside the body, called external-beam radiation therapy. Radiation given to the brain is called cranial irradiation. Radiation therapy may be used alone but more often is given in addition to chemotherapy especially for Hodgkin's disease.

Biological Therapy: Biological therapy, also called immunotherapy, is a form of treatment that uses the body's immune system, either directly or indirectly, to fight cancer or to lessen the side effects that can be caused by some cancer treatments. It uses materials made by the body or made in a laboratory to boost, direct or restore the body's natural defenses against disease. Biological therapy is sometimes called biological response modifier (BRM) therapy.

Surgery: Surgery plays little role in the treatment of HD, and it rarely is used as a therapeutic option for NHL. For some lymphomas that arise in organs outside of the lymph nodes (extranodal) such as the thyroid or stomach, surgical resection (cutting away) of the tumor may be considered. However, surgery is associated with complications such as adhesions (abnormal "joining" of organs and tissues by fiber-like bands), nerve injury, and cosmetic effects, and it does not prevent tumor regret.

By: Peter Hutch

Check Out the Related Article : Information and Facts about Acute Leukemia

What is Leukemia?

2008-12-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

Today, one of the most dangerous and incurable condition seems to be cancer. It has no actual cure for mostly of the tissues it affects, especially when it reaches vital organs such as heart, lungs or blood. The blood tissue form of cancer is known as Leukemia and it represents a real life threat as it affects the blood circulation meant to supply the whole body with vital nutriments.

Blood is the connection tissue for all of the body’s organs and tissue as it carries oxygen and other important elements for the cell life. This is the reason why leukemia is such dangerous and frightening disease. Blood has access to all vital organs like heart, lungs and brain and when Leukemia occurs, it will rapidly create a dysfunction of all the other organs by supplying them with unhealthy particles. Cancerous cells are quickly carried to all parts of the organism and the dissemination occurs in a very short period of time.

Leukemia is in fact the consequence of an abnormality occurred in the form and number of leukocytes, the blood white cells. Leucocytes are vital for the good functioning of the body as they have the role to fight against all potential aggressions from the outside. They are the key to a good protection against infections and when leukemia appears the cellular immunity decreases drastically leaving the body unable to protect against damaging factors of any nature.

The main pathological way of the disease is an increased production by the marrow of infected and abnormal white blood cells. The new leucocytes anatomically and functionally modified and interfere with all functions of the blood even hindering the normal oxygen transport. Modified white blood cells also damage the normal functioning of the red blood cells and lead to the occurrence of anemia. Cancerous cells impede the tissue supply with hemoglobin and the body cells suffer from the lack of iron.

When the cancerous cells reach the brain, other dangerous modifications appear such as headaches, night sweats and neuropsychical problems. Cancerous Leukemia cells can be easily detected under the microscope and the suspects of the disease are advised to undergo a bone marrow examination. The onset of Leukemia is pointed out by swollen lymph nodes through the whole body, especially around the neck and thigh.

Risk factors for Leukemia are especially radioactive radiations that produce cell mutations and damages to their activity. An overexposure to benzene, an industrial hydrocarbure, also increases the risk of developing Leukemia, as well as the Down syndrome.

The most effective but also painful treatment is chemotherapy when the patients need to swallow many drugs at once. Another possibility of treatment is radiotherapy and patients suffer from losing hair and skin texture.

Leukemia is curable if detected in time and treated right. A bone marrow transplant may be helpful to regain healthy white blood cells. For a good outcome, the patients especially need the support of the family.

By: Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Information and Facts about Acute Leukemia

Leukemia

2008-12-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. It is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of developing bone marrow cells. It is not a single disease, but a group of malignancies in which the bone marrow and blood-forming organs produce excessive numbers of white blood cells. White blood cells develop from a type of cell in the bone marrow called a stem cell. When the process of white cell maturation goes awry, leukemia results. Immature white cells prevent the normal production of all blood cells, including white blood cells, which fight infection..

Signs and Symptoms

wo general categories of leukemia are acute and chronic. In acute leukemia, symptoms appear quickly and worsen quickly. This form of leukemia may develop over a short period of days to weeks. Abnormal white blood cells may collect in the brain or spinal cord. The result may be headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control and difficulty seeing. Some patients develop sores in the eyes or unusual skin rashes.
• Fatigue
• Malaise (vague feeling of bodily discomfort)
• Abnormal bleeding
• Excessive bruising
• Weakness
• Reduced exercise tolerance
• Weight loss
• Bone or joint pain
• Infection and fever

Causes of leukemia
It causes damage to the bone marrow, by displacing the normal bone marrow cells with a huge number of immature white blood cells resulting in a lack of blood platelets that are important in the process of blood clotting. This means people with leukemia when bruised will bleed excessively, or develop pinprick bleeds. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for leukemia. Chemicals in tobacco smoke include benzene, polonium-210, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) are absorbed by the lungs and are spread via the bloodstream.

. Radiation– A high risk of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is caused among people who have been exposed to high doses of radiation.

. Chemicals–Workers who are exposed to benzene are prone to having acute leukemia. If exposed to some other solvents, herbicides, and pesticides can also cause this deadly disease.
• Having human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1)
• Having myelodysplastic syndrome.

Treatment
The goal in treating leukemia is to achieve complete remission (all signs and symptoms of leukemia have disappeared, although there still may be cancer in the body) by destroying cancerous cells so that normal cells can again grow in the bone marrow. In remission, cancerous cells cannot be seen in the blood or bone marrow, but more therapy is needed to achieve a cure. Several areas of research have yielded new approaches to treating leukemia.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
Many different chemotherapeutic plans are available for the treatment of AML. Overall, the strategy is to control bone marrow and systemic (whole-body) disease while offering specific treatment for the central nervous system (CNS), if involved. In general, most oncologists rely on combinations of drugs for the initial, induction phase of chemotherapy.

• injection with colony-stimulating factors such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), which may help to shorten the period of granulocytopenia that results from induction therapy;

• Transfusions with red blood cells and platelets.

By: john parker2

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia FAQs

Scientific Explanations for the Differentiated Results of Leukemia Treatments

2008-12-01T07:46:00.000-08:00

Leukemia is a malignant disease that originates at the level of the bone marrow. The disease is characterized by an impaired production of blood cells. Leukemia refers to incomplete development of white blood cells, which accumulate at the level of the marrow and inside the bloodstream. The dysfunctional cells multiply at abnormally fast rates, eventually outnumbering their normal, healthy counterparts. Unlike normal cells, replica cells are incomplete and they can’t fulfill their role inside the organism. Furthermore, they affect the body’s production of normal cells, triggering a decrease in the number of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.

There are various types of leukemia, each of them following different patterns of progression. Leukemia is also categorized according to the type of blood cells involved in causing the disease. Judging by the type of cells responsible for causing the cancer, leukemia can be myelogenous or lymphocytic. According to the pattern and the rate of evolution of the cancer, leukemia can be either acute or chronic. Acute leukemia has a rapid rate of progression, while chronic leukemia evolves slowly.

The treatment for leukemia involves a series of cancer therapies and prolonged courses of cancer medications. Considering the fact that there is no cure for leukemia in present, the results of the available treatments are fluctuant. Patients’ responsiveness to leukemia treatments and therapies are strongly influenced by age, sex, the type of leukemia, and the promptitude of medical intervention. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment considerably increase the chances of complete recovery.

An interesting aspect of leukemia is that it predominantly affects Caucasian people. Although the disease can occur among people belonging to any ethnical group, leukemia is more common in white people. Furthermore, the complete remission of leukemia is strongly influenced by race. Although leukemia is less likely to occur in non-Caucasians, this category of people is by far less responsive to cancer treatment. Recent studies in the field indicate that non-whites are six times less likely to recover completely after the treatment of leukemia.

These facts suggest that genetic factors have a great contribution to the occurrence and the progression of leukemia. In addition, genetic factors strongly influence patients’ responsiveness to treatment. In order to detect the exact genetic factors responsible for generating differentiated reactions to the treatment of leukemia, medical scientists have conducted various elaborate studies in the last decade.

Medical scientists have discovered that patients with acute myelogenous leukemia who present cytogenic abnormalities tend to respond a lot better to treatment than patients who don’t have these genetic abnormalities. The category of patients with certain cytogenic abnormalities is more likely to achieve complete remission after completing the treatment of leukemia. These abnormalities are very common in white people, thus explaining the racial-differentiated results of cancer treatments and therapies. Medical scientists have linked low responsiveness to leukemia treatments with the presence of 8-21 cytogenic translocation in patients or the absence of any genetic abnormalities. Patients who present the so called inverse 16 cytogenic translocation generally respond a lot better to the treatment of leukemia.

Medical scientists sustain that these findings will not determine pronounced changes in the treatment of leukemia. However, they explain that people with low-responsiveness to common forms of treatment should receive combination treatments in order to achieve complete remission. Scientists believe that in future people diagnosed with leukemia will receive personalized treatments, according to their age, sex and ethnicity.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia FAQs

Particularities of Different Types of Leukemia

2008-11-29T10:50:00.001-08:00

Leukemia is a form of cancer that occurs at the level of the spinal marrow. Inside the spinal marrow there is a type of immature blood cells that are called stem cells. These cells have a neutral initial state and later develop into different types of blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets). Leukemia interferes in the normal process of cell maturation, leading to an accumulation of partially developed blood cells in the marrow, blood and later in body organs. Most of these resulted cells are inefficient inside the organism, as they can’t carry out the activity of normal blood cells.

Depending on to the rate of development, the disease can either be acute leukemia (developing very rapidly), or chronic leukemia (slow developing).

Particular to acute leukemia is the inability of stem cells (immature cells that can be found within the bone marrow) to reach the state of maturity. These immature blood cells tend to continuously divide and they accumulate in the bloodstream. Acute leukemia develops very rapidly and people who suffer from it need immediate treatment and specific therapy. If mistreated or ignored, acute leukemia causes the death of affected patients within a few months. While certain forms of acute leukemia are usually successfully treated, other forms don’t respond well to the specific treatment.

A characteristic of the chronic type of leukemia is that the diseased cells usually come from more mature cells, but in most cases they aren’t developed normally. The leukemia cells have long periods of life and they tend to accumulate within the bloodstream. Although normal people have between 5000 and 10000 white blood cells in their body, people who suffer from chronic leukemia may have more than 100000.

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. Judging by the types of cells involved in the development of leukemia and by the rate of cellular division specific to each form of the disease, the main types of leukemia are: acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

In addition to the common forms of chronic leukemia, there are also some rare types. Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), just like chronic lymphocytic leukemia, has a slow progression. The cells of hairy cell leukemia are different from other diseased cells mainly through their aspect. Hairy cell leukemia doesn’t usually respond well to treatment. Prolymphocytic leukemia is a very rare and unusual form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Some cancers, called lymphomas, are caused by abnormal blood cells that are present in the lymph nodes, liver, spleen or other organs. These particular types of cancer don’t occur at the levels of the bone marrow and have a development that is not characteristic to most forms of lymphocytic leukemia.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia FAQs

Life Expectancy For Leukemia

2008-11-26T23:41:00.000-08:00

Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. The bone marrow produces uncharacteristic white blood cells that do not function properly. These white blood cells eventually crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. One blood cell of a person suffering from leukemia goes awry and the body produces large numbers of this cell. In most cases the cell that goes awry is the white blood cell. There are four main types of leukemia. These vary on the type of white blood cell affected and the speed of progression. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) are the four main types. Life expectancy of a patient suffering from leukemia varies from one type to another.

The medical fraternity's understanding of and ability to treat leukemia has developed considerably in recent decades. In 1960, the 5-year survival rate for all types of leukemia was about 14%. It has now increased to about 50%. Children suffering from leukemia have a higher life expectancy rate, while people over the age of sixty have a comparatively lower life expectancy rate. The two main forms in which leukemia can be broadly termed are chronic and acute. Acute leukemia means that the disease grows rapidly and the usually life expectancy without treatment varies from a few weeks to a few months. Chronic leukemia, however, progresses gradually and with the appropriate cure, life expectancy can be up to 20 years or more after the onset of sickness.

Life expectancy of patients depends on the different factors such as health, age of the patient, severity of the disease, and treatment provided. While the life expectancy amongst ALL and AML is short due to its rapidly progressing nature, life expectancy amongst CLL and CML extend from three years to twenty years.

Over the years statistics have shown that life expectancy among people suffering from leukemia has grown considerably. This increase can be attributed to advanced studies and research. Innovation and invention of new and effective treatment procedures have also contributed to such an increase.

By Jennifer Bailey

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Treatments

Promyelocytic Leukemia

2008-11-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

Promyelocytic Leukemia a growth of the bone marrow in which there is a deficit of mature blood cells in the myeloid line of cells and a surplus of immature cells called promyelocytes. Promyelocytic leukemia is due to a translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17 which is symbolized t(15;17). This translocation is not a mere indicator of promyelocytic leukemia but the main cause. Promyelocytic leukemia generally comes under the acute form leukemia. It is also termed as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

In 1957, promyelocytic leukemia was first accepted as an individual disease entity. It accounts for 5-10% of cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The peak incidence of promyelocytic leukemia is amongst young adults. Promyelocytic leukemia is thought of as a type of AML and is classified as the M3 variant of AML.

Symptoms of promyelocytic leukemia are generally nonspecific and comprise of fatigue, minor infections, or hemorrhagic diathesis. There is usually pancytopenia with anemia, low levels of the granulocytes and monocytes, and low levels of platelets. Transfusion is thus an alternative that can be availed of.

Treatment of promyelocytic leukemia is different from that for all other forms of AML. Majority patients are now treated with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). ATRA is a form of "differentiation therapy." It activates the retinoid receptor RAR and causes the promyeloctes to mature and this deters them from proliferating.

Even though ATRA cannot eliminate the leukemic clone it can stimulate a complete diminution in most patients suffering from promyelocytic leukemia by causing the promyelocytic leukemia -blasts to mature. ATRA is therefore used in combination with chemotherapy including an anthracycline drug.

Chances of survival are better with the combination of ATRA and chemotherapy than chemotherapy alone. This is because ATRA combined with chemotherapy accounts for a slightly higher rate of complete remissions while allowing significantly fewer relapses. Maintenance cure with ATRA, and possibly with low-dose chemotherapy, further reduces the occurrence of relapse. The advent of ATRA therapy has revolutionized the treatment of promyelocytic leukemia and clearly enhanced the prognosis.

Promyelocytic leukemia is connected with a characteristic cellular picture classified as M3 in the French-American-British Classification and responds positively to treatments including retinoids, chemotherapy and, most recently, arsenicals.

By Jennifer Bailey

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Treatments

Use of Cord Blood to Cure Leukemia

2008-11-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

A three-year-old leukemia victim was given a life-saving infusion of her own cord blood, marking the first time a child with this disease served as their own blood donor, American doctors said.

The little girl is now a thriving six-year-old -- a tribute, say her doctors, to the pioneering transplant that helped her recover from radical chemotherapy.

They also commended the foresight of her parents who decided to save some of her umbilical cord on the off chance it might be needed later.

"There's a good chance the procedure saved her life. She is in remission and has an excellent chance of being cured," said Ammar Hayani, the pediatric oncologist who treated the youngster at Advocate Hope Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill.

In 2003, the little girl was diagnosed with the most common childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and began long-term chemotherapy treatment.

She quickly went into remission, but 10 months later the cancer was back, and this time it had spread to her spine, a worrying development that signaled the leukemia was a particularly aggressive kind that would probably not respond well to treatment, Hayani said.

Her doctors responded with a more aggressive chemotherapy protocol and full-body radiation, and then looked around for ways to replace the blood system they had wiped out.

Ordinarily they would have had to choose between a blood or bone marrow transplant from a family member or unrelated donor, but in this case, the family members were not a match.

And rather than use material from an unrelated donor, with the corresponding risk of life-long complications, they opted to take the controversial and risky step of transplanting the girl's own cord blood, which had been frozen and stored at a private blood bank several years following her birth in 1999.

"We were in unchartered territory," said Hayani. "We couldn't predict with any certainty whether the operation would be successful. We had no concrete data, but the parents felt very comfortable with it, so we went ahead."

The procedure was not without risk, because even though the cord blood was screened to ensure it did not contain any cancerous cells, the screening techniques are not 100 percent accurate, Hayani explained.

Still, the child's parents weighed the risks and gambled that their daughter's own stem cells, contained in her cord blood, would benefit her more than stem cells harvested from the bone marrow or blood of strangers.

The results so far suggest they made the right call, said Hayani who reported on the girl's case in a paper that appears in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics.

"It's hard to argue with success. Relapse seems very unlikely at this point, and she has an excellent quality of life, much better than if she had taken stem cells from a donor."

By Kerwin A Chang

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Treatments

Understanding and Recognizing Leukemia Symptoms

2008-11-21T00:11:00.000-08:00

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.

By Groshan Fabiola

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Leukemia - The "White Blood" Disease

2008-11-18T22:10:00.001-08:00

Leukemia or leukaemia meaning white blood (Greek leukos, "white"; aima, "blood") is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal growth of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes)and is split 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 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

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. It tends to develop suddenly, whereas some chronic varieties may exist for years before they are even diagnosed. Immediate treatment is required due to the rapid progression and accumulation of the malignant cells, which then spill over into the bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body. Whereas acute leukemia must be treated immediately, chronic forms are sometimes monitored for some time before treatment 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 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 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: falling hemoglobin or platelet count, progression to a later stage of disease, painful, disease-related overgrowth of lymph nodes or spleen, lymphocyte doubling time (an indicator of lymphocyte reproduction) of fewer than 12 months. Overall, the strategy is to control bone marrow and systemic (whole-body) disease while offering specific treatment for the central nervous system (CNS), if necessary. Consolidation or "maintenance" treatments may be given to prevent disease recurrence once remission has been achieved. Whatever the plan, it is important for the patient to understand the treatment that is being given and the reasons behind the choice.

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 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.

By Richard Ealom

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Understanding Chronic Leukemia

2008-11-18T00:50:00.001-08:00

Leukemia is a disease of the blood and bone marrow that occurs on the background of genetic predispositions to cancer. Leukemia affects the cellular process of maturation, causing the accumulation of immature blood cells in the spinal marrow and bloodstream. In some cases leukemia causes the incomplete cells to multiply very quickly, while in other cases the abnormal blood cells have prolonged periods of life and persist in different places inside the body. Incomplete blood cells can’t substitute for normal blood cells, as they can’t carry out their roles. The cells affected by leukemia are therefore incompatible with the organism and can cause serious damage.

Judging by the speed of development and the persistence of the disorder, there are two types of leukemia: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Judging by the types of stem cells affected by the disorder, leukemia can either be lymphocytic or myelogenous.

Acute leukemia is different from chronic leukemia by the levels that stem cells are able to reach in their development (stem cells that present anomalies still manage to partially develop and either resemble immature cells or complete, normal white blood cells).

Acute leukemia is a form of cancer that develops very rapidly. It is manifested through overpopulation of the blood with immature cells that are unable to fulfill the functions of normal blood cells. In the case of acute leukemia, the marrow is unable to produce normal quantities of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Patients who suffer from leukemia also develop anemia, a deficiency of normal red blood cells. Also, a decreased number of white blood cells reduces the body’s ability of overcoming infections, while the lack of platelets facilitates inflammation and bleeding.

Chronic leukemia tends to develop slower than acute leukemia. In the case of chronic leukemia, the body is able to produce blood cells that are more mature than those produced in acute leukemia. Although these cells may appear incomplete, they can’t fulfill their roles inside the organism and tend to cluster at different levels of the body. They also have a longer period of life.

Chronic leukemia of lymphocytic form is known to affect a type of blood cell called B lymphocyte. The disease weakens the immune system, interferes in the normal activity of the spinal marrow and facilitates the access of harmful cells to body organs. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia first occurs at the levels of the bone marrow, but can quickly spread to different organs and tissue through the bloodstream.

The presence of chronic lymphocytic leukemia is usually revealed by blood tests and careful body examination. Although apparently some people may have no symptoms of the disease, other patients may experience fatigue, lack of concentration, poor balance, memory loss, deterioration of vision and hearing, vertigos, body weakness, joint and bone pains. Just like in other forms of the disease, chronic leukemia requires immediate specific treatment and therapy. The chances of fully overcoming the disease are considerably enhanced if it is discovered quickly.

By Groshan Fabiola

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101: What You Need to Know About Leukemia

2008-11-14T07:42:00.001-08:00

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.

By Mansi Aggarwal

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Signs-Symptoms And Life-Expectation In Acute Leukemia

2008-11-11T05:11:00.000-08:00

First occurring signs in the development of acute forms of leukemia are bruising and bleedings caused by the decreased number of platelets, fatigue and pales due to the anemia caused by insufficient red blood cells, reoccurring infections and late healing due to abnormal number and function of white blood cells. These symptoms are however not specific for the Leukemia condition and for a precise diagnose further testing is required such as analysis of blood and bone marrow.

A certain cause of Leukemia is not yet known as it can affect persons of all ages and both sexes. A link however between leukemia and benzene prolonged exposure or high doses of radiations could be established. But most cases cannot be rationally explained.

The main target of the Leukemia treatment is to annihilate all existing abnormal cells in blood and bone marrow. A complete remission means no left trace of cancerous modifications. Some of the treated cases show a reoccurrence of the disease with other signs and symptoms. In acute leukemia forms, after five years of remission after treatment the patient can be qualified as cured and the condition rarely reoccurs.

In the last 25 years the percent of surviving subjects has increased due to new therapy ways. The overall five-year survival rate is 44% today, with significant progresses compared to the 1960’s rate of only 14%. The rate of survival differs by age, type of leukemia and previous health status. In the case of acute lymphocytic Leukemia the rate is 58%, in the chronic form it reaches 71%, in acute myelogenous Leukemia the rate is 14% and the chronic form reaches 32% five-year survival.

In present there are about 144000 patients suffering from Leukemia in the USA. The rate of survival in children suffering from acute lymphocytic leukemia is 81% if detected in early stage. For children diagnosed with acute myelogenic Leukemia the rate is 43%.

In 2001 about 12500 male subjects are known to have died from Leukemia and a lower number of 9500 women, in the United States. The estimated number of chronic lymphocytic deaths yet to occur is 4600 and 1400 from acute lymphocytic forms. Acute myelogenous Leukemia is expected to produce 7200 deaths and chronic myelogenous Leukemia about 2300 deaths. Other forms of leukemia will be responsible for approximately 600 death cases.

For males under 40 and for women less than 20 leukemia represents the main cause of death. The estimated rate of deaths in males of Leukemia is 25% higher than in females. The percent of death cases in children has decreased in the last 30 years but the rate still remains high.

By Groshan Fabiola

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What is Leukemia?

2008-11-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

More and more research is being done now about leukemia and what we know about it. Scientists and researchers are learning more and more as they study its causes. They are also developing better and much more effective ways to treat it. Adults and children with leukemia can look forward to a better quality of life and less chance of dying from the disease because of all the research that has been done and continues to be done.

Leukemia is cancer that starts in the blood-forming tissue of the body, like the bone marrow. This year, it is estimated that there will be another 44,270 cases of leukemia diagnosed and about 21,700 deaths caused by it. That's too many. One is too many, but these figures are way, way down from what they were only a few years ago. There was a time when a diagnosis of leukemia was a certain death sentence; but that is no longer the case, and the numbers are improving every year.

The bone marrow in people who have the disease produces abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal cells are the leukemia cells. In the beginning, they function and behave almost normally, but eventually they start to crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. When this happens, the blood can't do its job, which is carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

There are four basic types of leukemia:

1. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: It is responsible for about 7,000 new cases of leukemia each year. People diagnosed with the disease are usually over the age 55, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia almost never affects children.

2. Chronic myeloid leukemia: It is responsible for about 4,400 new cases each year. Adults are most often diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.

3. Acute lymphocytic leukemia: It is responsible for about 3,800 new cases each year. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in young children, but it can also affect adults.

4. Acute myeloid leukemia: It is responsible for about 10,600 new cases each year. Acute myeloid leukemia occurs in both adults and children at about the same rate.

By Milos Pesic

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What is leukemia, and what are its types and its treatment

2008-11-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Leukemia is a malignant cancer that first affects the organs that produce blood and blood cells,like the lymph and the bone marrow. These organs loose control over the number and quality of white blood cells (also known as leukocytes) that they produce, so the blood gets saturated with with abnormal white blood cells that can't fulfill their initial role of protecting the body against viruses and bacteria.

Normally, the body produces a limited amount of cells that die after they do what they are supposed to do, and then new ones are created. But when cancer occurs this process malfunctions and the cells are not developing properly and they do not die when they should. Furthermore, although they do not die, more and more cancerous cells are created.

There are four types of leukemia cancer:
-acute Myelogenous Leukemia
-chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
-acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
-chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The acute leukemia developers very rapidly and is more dangerous, while chronic leukemia develops more slowly and is not too severe. Unfortunately the cause of leukemia still remains unknown, but doctors and researchers are working hard to find it.

Patients with leukemia are not able to fight against diseases anymore because the white blood cells are defective, and when the cancer spreads through the whole body a simple infection can be almost deadly to the patient.

Leukemia has many symptoms that may vary from patient to patient. The most common are:
-a general state of fatigue and weakness
-sudden weight loss for no reason
-fever that appears out of nowhere
-very frequent infections with viruses that are hard to cure because the body can't fight them anymore
-bone pain
-sudden bleeding and blood in urine

It is extremely important that you visit a doctor as soon as you suspect anything because unfortunately the cancer can spread fast and once it has affected all the body little can be done to stop it from killing you.

Leukemia can be treated, but it depends on how far it has advanced. The treatment tries to reduce the white blood cell productions. Then doctors determine whether the patient responds to the treatment or not. If he does, then it is continued, but even if the treatment manages to stop the defective cell production, it may still occur, even after a few years. If the treatment is successful the patient must return from time to time so that the doctors can kill all the remaining blood cells.

The treatment methods are chemotherapy and radiation therapy, or in some cases transplants can be done.

Some patients do not survive the treatment, but the number of victims is decreasing as years pass, and we can only hope that an effective cure will be found in the near future.

By Groshan Fabiola

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Leukemia - Causes, Symptoms, Information With Treatment

2008-11-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

Leukemia is a bone marrow disorder that arises when one abnormal white blood cell begins to continuously replicate itself. Leukemia, which literally means "white blood" in Greek, occurs when there is an excess of abnormal white blood cells in the blood. The disease usually starts in the white blood cells. The blood-forming (hematopoietic) cells of the bone marrow make leukocytes to defend the body against infectious organisms, such as viruses and bacteria. If the cells reach the central nervous system and build up in the cerebrospinal fluid that support s the brain and spinal column, they can cause headaches and seizures.

Lymphocytes, which are found in both the blood stream and the lymphatic system, coordinate the immune response and produce antibodies. If untreated, the surplus leukemic cells overwhelm the bone marrow, enter the bloodstream, and eventually invade other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). In this way, the behavior of leukemia is different than that of other cancers, which usually begin in major organs and ultimately spread to the bone marrow.

Causes of Leukemia

The common Causes of Leukemia:

We do not know what causes leukemia.

Very high levels of radiation

If you think your child is at risk for leukemia, talk with your doctor.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy

These are only risk factors. Most people who have one of the risk factors do not get leukemia.

Some viruses like Human T-cell leukemia virus

Working with chemicals like benzene or formaldehyde

Symptoms of Leukemia

Some Symptoms of Leukemia:

Fever , chills, and other flu-like symptoms.

Neurological symptoms ( headache ).

Night sweats

Swollen or bleeding gums.

Loss of appetite and/or weight.

Enlarged liver and spleen.

Weakness and fatigue.

Frequent infections.

Bone pain or tenderness.

Shortness of breath when you're physically active, as while climbing steps.

Problems breathing

Treatment of Leukemia

The abnormal cells are killed by medicines. Chemotherapy can be taken by mouth, by shots, or given into a vein (intravenously).

Surgery to remove an enlarged spleen or to install a venous access device (large plastic tube) to give medications and withdraw blood samples.

Radiation therapy to kill cancer cells by exposure to high-energy radiation.

High-energy x-rays are used to kill abnormal cells.

After radiation and chemotherapy kills the abnormal bone marrow, healthy bone marrow from a healthy donor is given to a patient through a vein. The healthy bone marrow goes to the patient's bones and makes healthy blood cells. Most children with leukemia will not need a bone marrow transplant.

Some people with leukemia choose to enroll in clinical trials to try out experimental treatments or new combinations of known therapies.

By Juliet Cohen

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Preventing Leukemia

2008-11-04T15:23:00.001-08:00

Leukemia is a malignant cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects thousands of children and adults in the United States. Acute leukemia progresses quickly while chronic leukemia develops more slowly. Studies indicate that leukemia is not inherited nor is it contagious. Several factors are suspected, although scientists have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause. No specific sets of preventions are available for leukemia. However, on analyzing the factors that generally cause leukemia a rough and general idea on the prevention of the disease can be made.

Amongst newborn babies breast milk has shown properties that help in preventing occurrences of leukemia. Statistics have shown that mothers who breast-feed their babies for even one month lower their risk of leukemia by 20%. The factors that cause leukemia are numerous. Continuous exposure to high-level x-ray radiation increases susceptibility for leukemia development. As a result such exposure should be minimized. Similarly chemical irritants like the inhalation of toxic vapor such as benzol vapors cause a variety of blood disorders, including leukemia. Appropriate care should also be taken to avoid such chemicals inhalations. There may also be a genetic predisposition to leukemia. In rare cases it is observed that there are instances where people are born with chromosome damage. These people have genes that add to their chances of developing leukemia. In order to avoid such incidences, couples suffering from leukemia are advised to refrain from having children. Environmental factors such as high-dose radiation or exposure to certain toxic chemicals (atomic bombs) may also trigger the development of leukemic cells. In order to prevent this the government too ought to pass adequate laws and measures.

Sweating is a powerful way to cleanse the body from accumulated toxins that usually cause leukemia. In addition to this bowel cleansing, dental cleanup, kidney cleansing and liver cleansing also contribute to preventing leukemia. Other ways of reducing the risk are prevention of maternal smoking, paternal heavy drinking, use of anti nausea drugs during pregnancy, and exposure to solvents or absorption of contaminated water. However, it should be noted that the above-mentioned preventions are mere suggestions. Since the accurate factors that cause leukemia are unknown, prevention for the same remains a general hypothesis.

By Jennifer Bailey

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Leukemia

2008-10-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

All of the different “types” of cancer can be deadly, that’s a given. Even though survival rates tend to be much higher nowadays than they were perhaps twenty years ago, the fact is that a diagnosis of cancer can still be a death sentence and this is especially so when it affects the most vital components of the body.

One such type of cancer that falls into this category is cancer of the blood, more commonly known as leukemia. Many people may not think of it this way, but, in simple terms, blood is the most important tissue of the body.

It is effectively the conduit that connects all the other organs and tissues of the body together, carrying and supplying oxygen and other vital elements to even the remotest parts of the body. Bloods importance to the body cannot be over estimated.

So, the most dangerous feature of leukemia is that is attacks the blood which then has access to all of the bodies other organs, including the all brain, heart, kidneys and liver. Thus, the cancerous cells are spread throughout the body by the very blood that is normally the key to good health, in a leukemia sufferer.

To take this analogy one stage further, blood cancer specifically targets the leukocytes or the “white blood corpuscles” of the blood, which are the very ones that usually protect the body from external infections. Thus, the body’s immunity from, or resistance to, external infections is dramatically reduced in a leukemia sufferer. Such blood cancer causes the body to produce infected and abnormal cells that hinder the function of blood (i.e. the transport of oxygen around the body) rather than helping it.

It is common for a leukemia sufferer to become anemic, and to lose weight, because the cancerous cells are unable to adequately the hemoglobin, the body’s chief source of iron.

As a consequence, the blood cancer patient tends to lose all vitality and energy, and becomes especially vulnerable, because the infected blood tends to cause the brain to start to malfunction to some extent.

Exposure to raised levels of radiation is a prime proven cause of leukemia. Likewise, children born with Downs Syndrome have a raised probability of suffering blood cancer, and benzene (an industrial hydro-carbon) is also cited as a cause.

However, the slightly better news is that the abnormal cells are easily detected under the microscope, and a timely bone marrow examination should confirm these microscopic tests.

Chemotherapy, whilst it can be extremely painful, is nevertheless still the most effective method of killing the cancerous cells, although any patient undergoing such treatment should be prepared to have to ingest an unholy alliance of chemicals that he (or she) needs to take.

Similarly, radiotherapy can be effective also, with various unpleasant side effects, such as hair loss and poor skin quality whilst undergoing treatment.

Although it is undoubtedly one of the most deadly forms of cancer, leukemia is nevertheless treatable and indeed curable, and extensive research into more effective treatment is a constantly ongoing fact.

Methods like a bone marrow transplant, which may be required at a later stage, are also effective in treating the patient.

By Steve John Cowan

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Statistic Data on Leukemia

2008-10-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is the blood cancer form and originates in a malfunctioning bone marrow that tends to produce abnormal red and white cells in an increased rate. The most important four types of Leukemia are the acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia and the acute and chronic lymphocytic Leukemia. The name of the condition stands for the cell type involved.

The acute type of leukemia develops with an increased production of abnormal white cells making the body unable to fight infections; red blood cells and platelets are insufficient and the organism suffers from bruising, bleedings and anemia. Chronic forms of Leukemia are not as aggressive as they give the normal cells time to regenerate.

About 25000 new equal cases of acute and chronic Leukemia appear every ear. Most cases appear in adults and persons over 60 years but the acute lymphocytic Leukemia has an increased rate in children. Annually, about 10000 cases in adults are diagnosed as acute myelogenic Leukemia, 8000 are chronic lymphocytic Leukemia, 500 are chronic myelogenous forms and about 3500 are acute forms of lymphocytic Leukemia. The rest of the cases are unclassified blood cancer types.

All types of Leukemia are most commonly encountered in men than in women. Men subjects cover about 56% of all Leukemia new cases in a year. Americans with European descent seem to be more affected by cancer than those with African origins; about 131000 new cases of cancer are detected in African Americans every year but most of them are not related to blood cancers.

Americans with Indian or Hispanic origins are far more affected by Leukemia than African Americans and about 50% of the cases are encountered in male subjects. Elderly persons are most highly affected inside all populations.
Minority groups like Caucasians are more affected by Leukemia forms than other ethnic groups like Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. European descent children show increased rate of susceptibility compared to African American children.

Most of the new occurred cases of cancer in children below 15 are of Leukemia. About 2500 new cases of acute forms of lymphocytic leukemia are identified in the USA annually and it tends to be the most encountered form of cancer in children. High percents of the cases occur in children aged 3-4 and less in infants or 19 years old patients. In the last 25 years the chance of cure in specialized centers has increased due to new therapy methods.

People over 40 and older persons are more touched by acute myelogenous Leukemia and the secondary Leukemia type found in adults is chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

By Groshan Fabiola

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Innovative Solutions for Enhancing the Effects of Leukemia Treatments

2008-10-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

The treatment of leukemia involves various cancer therapies and long-term courses of specific medications. There are many forms of treatment for leukemia and most of them have pronounced side-effects. Although the medical treatments available today are effective in achieving complete remission, they also trigger serious undesirable effects among patients with leukemia. Considering this fact, medical scientists nowadays focus on improving the efficiency of cancer medications with minimal side-effects.

The improved version of the leukemia drug ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid) is considered to be a safer and a more reliable alternative to prolonged chemotherapy and traditional cancer medications. The enhanced version of the drug ATRA is Lipo-ATRA, a more advanced and effective cancer medication. Unlike the old version of the drug, the active agent of Lipo-ATRA is covered with a layer a fat. Its inventors claim that Lipo-ATRA remains inside the human body for longer periods of time, thus having increased efficiency in fighting leukemia cells. In addition, Lipo-ATRA can be administered intravenously, allowing the drug to act a lot quicker in fighting the disease. Thanks to its long-term action, Lipo-ATRA can also minimize the risks of relapse.

During the trial period, Lipo-ATRA has proved to be very effective in overcoming acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Patients with AML that have been administered the enhanced version of ATRA have experienced a complete remission and they have remained asymptomatic for long periods of time. The majority of patients with AML have even exceeded the critical five-year period of remission, thus being completely cured.

Medical scientists are very satisfied with the potential and the safety of the new drug. They sustain that Lipo-ATRA is a reliable replacement for traditional chemotherapy. Medical scientists explain that more than a third of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia who receive Lipo-ATRA can be spared of prolonged chemotherapy. Considering the fact that the new drug acts very well on its own, patients often don’t require other adjutant cancer therapies or treatments.

In the trial period, the new drug Lipo-ATRA was tested on 34 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In the initial stages of treatment, Lipo-ATRA was administered along with idarubicin, a strong cancer medication. When patients began to achieve remission, Lipo-ATRA was administered without idarubicin. The effects of Lipo-ATRA were remarkable, as 10 patients among the 34 that participated to the study remained in remission for more than 5 years even after they stopped receiving adjutant chemotherapy drugs.

Thanks to its efficiency in curing leukemia and thanks to its fewer side-effects, Lipo-ATRA is considered to be the best option in overcoming the disease in present. An appropriate substitute for traditional chemotherapy, Lipo-ATRA may soon revolutionize the treatment of leukemia.

By Groshan Fabiola

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Leukemia- A Battle Lost

2008-10-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

On 28 September 2006, I received an e-mail from a man seeking help for his wife. This is what he wrote:

I write this e-mail to you in order to seek your suggestion regarding my wife’s illness.

My wife had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) type M5 in late December 2005. I brought her to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) on 1 January 2006 for further management and chemotherapy. She had 3 cycles of chemotherapies in the first 3 months. Later she underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant procedure (BMT) in late April 2006 until mid May 2006. But unfortunately, on the 75th day after BMT, the leukemia cell relapsed. After that my wife had another cycle of chemotherapy and also received donor lymphocytes.

Due to financial consideration, I moved my wife for further treatment to Malaysia in mid August 2006. She was admitted into the Subang Jaya Medical Center (SJMC) until today. At SJMC she got another cycle of chemotherapy and received another donor stem cell on 12 August 2006.

But a week ago the leukemia cells were shown to be active again and they developed quickly before donor stem cells even could work. Five days ago my wife had another cycle of chemotherapy in order to reduce the white blood cell count.

I would like to find possible therapy and treatments that will be suitable for my wife. My wife and I are Indonesians. Within the next few days, I must make a decision whether to bring back my wife home to Jakarta or stay in Malaysia. I really need your help.

Comments

The above is a 33-year-old lady. Before her diagnosis she presented with the following symptoms: fevers for 1 to 2 weeks, gum pain and bleeding, headaches and diarrhea.

Over the years I have encountered many cases of bone marrow transplant (BMT). And all the cases that I know of resulted in death. There was this young lady of eighteen. She underwent BMT in Singapore. After spending so much money, her parents had to bring her home in a coffin. At her wake service, her mother said to me: “If we knew it is like this, we would have stuck to your advice!” She realized her mistake a bit too late!

I know of a person who had to spend well over 1.5 million ringgit (US$1 = 3.5 ringgit) to save his wife from leukemia. She too died. Then there was another young lady who just started to work after graduating from her studies in Australia. She had leukemia and she too underwent BMT. I was told (rightly or wrongly) that she died while on the “operation” table.

Tham is my patient who suffered from kidney lymphoma. After undergoing some initial chemo-treatment he decided to give up chemotherapy due to severe side effects. He opted for herbs. Within nine months, the cancer went into remission. Soon after he was pronounced cancer-free, his doctor suggested that Tham undergo BMT. According to the doctor with BMT he would live ten years longer. Tham declined after consulting me. The question I posed to Tham at that time was: “The aim of the doctor was to prolong his life for ten more years with BMT, but what was not taken into consideration was the risk of dying from BMT due to various complications.” It has been eleven years since Tham was diagnosed with cancer. He is very much alive and well today. Tham is still taking the herbs.

In the case of the lady above, fortunately she did not die from the BMT procedure, but it did not cure her either. Much money had been spent on medical expenses. I only have this to say: Your life is in your hands. Decide wisely!

By Chris Teo, Ph.D.

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Symptoms

Used Methods For Killing Leukemia

2008-10-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

The most common treatment for leukemia is the chemotherapy.The therapy for children is produced by radiation and it is used only to treat leukemia in the central nervous system and the testicles.Unfortunately leukemia cannot be cured by surgery.A stem-cell transplant is the method which can be used.

Besides chemotherapy, immunotherapy can be successfully used.Therapeutic vaccines are used in human patients.Induction, consolidation and maintenance are the three phases of chemotherapy used in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia and it develops over the course of a two to three year period.

In the case of chemotherapy induction and intensification are used for treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia.Chemotherapeutic drugs provided by the cerebrospinal fluid are received by patients throughout the course of treatment.In what concerns the cerebrospinal fluid chemotherapy discourage the spread of leukemia cells to the central nervous system.

Remission is the goal of induction.The body eliminates 99 percent of leukemia cells.The bone marrow is filled with normal hematopoietic stem cells.For most cases chemotherapy treatments last for about a month.For the patients with high-risk higher doses are used and for the acute myelogenous leukemia, different drugs are used.In both cases chemotherapy is continuously administered for ten consecutive days.

For inducing remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia are used retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide, after month of treatment patients survive induction.The person's condition is critical until blood counts return to normal.Different treatments are required by chronic forms of the disease.The treatment is succesful by using the following medication:imatinib mesylate for patients with chronic myelogenousleukemia and cladribine and 2-deoxycoformycin which are both effective against hairy cell leukemia, a type of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Ten billion leukemia cells remain in the body after induction.The role of goals of consolidation referring to an intensification are to eliminate leukemia cells from locations such as the central nervous system and the testicles,where the cancer cells remains undetected by the immune system;the role of the cells being the one which reduces the number of leukemia cells remaining in the body.The last phase of treatment is the maintenance.Patients with low-risk and high-risk receive different drugs for leukemia in this case,but the drugs are used at lower doses than in the induction phase.

A relatively-new and complex treatment for leukemia is transplantation which consist in cells collected from cavities within bones where blood cells form or from the blood.For children with a poor chance of survival and for whom the treatment relapses the transplantation is used.Blood-forming stem cells are collected from patient or a donor with a nearly identical cell type.In this case the cells are frozen for storage.If the umbilical cord blood is available it can be use as a source of stem cells.

To kill all cancerous cells the patient follows a treatment with a very high dose of chemotherapy and radiation.All normal bone marrow cells are killed due to the does of chemotherapy and radiation.Then the bone marrow is repopulated by the stored stem cells which return to the body.To treat disease and also to maintain the immunity of the body immunotherapy is used.For the patients with leukemia interferon alfa which is an immune-system activator produced as a drug for bolstering the immune system of the body is successfully used.

The custom-made and duplicated antibody is produced in the laboratory and it is designed to interfere with malignant cells only which can also reduce the number of disease cells.Mylotarg is the monoclonal antibody has been approved for treatment of adults with refractory acute myelogenous leukemia.The improved technics and the science evolution have helped the people to find out different ways of destroying leukemia.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Symptoms

Vitamin A Found To Cure Those Affected By Leukemia

2008-10-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

In the medical field, many doctors are astonished by the new benefits of Vitamin A. Vitamin A has been observed to have profound effects upon conditions such as macular generation as well as other health condition. Recently, at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, researchers have found that Vitamin A strong affects those who suffer with leukemia. During the trial conducted, researches observed that without the assistance of chemotherapy, Vitamin A helped to cure 1/3 of patients with a rare form of leukemia, called acute promyelocytic leukemia.

In order to enhance the vitamin's bioavailability injected vitamin A, which was renamed to be a "biological agent", into the adipose tissue (fat) of these patients. Researchers felt the retinoic acid, was not being absorbed the body so they decide to circumvent the absorption process. According to Dr. Gabriel Lopez-Berestein, M.D., a professor in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics, when the all-trans retinoic acid is placed in a lipid carrier it is not metabolized and stays longer in the tissues. According to various sources, 10 of the 34 participants remained cancer-free after five years of observance. Some of the remaining participants were able to combat the leukemia with the combination of Vitamin A and chemotherapy. These number are pretty amazing provide that patient are able to live long-term, drug free lives. In the overall trial, many of the patients are in remission, though they had to supplement their therapy with chemotherapy.

This type of advancement or finding, is a great tool that physician can work with when treating patients with APL or other applicable leukemias. More people would be willing to seek treatment if they did not have to undergo chemotherapy. Many patients can not tolerate the persistent side effects of the chemotherapy such as hair loss, chronic fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.

Though there is some skeptism about the strength of the results. Many researchers do concur that Vitamin A is potent at helping the body to defeat certain types of cancer.

These type of findings strength the argument about the benefit of alternative medicine. Many believe that there are various organic compounds found in certain natural products that we constantly overlook. It is believe by some that certain natural nurtitional supplements such spirulina, chlorella, and licorice root have anti-cancer properties once consumed.

One of the biggest factors to overcome in medical research is that alternative treatment are much harder to patent, since it was readily accessible. Therefore, many companies try to promote chemical alternatives since they can patent the formulas in hopes of preventing competing products. Regardless, many medicines that are available contain harmful side effects but side stepped the regulation of the FDA. I think it would be amazing to find out the new wave of alternative medicines that will be discovered in the near future. Vitamin A is a pretty powerful compound that has great widespread health benefits.

By Vilash Reddy

Check Out the Related Article : Leukemia Symptoms

Understanding Chronic Leukemia

2008-10-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

Symptoms And Diagnosing In Leukemia

2008-10-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

No human is alike another on this planet. Because of the this the way that the disease leukemia affects people is also very different. Some patients may experience severe or acute symptoms, while in others the action of the symptoms may be so mild that a long time passes till the disease is actually found and diagnosed; this can go on for years or even decades. All of us know that leukemia is the worst cancer that exist in this days and that affects people. Properly diagnosing this disorder can prove quite tricky some times, the fact being that many of its symptoms do resemble the symptoms of other very common and not life threatening illnesses.

Some of the most usual symptoms found in leukemia patients are fever, chills or other symptoms that resemble the ones of flu; weakness or fatigue may also appear in patients. Because of the heavy tole that the disease has on the body the patient may experience loss of appetite and normally after this, the weight might severely drop. Severe sweating may also be present, especially during sleep, at night time. Swollen or bleeding gums may be some of that symptoms to show us that the disease is getting serious and taking a heavy tole on the patient. Because of the lack of oxygen and nutrients that the body is receiving, bone or joint pain may also make them selves felt. Because the fact that the brain is also affected, headache, paralysis, seizures may sometimes trouble the patient with different intensities. In men the case might also include the swelling of the testicles, witch is a very nasty thing. Skin symptoms may also appear like rashes, loss of hair.

To be sure of the diagnose he makes, the doctor will most certainly run a wide variety of tests to rule out any other disease that is suspected to cause trouble to the patient. As long with physical test the doctor will also take blood samples to be more shore of the diagnose that he makes. High white blood cell count would most certainly indicate an over production of the bone marrow, but this does not necessarily mean the person has leukemia. A further more thorough test will actually include the extraction of some bone marrow for a bone marrow biopsy. If in this case a problem is discovered than the patient is in for some bed news. Still these test are extremely painful, often making patients to think again about taking them.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Different Forms of Acute Leukemia

Signs-Symptoms And Life-Expectation In Acute Leukemia

2008-10-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Symptoms of Chronic and Acute Leukemia

2008-10-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Discovering leukemia while it is still in an early phase is crucial in its treatment because when the disease advances it starts to spread in the whole body and it's much harder to be treated.

Therefore it's important to learn the symptoms of leukemia so that you can can detect its signs and take the appropriate measures. Symptoms however may vary from one person to another and they also depend on what type of leukemia the patient has. Leukemia can be divided into two major types: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia, each having its specific symptoms.

Leukemia symptoms result from the fact that the blood cells of someone suffering from leukemia are diseased and they can't fulfill their role anymore.

Patients with acute leukemia have too little red blood cells in their bodies which leads to a general feeling of weakness and to a pale color.

On the other hand, a person with too many abnormal white blood cells can develop fever, is very easily bruised, will suddenly start bleeding out his/her nose or gums and sometimes they will feel pain in the joints.

Other common symptoms of leukemia are pain in the abdomen, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, sweating, and if the disease spreads to the brain headaches, disorientation, balance problems and confusion appears.

Acute leukemia develops much faster that chronic leukemia, but it's easier to be discovered because people come at the doctor because they feel sick. Chronic leukemia develops much slower but it's harder to detect it because very often it shows no specific symptoms and it's discovered when it has already advanced a lot. Always feeling weakend and getting infections often can be a sign so visit your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

If someone reports a few of these symptoms to the doctor then some special tests must be performed to determine whether the person has leukemia or not and if he/she has it then some other tests need to be done to determine what kind of treatment gives the best results.
The lymph and blood marrow must be examined and blood samples must also be processed in order to establish an accurate diagnosis. Once the leukemia diagnose is established chemotherapy usually begins. The survival rate gets higher and higher each year.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Decisions Upon Leukemia Treatment

What is Leukemia?

2008-10-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Today, one of the most dangerous and incurable condition seems to be cancer. It has no actual cure for mostly of the tissues it affects, especially when it reaches vital organs such as heart, lungs or blood. The blood tissue form of cancer is known as Leukemia and it represents a real life threat as it affects the blood circulation meant to supply the whole body with vital nutriments.

Blood is the connection tissue for all of the body’s organs and tissue as it carries oxygen and other important elements for the cell life. This is the reason why leukemia is such dangerous and frightening disease. Blood has access to all vital organs like heart, lungs and brain and when Leukemia occurs, it will rapidly create a dysfunction of all the other organs by supplying them with unhealthy particles. Cancerous cells are quickly carried to all parts of the organism and the dissemination occurs in a very short period of time.

Leukemia is in fact the consequence of an abnormality occurred in the form and number of leukocytes, the blood white cells. Leucocytes are vital for the good functioning of the body as they have the role to fight against all potential aggressions from the outside. They are the key to a good protection against infections and when leukemia appears the cellular immunity decreases drastically leaving the body unable to protect against damaging factors of any nature.

The main pathological way of the disease is an increased production by the marrow of infected and abnormal white blood cells. The new leucocytes anatomically and functionally modified and interfere with all functions of the blood even hindering the normal oxygen transport. Modified white blood cells also damage the normal functioning of the red blood cells and lead to the occurrence of anemia. Cancerous cells impede the tissue supply with hemoglobin and the body cells suffer from the lack of iron.

When the cancerous cells reach the brain, other dangerous modifications appear such as headaches, night sweats and neuropsychical problems. Cancerous Leukemia cells can be easily detected under the microscope and the suspects of the disease are advised to undergo a bone marrow examination. The onset of Leukemia is pointed out by swollen lymph nodes through the whole body, especially around the neck and thigh.

Risk factors for Leukemia are especially radioactive radiations that produce cell mutations and damages to their activity. An overexposure to benzene, an industrial hydrocarbure, also increases the risk of developing Leukemia, as well as the Down syndrome.

The most effective but also painful treatment is chemotherapy when the patients need to swallow many drugs at once. Another possibility of treatment is radiotherapy and patients suffer from losing hair and skin texture.

Leukemia is curable if detected in time and treated right. A bone marrow transplant may be helpful to regain healthy white blood cells. For a good outcome, the patients especially need the support of the family.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Decisions Upon Leukemia Treatment

Leukemia - Blood Cancer

2008-10-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

My wife was suffering from Acute Leukemia. She died on 23rd Jan 2008. Her disease was diagnosed very late when she was in the 3rd stage. When I came to know about the fact, I did intense search on the internet and gained knowledge about the Leukemia. Had I known those facts earlier, her life could have been saved. I have collected some information and I am uploading it on blog so that it can help some one.What is leukemia? In simple words it is, "Too many white blood cells in the body". Blood contains three types of cells

RBC - Red Blood Cells (Carry Oxygen)

WBC - White Blood Cells (Also called leukocytes, they are part of body's immune system. These cells have several subcategories and they have roles to fight with the invaders such as bacteria, viruses and foreign proteins.

Platelets - Helps in blood clotting.

These cells are produced inside bone marrow that presents inside the bone cavities. Leukemia affected bone marrow produces large number of abnormal white blood cells making patient extremely fragile to infection. Leukemia can be acute or chronic. Acute Leukemia is most dangerous.

Examples of Acute Leukemia are.

• Acute myelocytic leukaemia (AML)

• Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)

Examples of Chronic Leukemia are.

• Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)

• Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)

It is possible to have chronic leukaemia for months or even years without knowing it.

What are the symptoms?

• Tiredness due to Anemia.

• Paleness of the face.

• Bruising easily even without falling. A purple/dark red spot around bruise indicates less platelet count.

• Repeated Infections.

• Weight Loss.

• Loss of appetite.

• Fever.

• Sweats.

• Enlarged Lymph Glands.

• Fever.

• Enlarged spleen cause enormous pain in the stomach.

• Bleeding from Gum, Nose and Ears due to lack of platelets in the blood stream.

What cause Leukaemia?

The causes are not very clearly known some reasons are...

• Genetic Effects.

• Exposure to retroviruses.

How it is diagnosed?

Many times it is diagnosed by chance when blood test is performed for other reasons. Doctors can diagnose based on the blood reports but bone marrow test is used to confirm the diagnosis. Special test such as chromosome study is performed to classify the Leukaemia.

What is the treatment?

It usually involves intensive chemotherapy. Drugs are given as injection into veins. Other chemotherapy drugs such as fludarabine (Fludara) may be used in late stage disease. In bone marrow failure steroid treatment is given to recover the bone marrow. Chemotherapy drugs are very strong and have some side effects like fatigue, loss of hair and loss of appetite. It also kills the healthy bone marrow thus making patient weaker. These drugs can not distinguish between healthy and ill cells. Milder cases can be cured by regular blood transfusion. X-ray therapy (Radiation) given to infected lymph or to whole body depends on the level of the disease. In some cases bone marrow transplant can be done but this is very expensive treatment and out of the reach of a poor common man. Patient need a matching bone marrow donor as body easily rejects foreign bone marrow. Fifty to sixty percent patients live normal life after bone marrow transplant. Since this disease can occur any time again so regular monitoring is required.

I hope that this article would be informative. I am also writing an article how cancer can be cured using Pranayam, Yoga, Food and Natural herbs. I will also talk about the website alternative cancer care and about the Green Blood.

By Pradeep Mamgain

Check Out the Related Article : Decisions Upon Leukemia Treatment

Prevent Leukemia Lymphoma Cancer

2008-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

The leukemia lymphoma cancer at times also called as only leukemia can be categorized as disease that involves an unusual exercise and the massive build up in the number of the white blood cells in the blood or the bone marrow. It is mainly assorted in the critical or the chronic category.

Some of the most popular initial symptoms include extensive damage to the bone marrow that is owed to the upsurge of the white blood cells which precipitates into a privation of platelets, meaning that the patients of leukemia bruise very easy and bleed immoderately. Further the patients' immune system becomes feeble and the continuing deficiency of the red blood cells eventually lead to anemia. Inflated gums and tonsils, severe headaches, a magnified liver and spleen make up the other symptoms.

Despite the lack of a primary authentic cause for this disease; still the main reasons that are believed to attribute overall are viral infections, hereditary factors and several types of chemicals and radiations. Physical mutations and anemia are also the dominant contributors. Different causes need to be investigated for the discovery of prevention methods of this disease. On visibility they should be dealt with immediately in accordance with the nature of the cancer. Blood tests and white blood cells count are taken for the diagnosis.

The decision for treatment following diagnosis is made in accordance with the symptoms of the individual patients. Common treatments include induction chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and several other maintenance treatments that aim at curing the patients.

Other than that several ongoing researches regarding the criteria, causes, diagnosis and treatments are being carried out presently. The concentration of these studies is aimed at methods for both treatment and the improvement of life.

By Sarfaraz Ali

Check Out the Related Article : Chronic Leukemia - A Less Dangerous Cancer, But Harder To Treat

What Are Leukemias?

2008-10-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Leukemias are cancers of the blood and occur when there is an excess accumulation of abnormal (immature) blood cells (called blasts). Instead of maturing normally, large numbers of these blast cells turn into abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal cells cannot carry out the normal functions of white blood cells. They crowd the bone marrow and spill into the blood and may then spread into organs such as the liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys and into the cerebro spinal fluid to the brain.

In leukemia, the cells do not mature properly but continue to multiply and the bone marrow is replaced by these abnormal cells spilling over into the blood. Because the bone marrow can no longer produce sufficient normal blood cells and platelets, anemia, infections and bruising occurs.

Leukemia occurs in several forms. Some forms appear suddenly and progress rapidly over days to weeks. These are called acute leukemias. Others are less apparent and progress slowly over months to years. These are the chronic leukemias. Leukemia are also described according to the type of white blood cell which is involved; granulocytes (formed from immature cells called myeloblasts) or lymphocytes. The four main types of leukemia are:

* Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia (ALL) - generally occurs in young children, but can occur in adults.

* Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) - usually occurs in adults, but can occur in children.

* Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) - can occur at any age, but is uncommon below the age of 20 years.

* Chronic Lymphoid Leukaemia (CLL) - usually occurs in older people and is rare under the age of 35 years.

By Mehmet Hakan

Check Out the Related Article : Chronic Leukemia - A Less Dangerous Cancer, But Harder To Treat

What is Leukemia?

2008-10-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today, one of the most dangerous and incurable condition seems to be cancer. It has no actual cure for mostly of the tissues it affects, especially when it reaches vital organs such as heart, lungs or blood. The blood tissue form of cancer is known as Leukemia and it represents a real life threat as it affects the blood circulation meant to supply the whole body with vital nutriments.

Blood is the connection tissue for all of the body’s organs and tissue as it carries oxygen and other important elements for the cell life. This is the reason why leukemia is such dangerous and frightening disease. Blood has access to all vital organs like heart, lungs and brain and when Leukemia occurs, it will rapidly create a dysfunction of all the other organs by supplying them with unhealthy particles. Cancerous cells are quickly carried to all parts of the organism and the dissemination occurs in a very short period of time.

Leukemia is in fact the consequence of an abnormality occurred in the form and number of leukocytes, the blood white cells. Leucocytes are vital for the good functioning of the body as they have the role to fight against all potential aggressions from the outside. They are the key to a good protection against infections and when leukemia appears the cellular immunity decreases drastically leaving the body unable to protect against damaging factors of any nature.

The main pathological way of the disease is an increased production by the marrow of infected and abnormal white blood cells. The new leucocytes anatomically and functionally modified and interfere with all functions of the blood even hindering the normal oxygen transport. Modified white blood cells also damage the normal functioning of the red blood cells and lead to the occurrence of anemia. Cancerous cells impede the tissue supply with hemoglobin and the body cells suffer from the lack of iron.

When the cancerous cells reach the brain, other dangerous modifications appear such as headaches, night sweats and neuropsychical problems. Cancerous Leukemia cells can be easily detected under the microscope and the suspects of the disease are advised to undergo a bone marrow examination. The onset of Leukemia is pointed out by swollen lymph nodes through the whole body, especially around the neck and thigh.

Risk factors for Leukemia are especially radioactive radiations that produce cell mutations and damages to their activity. An overexposure to benzene, an industrial hydrocarbure, also increases the risk of developing Leukemia, as well as the Down syndrome.

The most effective but also painful treatment is chemotherapy when the patients need to swallow many drugs at once. Another possibility of treatment is radiotherapy and patients suffer from losing hair and skin texture.

Leukemia is curable if detected in time and treated right. A bone marrow transplant may be helpful to regain healthy white blood cells. For a good outcome, the patients especially need the support of the family.

Check Out the Related Article : Chronic Leukemia - A Less Dangerous Cancer, But Harder To Treat

Leukemia Treatments

2008-10-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is considered one of the most dangerous forms of cancer, given that it affects the blood and its functions. It is also considered as dangerous because of the very difficult symptoms that people who suffer from the disease exhibit, such as abnormal bleeding and increased incidence of infections. However, recent developments in medical research have now increased the chances of beating the disease.

Treatments

When a person is diagnosed with leukemia, he is most likely referred to a hematologist-oncologist, who is a doctor that specializes in the treatment of leukemia. After examination, the doctor then suggests the possible treatments that can be employed to treat the leukemia, which will depend on the type and severity of the leukemia. The usual treatment of leukemia is divided into two categories: treatments that are aimed at fighting the cancer and treatments that are aimed at relieving the symptoms and the side effects of the disease.

Among possible cancer treatments, the most commonly used to fight leukemia is chemotherapy, which involves the use of very powerful medication to kill leukemia cells. This therapy is usually done in cycles, and the medication can either be taken intravenously or orally. However, although chemotherapy is very effective in killing cancer cells, it can also kill healthy cells, which explains some of its side effects. Some of these side effects include hair loss, irritation in the esophagus, and other symptoms. In recent years, newer agents have been developed and are being used for chemotherapy; these new agents do not affect healthy cells as much as the conventional agents used in chemotherapy.

Another treatment includes the use of biological drug therapy; leukemia patients take biological drugs that act in a manner similar to the body's immune system such as antibodies. These drugs are designed to also target cancer cells.

Another form of therapy is radiation therapy, which involves the use of radiation that is targeted on the organs where large deposits of cancer cells can be found. However, this form of therapy can have some negative long-term effects.

By Jennifer Bailey

Check Out the Related Article : Chronic Leukemia - A Less Dangerous Cancer, But Harder To Treat

Preventing Leukemia

2008-10-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Leukemia Symptoms

2008-10-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is one of the most dangerous types of cancer because it affects the blood, which has a number of very important functions such as transporting oxygen to the different organs to the body. Given this, there has been considerable research on the disease, which includes research in formulating treatments and in the early detection of symptoms.

The current literature on leukemia presents a number of symptoms that can be detected on initial examination and symptoms that can be seen after more thorough tests. Presented below is some of the literature with regard to these symptoms.

Initial signs and symptoms

Medical research has characterized the initial signs and symptoms of leukemia as nonspecific and vague. This is because some symptoms can be found in non-cancer patients as well. However, researchers have identified some general features among the symptoms of people with leukemia: abnormal bleeding, weight loss, fatigue, malaise (nonspecific feeling of bodily discomfort), excessive bruising (hematoma), weakness, bone or joint pain, abdominal pain, infections and fever, enlarged spleen lymph nodes and liver, and a reduced tolerance for exercise. However, there are cases wherein people with leukemia exhibit no symptoms or are asymptomatic until the disease becomes chronic. The other symptoms of leukemia also include the symptoms that different organs may exhibit as a result of the cancer cells being deposited in the organ due to the leukemia.

Further testing

Once leukemia is suspected, physicians often recommend further testing for confirmation purposes. For leukemia, the most common test is a blood test, wherein any abnormalities related to leukemia can be seen. One of these abnormalities is anemia, which means that the blood has very low levels of erythrocytes or red blood cells; unusual paleness of the patient and a certain level of respiratory difficulty often characterize this condition. Another abnormality is Leukopenia, which means that the blood has very low levels of leukocytes or white blood cells, which increases the risk of infection in the patient. Other abnormalities include Neutropenia, Thrombocytopenia, and Thrombocytosis.

There has been considerable research on leukemia because it is considered one of the most dangerous forms of cancer. Given this, a huge body of literature on its treatment and its symptoms has been created. As a result of this, people can now get more information on its symptoms, which can help them detect these symptoms early, which is the key to effectively treating cancers such as leukemia.

Check Out the Related Article : Childhood Leukemia

What is Leukemia?

2008-10-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Information and Facts about Acute Leukemia

2008-10-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is a dangerous form of the disease known as cancer. It affects the white blood cells from the body. These cells fight the dangerous viruses and bacteria that enter the organism, so if they become abnormal the body will be very weakened and exposed to infections.

There are several types of leukemia and the treatment may vary depending on the type. The two main forms of the illness are acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Chronic leukemia is milder, not all the white blood cells are defective and the disease advances much slower than acute leukemia.

Acute leukemia occurs when the disease has advanced and none of the white blood cells are normal anymore. It advances very quickly, but in some cases it's easier to treat than chronic leukemia.

Thousands of cases of acute leukemia are discovered every year only in the USA. Quite a large number of cases are found at young children, usually around 4 years old. The good news is that more and more of these cases are cured as time passes, and doctors are continuously researching new medication and treatment methods.

The causes of acute leukemia are unknown, the only thing that scientists know is that some people are at a higher risk of getting this illness than others. People exposed to radiations or chemicals have the highest risk of acute leukemia. Also, risks can be increased by hereditary factors. The child can receive defective genes from his mother, which can lead to acute leukemia.

The disease does not have some specific symptoms that occur at all patients that have it, because it weakens the defense system and then the viruses that enter the body do the damage. The symptoms mainly depend on these viruses.

However, it is known that most of the people with leukemia are easily bruised and they also easily bleed out of the nose and gums.
A weak defense system is also accompanied by a general sensation of fatigue, but leukemia is not the only disease that weakens the defense system.
Finally, many leukemia patients experience weight loss.

If a patient experiences any of the common symptoms then he/she should visit the doctor for a complete physical examination and some special tests. If the results indicate leukemia then the chemotherapy starts soon. The survivability rate keeps increasing so you can keep your hopes up.

Doctors are continuously trying to find a cure for cancer, and we can only hope that one of these days a breakthrough will bring us the good news. The most important thing about acute leukemia is to detect it as soon as possible and treat it immediately before it starts spreading in the whole body.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : Benzene Leukemia

Leukemia FAQs

2008-09-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

Leukemia occurs when the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells, which do not function properly and eventually crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. It is basically a cancer of the white blood cells. Leukemia has increased at an alarming rate amongst people in the US. Many people are not even aware of the basic facts and symptoms of this life threatening disease. Often it is seen that lack of adequate information pertaining to leukemia leads to erratic and discriminative behavior against people suffering from this disease. Since people are scared of contracting the disease themselves, the most common question that is asked is with respect to its contagious nature by way of touch or social interaction.

When a person suffers from leukemia the family members or friends may have a number of queries relating to the disease. The person suffering would also want adequate and satisfactory answers to the various questions that come up in his mind. Normal persons looking for information on the disease may also ask questions. These frequently asked questions might relate to the causes for leukemia, the signs and symptoms of the illness and the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid it. Queries relating to the improved technologies used as a cure, survival rate with such treatment may also be asked. Since it is a life threatening disease, a person suffering from leukemia might also ask for the general life expectancy that is prescribed. Leukemia is divided into two main types i.e. acute and chronic. Since both types vary considerably, detailed information regarding the same may also be inquired.

Treatment for leukemia is a complicated procedure that is spread over a long period of time. Before undertaking such treatments, a person may want to know about the best possible treatment available, the cost of such treatment and the side effects that may possibly crop up. With the increasing use of the Internet, knowledge and information regarding leukemia can be easily obtained. Along with this a number of organizations also help people suffering from the disease and provide accurate information regarding the disease.

By Jennifer Bailey

Check Out the Related Article : Benzene Leukemia

Leukemia Treatments

2008-09-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is considered one of the most dangerous forms of cancer, given that it affects the blood and its functions. It is also considered as dangerous because of the very difficult symptoms that people who suffer from the disease exhibit, such as abnormal bleeding and increased incidence of infections. However, recent developments in medical research have now increased the chances of beating the disease.

Treatments

When a person is diagnosed with leukemia, he is most likely referred to a hematologist-oncologist, who is a doctor that specializes in the treatment of leukemia. After examination, the doctor then suggests the possible treatments that can be employed to treat the leukemia, which will depend on the type and severity of the leukemia. The usual treatment of leukemia is divided into two categories: treatments that are aimed at fighting the cancer and treatments that are aimed at relieving the symptoms and the side effects of the disease.

Among possible cancer treatments, the most commonly used to fight leukemia is chemotherapy, which involves the use of very powerful medication to kill leukemia cells. This therapy is usually done in cycles, and the medication can either be taken intravenously or orally. However, although chemotherapy is very effective in killing cancer cells, it can also kill healthy cells, which explains some of its side effects. Some of these side effects include hair loss, irritation in the esophagus, and other symptoms. In recent years, newer agents have been developed and are being used for chemotherapy; these new agents do not affect healthy cells as much as the conventional agents used in chemotherapy.

Another treatment includes the use of biological drug therapy; leukemia patients take biological drugs that act in a manner similar to the body's immune system such as antibodies. These drugs are designed to also target cancer cells.

Another form of therapy is radiation therapy, which involves the use of radiation that is targeted on the organs where large deposits of cancer cells can be found. However, this form of therapy can have some negative long-term effects.

Leukemia is one of the most dangerous types of cancer because it has the potential to spread the cancer to other organs. However, developments in medical research have now increased the chances of beating the cancer.

Check Out the Related Article : Benzene Leukemia

Leukemia

2008-09-25T02:35:00.002-07:00

All of the different “types” of cancer can be deadly, that’s a given. Even though survival rates tend to be much higher nowadays than they were perhaps twenty years ago, the fact is that a diagnosis of cancer can still be a death sentence and this is especially so when it affects the most vital components of the body.

One such type of cancer that falls into this category is cancer of the blood, more commonly known as leukemia. Many people may not think of it this way, but, in simple terms, blood is the most important tissue of the body.

It is effectively the conduit that connects all the other organs and tissues of the body together, carrying and supplying oxygen and other vital elements to even the remotest parts of the body. Bloods importance to the body cannot be over estimated.

So, the most dangerous feature of leukemia is that is attacks the blood which then has access to all of the bodies other organs, including the all brain, heart, kidneys and liver. Thus, the cancerous cells are spread throughout the body by the very blood that is normally the key to good health, in a leukemia sufferer.

To take this analogy one stage further, blood cancer specifically targets the leukocytes or the “white blood corpuscles” of the blood, which are the very ones that usually protect the body from external infections. Thus, the body’s immunity from, or resistance to, external infections is dramatically reduced in a leukemia sufferer. Such blood cancer causes the body to produce infected and abnormal cells that hinder the function of blood (i.e. the transport of oxygen around the body) rather than helping it.

It is common for a leukemia sufferer to become anemic, and to lose weight, because the cancerous cells are unable to adequately the hemoglobin, the body’s chief source of iron.

As a consequence, the blood cancer patient tends to lose all vitality and energy, and becomes especially vulnerable, because the infected blood tends to cause the brain to start to malfunction to some extent.

Exposure to raised levels of radiation is a prime proven cause of leukemia. Likewise, children born with Downs Syndrome have a raised probability of suffering blood cancer, and benzene (an industrial hydro-carbon) is also cited as a cause.

However, the slightly better news is that the abnormal cells are easily detected under the microscope, and a timely bone marrow examination should confirm these microscopic tests.

Chemotherapy, whilst it can be extremely painful, is nevertheless still the most effective method of killing the cancerous cells, although any patient undergoing such treatment should be prepared to have to ingest an unholy alliance of chemicals that he (or she) needs to take.

Similarly, radiotherapy can be effective also, with various unpleasant side effects, such as hair loss and poor skin quality whilst undergoing treatment.

Although it is undoubtedly one of the most deadly forms of cancer, leukemia is nevertheless treatable and indeed curable, and extensive research into more effective treatment is a constantly ongoing fact.

Methods like a bone marrow transplant, which may be required at a later stage, are also effective in treating the patient.

Check Out the Related Article : Benzene and Leukemia Information

How Is Leukemia Treated?

2008-09-24T01:37:00.000-07:00

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.

By Gray Rollins

Check Out the Related Article : Benzene and Leukemia Information

Green Tea as a Treatment for Myeloid Leukemia

2008-09-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

Myeloid leukemia is a fairly rare form of cancer. However, because it often has no symptoms until it is far advanced, it is not easy to find. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 4,500 new cases of chronic myeloid leukemia in the US this year, and about 600 people will die from the disease.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia. Myeloid (or myelogenous) refers to the cell types that are involved. Myeloid leukemia involves one of two types of white blood cells: granulocytes or monocytes.

It is a form of cancer that starts in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow. Next, it invades the blood and can then spread to the lymph nodes, the spleen, liver, and other parts of the body. In contrast, other types of cancer can start in these organs and then spread to the bone marrow, but these are not known as leukemia. Chronic myeloid leukemia can also change into a fast-growing acute leukemia that invades almost any organ in the body.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia affects mostly adults, and mostly older adults. The average age of people with CML is around 66 years. Only about 2% of chronic myeloid leukemia patients are children.
As with other forms of cancer, research is ongoing to help find ways to prevent and treat myeloid leukemia. There have been vast improvements in treatment of this disease in recent years. One study is of particular interest because it examines the use of a very common beverage- green tea to help treat myeloid leukemia.

This study, reported by the UK Tea Council, examined green tea’s ability to induce apoptosis on leukemia cells. Apoptosis is the systematic killing off of cells. It happens in many cases in the body to help ensure that the healthiest cells survive. And, occasionally, researchers discover substances outside the body that can induce apoptosis.

In this study, researchers studied the effects of green tea’s anti-oxidant, EGCG, both in the lab and in mice. In both situations, they discovered that green tea had the ability to induce apoptosis of leukemia cells. Within three hours of exposure to the EGCG, the cells began killing themselves off. In mice, the EGCG inhibited tumor growth significantly.

This could be extremely important in the future treatment of myeloid leukemia. While more studies are necessary, and human trials should follow to determine if the results are the same in humans, it is a positive finding.

Green tea is inexpensive, easy to come by and healthy all around. There are many good reasons to drink it, even without the possibility that it could treat leukemia. Take a look at all the things that have been discovered about green tea.

Green Tea has been shown to prevent cancer - Green tea’s anti-oxidants have been shown to have cancer preventative effects. Anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals, the damaging molecules that are created as a by-product of our digestion process. Without the proper level of anti-oxidants in our diets, these free radicals can cause aging and disease, including cancer. Many foods, mostly fruits and vegetables, contain anti-oxidants; but green tea has some of the most potent available.

There have been numerous studies that have linked green tea with preventing many forms of cancer. Among the cancers with promise of being prevented through ingestion of green tea are prostate cancer, breast cancer, digestive system cancers, ovarian cancer and skin cancer. There have also been studies that have linked green tea with having to treat other forms of cancer, too.

Green tea has been shown to prevent heart disease – In other studies, green tea’s anti-oxidants have been shown to prevent LDL cholesterol that is circulating in the blood from oxidizing and hardening into plaque. When LDL cholesterol hardens into plaque, it sticks to artery walls and narrows the arteries. Narrowed arteries increase the risk of heart attack and stroke because blood flow is inhibited.
Green tea has been shown to regulate blood sugar – Studies have also shown that green tea may have the power to naturally regulate blood sugar. Green tea may prove to be an effective way to prevent, or even treat, Type II diabetes.

Green tea may aid in weight loss – Green tea has been shown to create thermogenesis, a heat that burns fat. More research is needed, but it appears that, when combined with a healthy diet, green tea may speed weight loss. In addition, if green tea helps regulate blood sugar, this may also aid in weight loss.

So, if you’re not drinking green tea already, you should be. Adding green tea to your diet is easy to do, and it’s delicious! As part of an overall healthy diet, green tea may be a powerful disease preventer, and may be an important part of living a long and healthy life.

By Jon Stout

Check Out the Related Article : Benzene and Leukemia Information

Feline Leukemia - What Every Cat Owner Should Know

2008-09-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a serious cat disease that all cat lovers should be aware of. The virus is known to cause many serious health problems such as cancer, blood disorders, and immune deficiencies. FeLV can affect any cat and comes in two stages : Primary Viremia, which is the early stage, and Secondary Viremia, which is the stage that is usually irreversible. Some cats have an immune system that is able to prevent the escalation of the virus to the Secondary Viremia stage though.

How is feline leukemia virus spread?

FeLV is most commonly spread by extensive contact between two cats or kittens. The virus lives in a cat's bodily fluids and can be transmitted from one cat to another during mutual grooming, from a bite, and through shared litter boxes and food dishes. An infected mother can also pass the virus to her kittens before they are born. However, once outside of the cat's body, FeLV can only survive for a couple of hours.

Are certain cats at a higher risk for contracting the virus?

All cats are at risk for feline leukemia virus. Currently in the United States, approximately 2 to 3 percent are infected with the virus, but that statistic rises to 13 percent when dealing with young or sick cats. Kittens are at the greatest risk for contracting the virus since their immune systems tend to be weaker than those of adult cats. However, all cats that are exposed to a cat with the virus, either through a bite or extended contact, are at risk for the disease. This includes cats that live with another cat that has the disease, cats that are allowed outside, and kittens that are born to an infected mother.

What are the symptoms of FeLV?

When a cat first becomes infected with the virus, it is common for them not to show any symptoms at all. However as the virus develops over time, the cat's health will begin to slowly deteriorate. Symptoms of this include :

• Loss of appetite and weight loss

• Lack of pink or red color in the gums

• Chronic illness

• Progressive weakness

• Persistent diarrhea

• Breathing difficulty

• Yellow color in the mouth and/or the white of the eyes

How can this virus be diagnosed?

If your cat is displaying symptoms that are associated with FeLV, be sure to bring it to a veterinarian for a blood test. There are two types of blood tests that detect the virus. The first is called, ELISA, which can detect both primary and secondary stages of the disease. The second test, IFA, only detects the secondary stage.

How can I prevent my cat from contracting FeVL?

Since all cats are at risk for the virus, the only true way to protect your cat is to prevent exposure to cats with the feline leukemia virus.

• Keep your cats indoors. When they are outside you don't know what cats they are coming into contact with.

• Make sure you are only bringing infection-free cats into a home with uninfected cats.

• If you have a cat that is infected, be sure to keep your uninfected cats away from it. Do not allow them to use the same litter box or food bowl.

• Consider getting the feline leukemia virus vaccination for your uninfected cats.

Remember that the feline leukemia virus is a serious disease for cats. Make sure that you keep your cat protected from it and bring it to the veterinarian if see any of these symptoms.

By Victoria M. Brown

Check Out the Related Article : Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Children

Do You Know About the Dangers of Feline Leukemia?

2008-09-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

If you are the proud owner of a kitty, then you should take the time to learn about feline leukemia. Many cats die each year from this dangerous disease, which has been found to be caused by a virus which is highly contagious. To protect your precious cat, you should take the time to learn more about feline leukemia, and what you can do to help protect your cat from it.

Feline leukemia is a virus that causes other more serious diseases, such as cancer and anemia. There is only a ten percent chance of survival for cats that contract feline leukemia, very few living longer than three years after contracting the virus. Any cat can contract feline leukemia, but young kittens are particularly vulnerable, especially those who are younger than six months old.

Like many other feline diseases, feline leukemia is spread through the saliva of infected cats. Since cats often groom each other, and eat and drink from the same bowls, it is easily spread from cat to cat, especially those who are in close contact with each other all the time, such as cats living in the same home. Female cats that have feline leukemia can also pass the virus along to their unborn kittens, who through their milk when feeding their young. Most cases of feline pregnancy in cats infected with feline leukemia never make it to term, the unborn kittens succumbing to the disease and dying in the womb before they are ever born.

Some cats are naturally resistant to feline leukemia, their immune systems being able to kill the virus before it causes any real damage to the internal organs of the cat. If the virus spreads into the cat’s bone marrow before the immune system is able to destroy it, the cat will eventually succumb to the virus.

Cats that have feline leukemia often have frequent illnesses, since the disease destroys their immune system, making them unable to fight off disease causing bacteria and germs. Over time, feline leukemia takes its toll on the cat’s overall health, and you will see the cat getting sicker and sicker. Cats with feline leukemia will often run fevers, have little energy, refuse to eat, or eat very little, and will lose weight rapidly. Cats that have feline leukemia will often become anemic, and many of them will also develop feline lymphoma, or cancer.

Much like HIV, there is no current treatment for feline leukemia. Once a cat has contracted this disease, all you can do is try to keep the cat as healthy as possible, to try to postpone the inevitable. If your cat does become sick, you have to seek immediate medical treatment, often in the form of long courses of high-dose antibiotics. Since you cannot treat this deadly disease, all you can do is try to keep your cat as healthy and comfortable as possible, for the duration.

There are vaccines available that can help prevent feline leukemia, however they are not one hundred percent effective. Before you bring a new cat into your home, you should have it tested for feline leukemia, to be certain that you aren’t putting your other cats at risk, even if those cats have been vaccinated.

If your cat does contract feline leukemia, you should do everything you can to limit contact with other animals, to prevent the spread of the disease, and to keep your cat from contracting potentially deadly infections.

As a cat owner, you should learn about feline leukemia, have your cats vaccinated, and limit their contact with other animals as much as possible, to prevent the spread of this highly contagious feline disease.

By Jean Morgan

Check Out the Related Article : Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Children

Leukemia Symptoms

2008-09-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is one of the most dangerous types of cancer because it affects the blood, which has a number of very important functions such as transporting oxygen to the different organs to the body. Given this, there has been considerable research on the disease, which includes research in formulating treatments and in the early detection of symptoms.

The current literature on leukemia presents a number of symptoms that can be detected on initial examination and symptoms that can be seen after more thorough tests. Presented below is some of the literature with regard to these symptoms.
Initial signs and symptoms

Medical research has characterized the initial signs and symptoms of leukemia as nonspecific and vague. This is because some symptoms can be found in non-cancer patients as well. However, researchers have identified some general features among the symptoms of people with leukemia: abnormal bleeding, weight loss, fatigue, malaise (nonspecific feeling of bodily discomfort), excessive bruising (hematoma), weakness, bone or joint pain, abdominal pain, infections and fever, enlarged spleen lymph nodes and liver, and a reduced tolerance for exercise. However, there are cases wherein people with leukemia exhibit no symptoms or are asymptomatic until the disease becomes chronic. The other symptoms of leukemia also include the symptoms that different organs may exhibit as a result of the cancer cells being deposited in the organ due to the leukemia.

Further testing
Once leukemia is suspected, physicians often recommend further testing for confirmation purposes. For leukemia, the most common test is a blood test, wherein any abnormalities related to leukemia can be seen. One of these abnormalities is anemia, which means that the blood has very low levels of erythrocytes or red blood cells; unusual paleness of the patient and a certain level of respiratory difficulty often characterize this condition. Another abnormality is Leukopenia, which means that the blood has very low levels of leukocytes or white blood cells, which increases the risk of infection in the patient. Other abnormalities include Neutropenia, Thrombocytopenia, and Thrombocytosis.

There has been considerable research on leukemia because it is considered one of the most dangerous forms of cancer. Given this, a huge body of literature on its treatment and its symptoms has been created. As a result of this, people can now get more information on its symptoms, which can help them detect these symptoms early, which is the key to effectively treating cancers such as leukemia.

Check Out the Related Article : Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Children

Different Forms of Acute Leukemia

2008-09-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is a disease of the bone marrow and blood that is known to affect normal blood cell production. Normal blood cells have a limited period of life and they need to be constantly replaced by fresh, young cells to carry on their activity. There is a type of cell within the bone marrow (stem cell) that matures into the type of blood cells that the body needs. In normal condition, these stem cells develop either into red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets, into a controlled way. Leukemia perturbs the normal development of blood cells and causes the accumulation of partially developed cells, that aren’t able to fulfill their role inside the organism.

Judging by the speed of development and the persistence of the disorder, there are two types of leukemia: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Judging by the types of stem cells affected by the disorder, leukemia can either be lymphocytic or myelogenous.

Acute leukemia differs from chronic leukemia by the levels that stem cells are able to reach in their development (stem cells that present anomalies still manage to partially develop and either resemble immature cells or complete, normal white blood cells).

Inside the body of people who suffer from acute leukemia of myelogenous, the bone marrow produces stem cells which form a kind of partially matured white blood cell called myeloblast. This type of blood cell doesn’t reach a full maturity state and can’t carry out its intended role. Myelogenous cells tend to multiply very fast and exceed the numbers of healthy blood cells, facilitating the occurrence of anemia, infections and weakening the immune system of the body. The diseased cells can also spread to other places of the organism, such as organs.

As statistics indicate, there are lots of annual cases of the disease, acute leukemia of myelogenous form being the most common type of leukemia. Although the disease is known to regress quickly when the appropriate treatment is administered, if left untreated it may cause the death of the affected person. This form of leukemia tends to recidivate and it can redevelop with time.

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. Leukemia is a serious form of cancer and it needs immediate treatment. If treated correctly, especially in its incipient stages, leukemia can be successfully overcome.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out The Related Article : Acute Leukemia - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Decisions Upon Leukemia Treatment

2008-09-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Very often persons without any disease symptoms whatsoever are diagnosed with chronic myeloid Leukemia during a routine blood testing. Unlike the acute forms of Leukemia, the chronic form develops an increased number of white blood cells which can still work normally in spite of their high rate of division. This aspect is responsible of the mild onset of the disease but the negative impact is due to the impossible stopping of the white cell production.

The most effective treatment in these cases is a bone marrow transplant that still implicates risks that make it inaccessible to many of the Leukemia patients. A series of other different therapy methods are available that mostly implicate high challenges in deciding upon the right one.

The increased production of immunity white blood cells is caused by an abnormal chromosome called Philadelphia that allows the bone marrow to produce irregular cells with a very rapid multiplication rate inside the bloodstream. Most of the chronic myeloid patients are taken by surprise by diagnose as they have no clinical manifestations.

The actual development of the disease is mostly unknown but physicians usually use the number of white blood cells to predict the further course of the Leukemia; a further identification of abnormal cells inside the bone marrow has a negative prognosis. Another important clinical sign is the increase of some organ’s size (especially spleen) due to an accumulation of white cells inside their tissues.

The most efficient treatment is the injection of healthy cells from a compatible donor inside the bone marrow. It has the highest chances of curing the patients but also the most many side-effects. The second therapy method is the targeted therapy with Gleevec but its curative potential is not yet well established as it has been available only since 2001. A treatment way with benefic results until this time is the immune sustaining Interferon. Other possible cures are in course of development but are not yet approved.

Patients requesting a treatment for Leukemia always expect to be cured after the therapy. The most efficient treatment is the bone marrow transplant with also the most high risks and side-effects. Other possible cures are still in process of experimentation and their capacity to provide a definitive cure is unknown. A series of years are required to determine their exact benefit.

A patient choosing to undergo a bone marrow transplant must be matched with an available donor and take a cure with immuno depressives who may cause a series of infections due to the decreased capacity of defense of the organism. A patient must be well informed about the risk and the cure statistics before choosing to suffer a transplant. This therapy is the most appropriate for young patients but is not recommended for elder persons with other pathological conditions.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out The Related Article : Acute Leukemia - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Chronic Leukemia - A Less Dangerous Cancer, But Harder To Treat

2008-09-14T18:02:00.001-07:00

Leukemia is a dangerous form of cancer, and it affects thousands of people every year. It affects the white blood cells. The body loses control of the quantity and quality of blood cells, and it becomes very vulnerable because the white blood cells are supposed to protect our organism against infections. There are two main types of leukemia - acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is more dangerous because it spreads much faster, but chronic leukemia can be tricky because it has almost no symptoms.

The first organ that is affected by chronic leukemia is the bone marrow. The bone marrow is a tissue that can be found on some of the main bones in the body and that has the role of producing blood cells (red blood cells and white blood cells).
White blood cells are the guardians of the body. They can be found anywhere in the blood and they attack and neutralize any type of bacteria that enters the body and that can be harmful.

When a patient has chronic leukemia, the white blood cells from his blood are deffective and they are continuously created. A normal person should have less then 10000 white blood cells white a person with leukemia can have more than 100000, but although there are so many the protection against infections is decreased because most of the cells are malfunctioning.
A particularity of chronic leukemia is that patients who have it also have a lower number of red blood cells.

The causes of all types of leukemia are unknown, doctors cannot determine why some people have this illness and other don't. Though, scientists discovered some factors that increase the risks of becoming ill of leukemia. Among these factors radiations play an important role, many that were exposed to radiations were soon diagnosed with leukemia. Also, a malfunction in the genes can cause the blood cells to transform, so it can have a genetic cause. The causes and risk factors are still being researched.

The bad thing about chronic leukemia is that it usually shows no symptoms that can give he patient an idea about his condition. It's often discovered during routine lab tests. Some of those suffering from chronic leukemia reported having a general state of weakness and fatigue. As the disease advances blood can start to come out of the nose or of the gums for no reason, and because the organism is weakened and its defense is lowered, leukemia patients can be vruised very easy, and they are often infected with foreign microorganism.

Chronic leukemia treatment depends on each patient. After the diagnose a series of tests are made to determine which therapy the patient responds to. Chemotherapy is used in most situations. The number of people that are cured of chronic leukemia is increasing as time passes, but a there is a notable number of victims too.

New drugs and cures keep being researched by doctors and scientists and the survival rate is rising, so maybe in the near future chronic leukemia will be musc easier to treat.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out The Related Article : Acute Leukemia - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Childhood Leukemia

2008-09-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Leukemia severely affects a person's immune system; the disease is characterized by low levels of leukocytes of white blood cells, which play an important role in the body's defenses against disease. This disease can lead to other complications such as infections. However, for people who already have compromised immune systems, such as children and the elderly, developing leukemia can have some severe effects and complications. For children, the effects of leukemia can be very pronounced because battling the disease can take a toll on their fragile bodies.

Types of childhood leukemia

Just like in adult leukemia, children who develop the disease suffer either from large numbers of abnormal white blood cells or low levels of the white blood cells. Among cancers in children, leukemia accounts for about 25% of cancer cases. There are also different types of leukemia among children, categorized into two major categories: acute and chronic. Acute leukemia, or rapidly developing leukemia, is further divided into two types: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Acute leukemia accounts for 98% of all cases of childhood leukemia, with ALL being the most common. Chronic leukemia, or slowly developing leukemia, has only one type, which is Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), and it is very rare.

Symptoms and Treatment

The symptoms that a child with leukemia exhibits are similar to the symptoms that adults with the disease exhibit. Mostly, the symptoms are manifestations that the child's immune system is compromised, including increased episodes of fever and other infections. Children with leukemia also suffer from anemia and the other blood abnormalities found in most leukemia cases. In addition, other symptoms include bruising and bleeding very easily, pain in the bones and the joints, swollen lymph nodes, malaise, and a poor appetite.

Usually, ALL is treated with chemotherapy. However, the dosage differs from what is given to adults. The medication that is given during this therapy is very potent, which is why for children, smaller dosages are given.

The effects of leukemia can be very hard to deal with, especially for children whose immune systems can be severely compromised by the disease. However, statistics show that children with this disease exhibit some of the highest remission rates, which means that with proper treatment, the chance of beating this disease is very high among children.

By Jennifer Bailey

Check Out the Related Article : About Leukemia Cancer Lessons

Benzene Leukemia

2008-09-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

Leukemia in commonly defined as cancer of white blood cells, in which bone marrow excessively produces immature abnormal white blood cells which fills up the bone marrow spaces and ultimately spills into the peripheral blood, thereby spreading to different parts of the body.
To get details covering every aspect of Benzene Leukemia Visit our site
Classification of leukemia:
Leukemia is classified broadly into two types

1) Acute Leukemia (fast growing): Types of Acute Leukemia: • Acute Myeloid Leukemia • Acute Lymphoblast Leukemia

2) Chronic Leukemia (Slow Growing): Types of Chronic Leukemia: 1. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia 2. Chronic Lymphoblast Leukemia 3. Other Types includes: • Hairy Cell Leukemia • Sub-leukemic leukemia

Causes of Leukemia: In Majority of cases cause is Unknown, In Minority of cases, some association has been described.

Ionizing Radiation: • Atomic Bombing. • X-ray to Fetus in pregnancy Drugs and toxins: • Cytotoxic Drugs like Alkalizing Agents • Exposure to Benzene

Viruses: Human t-cell Leukemia Virus Immunological: Immune Deficiency States

Benzene Leukemia:

Incidence: Exposure to Benzene, a hazardous Chemical has been shown to cause Cancer in Humans, Various types of Leukemia,(a cancer of blood and blood forming Organs),Particularly Acute Myelogenous Leukemia which is more common with unhealthy exposure to Benzene hence this type of Leukemia is called as Benzene Leukemia.

It is more common in employees working in Chemical oil Industries, Employees working in oil and gas plants, Painters and Other industrial Solvent Users ,who are at More Risk to Benzene Exposure On long term Exposure to this type of Benzene bye products causes Leukemic Cancer of Blood Forming Organs.

Clinical Features of Benzene Leukemia:

Benzene Leukemia is a dangerous life threatening Cancer that develop as a result of Long term exposure to excessive levels of Benzene. In addition to Benzene leukemia People suffers from other abnormalities such as: • Chromosomal abnormalities • Central Nervous system Disorders • Anemia • And may be some other forms of acute and chronic Leukemia’s

On short term Exposure People generally complains of Dizziness, Drowsiness, Unconsciousness, Vomiting, nausea, and Death may even result.

Diagnosis: Benzene Leukemia Symptoms occurs when the body produces

Unhealthy, immature white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets called Blasts Cells in place of mature blood cells. Other damage to the blood cells can result in different types of benzene leukemia including acute and chronic lymphatic leukemia, hairy cell leukemia, and Hodgkin's disease.

Attorney: If you have been exposed to dangerous levels of benzene exposure in the workplace or any other environment or substance, you may be eligible to recover the damages you have suffered from the makers of this harmful toxin. If you have contracted benzene leukemia you may be able to file a claim and seek reparations for your medical expenses and pain and suffering. Or if you are Uncertain about your Exposure to Benzene or have any Queries regarding your Diagnosis .Please write to us. We have experienced lawyers to fight for you!

By Michelle Magne

Check Out the Related Article : About Leukemia Cancer Lessons

Benzene and Leukemia Information

2008-09-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Benzene Leukemia Exposure

Benzene exposure has been linked in numerous studies to causing leukemia. Exposure to benzene and the development of leukemia or benzene related leukemia have been highly publicized over the recent years. Statistcs are showing that there are approximatly, 10,000 benzene related leukemia deaths per year in the US alone.

Benzene Information

Benzene is a known carcinogen in humans and causes benzene related cancer. Breathing benzene vapors may cause immediate death and other exposures to the chemical have been linked to various forms of leukemia, most notably Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).

Interesting Benzene Leukemia Facts

1. The use of benzene as a solvent was banned in the United States more then 20 years ago.

2. Benzene ranks # 6 on the CERCLA Hazerdous Substance List.

3. Almost 300,000 people per year are exposed to benzene in the workplace.

Benzene Leukemia Side Effects

Benzene is a known carcinogen in humans and causes benzene related cancer. Breathing benzene vapors may cause immediate death and other exposures to the chemical have been linked to various forms of leukemia, most notably Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).

Acute Benzene Side Effects

Acute (short-term) exposure will commonly be associated with the following benzene side effects:

1. Irritation of the eyes and skin

2. Irritation of the nose and throat

3. Dizziness and lightheadedness

4. Headache and vomiting

5. Convulsions and coma

6. Rapid heart beat

7. Sudden death

Chronic Benzene Side Effects

Chronic (long-term) exposure will commonly be associated with the following benzene side effects:

1. Benzene Cancer

2. Leukemia, most notably Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

3. Reproductive harm (teratogen - an agent that can cause malformations of an embryo or fetus)

4. Drying and scaling of the skin

5. Damage to blood cells? aplastic anemia

Is there a medical test to show whether I have been exposed to benzene?

Several tests can show if you have been exposed to benzene. There is test for measuring benzene in the breath; this test must be done shortly after exposure. Benzene can also be measured in the blood, however, since benzene disappears rapidly from the blood, measurements are accurate only for recent exposures.

In the body, benzene is converted to products called metabolites. Certain metabolites can be measured in the urine. However, this test must be done shortly after exposure and is not a reliable indicator of how much benzene you have been exposed to, since the metabolites may be present in urine from other sources.

Other Benzene Leukemia Resources

If you or a family member have been diagnosed with benzene related leukemia there are many helpful resources on the Internet. Most notably, The Leukemia Society and The Benzene Leukemia Orginization.

By Robert Hilley

Check Out the Related Article : About Leukemia Cancer Lessons

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Children

2008-09-04T00:34:00.000-07:00

Cancer in any of its forms is known to the society as a condition of adults or elder persons; still it can occur at any age even during the care-free childhood period. Children diagnosed with cancer must rapidly grow up and learn hoe to face the illness as well as their parents that will have to be able to care for them.

The most common form of malignant tumors in children is the acute lymphocyte Leukemia and it is known to affect about 2500 pediatric patients every year. The acute forms of Leukemia develop rapidly and spread to the entire body in just a few months if left untreated. Knowing how to recognize the disease seems to be most important as Leukemia can lead to death in a very short time if not treated properly.

Leukemia develops inside the bone marrow and spreads to the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and nervous system. Cancerous marrow cells produce abnormal blood cells; insufficient or inefficient red blood cells lead to anemia, a low number of white blood cells leaves the body helpless to infections, and decreased number of platelets caused bruising and bleedings. General symptoms like headaches, weakness or vomiting also occur when the cancer reaches other main organs.

No way of prevention is known to us today as leukemia cannot be linked to any lifestyle factors. A good life expectation can only be reached if a doctor is seen immediately when symptoms occur and a proper treatment is quickly administered.

The most specific diagnose is the bone marrow biopsy when a small amount of marrow is extracted from the thighbone with a needle. The microscopic examination of the tissue can establish the presence of cancerous cells inside the bone marrow. Further analysis includes blood tests for searching changes in number and function of the three vital blood cells. In Leukemia a risen number of white cells are found together with a decreased number of red ones. Through the blood tests certain diagnose of the particular form of blood cancer can be established.

Cancer cells are dangerous as they divide very quickly and an efficient primer treatment with chemotherapy must stop their multiplication. More types of chemotherapeutics are required to kill all cancerous cells as Leukemia is known to spread very rapidly throughout the whole body. The drug therapy is a long-lasting process and can produce several side-effects such as hair loss, infections, tiredness, nausea, anorexia and vomiting.
New ways of therapy are searched that should only affect the cancerous cells unlike conventional drugs. The stem cells transplantation targeting to replace the lost marrow working cellularity seems to give hopeful results.

Blood cancer can reoccur and therefore a treatment with stem cells can give more effective results. If Leukemia cannot be treated, doctors try ways of making the patient’s life with cancer easier by relieving the symptoms. About 85% of the children that have survived 5 years without cancer reoccurring are considered to have been cured.

By Groshan Fabiola

Check Out the Related Article : A Guide To Leukemia

Acute Leukemia - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

2008-09-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

Leukemia is a malignant disease (cancer) of the bone marrow and blood. It is characterized by the uncontrolled accumulation of blood cells. In AML, the bone marrow makes many unformed cells called blasts. AML starts with a change to a single cell in the bone marrow. With AML, the leukemic cells are often referred. to as blast cells. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a fast-growing cancer in which the body produces a large number of immature white blood cells (lymphocytes). AML is the most common acute leukemia affecting, and its incidence increases with age. Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that results in the accumulation of immature, functionless cells in the marrow and blood. In acute leukemia, cancerous cells multiply quickly and replace normal cells. Cancerous cells take over normal parts of bone marrow, causing bone marrow failure. A person with ALL is more likely to bleed and have infections because there are fewer normal blood cells. Several congenital conditions may increase the risk of leukemia; the most common is probably Down syndrome, which is associated with a 10- to 18-fold increase in the risk of AML.

Leukemia is divided into four categories: myelogenous or lymphocytic, each of which can be acute or chronic. AML is more common in men than in women. Acute myelogenous leukemia is the most common form of leukemia. The difference is even more apparent in older patients. Leukemia is one of the top 15 most frequently occuring cancers in minority groups. Leukemia incidence is highest among whites and lowest among American Indians and Alaskan natives. Signs of AML are often non-specific, and may be similar to those of influenza or other common illnesses. Some generalized symptoms include fever, fatigue, weight loss or loss of appetite, shortness of breath with exertion, anemia, easy bruising or bleeding, petechiae (flat, pin-head sized spots under the skin caused by bleeding), bone pain and joint pain and persistent or frequent infections.This is likely because myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are more common in men, and advanced MDS frequently evolves into AML. More than 11,900 new cases occur in the United States each year, mostly in older. The average age of a person with AML is 65 years.

Most of the standard treatment for ALL uses chemotherapy.Chemotherapy is the initial treatment of choice. Stem cell transplantation is used instead of consolidative chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is used on painful bony areas, in high disease burdens, or as part of the preparations for a bone marrow transplant (total body irradiation). Stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplant is also used for consolidation therapy. It's similar to bone marrow transplant except the stem cells are collected from circulating blood (peripheral blood). Induction therapy for children with AML starts with two or three drugs. Stronger treatment is needed after a child with AML is in remission. This is called intensive consolidation therapy. It is given because usually some AML cells remain after induction therapy. Allogeneic stem cell transplant can be a high-risk procedure. For this reason, it may not be a good treatment for some AML patients. Bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT) offers some patients the best chance for a long-term remission of their disease.

Acute Leukemia for Treatment Tips

1. Chemotherapy -- drugs that destroy cancer cells or stop them from growing.

2. Bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT) offers some patients the best chance for a long-term remission of their disease.

3. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) and Monoclonal antibodies are proteins designed to attach to leukemia cells and help the immune system destroy them.

4. Biological therapy attempts to stimulate or restore the ability of your child's immune system to fight cancer.

5. Avoiding smoking, exposure to toxic chemicals, and exposure to radiation may help prevent some cases of leukemia.

6. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin is a monoclonal antibody against CD33 (a molecule present on most AML cells but not on normal stem cells) conjugated to calicheamicin (a potent chemotherapy molecule).

7. Stem cell transplantation (SCT) is a treatment that permits the use of doses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy high enough to destroy the patient's bone marrow.

By Juliet Cohen

Check Out the Related Article : A Guide To Leukemia

About Leukemia Cancer Lessons

2008-09-02T01:39:00.000-07:00

Leukemia knows no profession, age, gender, race, or economic status. It can inflict anyone, anytime, anywhere. About 31,000 each year, 2,566 every month, 592 each week, 84 a day, 3 each hour are the numbers to speak for leukemia's prevalence -- at least, in America.

Leukemia is among the many deadly cancer types. Leukemia is a cancer that affects the blood or the marrow of the bone. This cancer type is characterized by the overproduction of certain blood cells, most common of which is the white blood cells or leukocytes. When there is an overproduction of white blood cells in the bone marrow, the regular amount of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are being outnumbered and the blood gets a hard time to do its normal functions.

A leukemia case may be classified as either in the chronic stage or acute stage. Chronic leukemia is the stage when the unnecessary blood cells are still able to perform their normal function. Chronic leukemia commonly occurs among older people. Since leukemia at this stage does not show any sign or symptom, it is often undetected and eventually gets worse and reach the acute stage. A leukemia that reached the acute stage is already a harmful case. Here, the production is really way above the normal rate and the unnecessary blood cells do not perform their normal functions anymore. Acute leukemia is very common among children. It is actually known as among the leading causes of death among American children.

Leukemia has four known types: the chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, and acute myeloid leukemia. A leukemia is lymphocitic, if the lymphoid cells and myeloid cells are affected. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is most common among adults above 55 years of age. This kind is almost non-existent among children, and accounts for about 7,000 cases each year. Acute lymphocytic leukemia, on the contrary, is most common among children and very rare among adults. The number of new acute lymphocytic leukemia cases total to about 3,800 every year. The estimate of chronic myeloid leukemia is at 4,400 new cases annually and is mainly affecting adults; on the other hand, acute myeloid leukemia is at a higher number at 10,600 count each year.

As with other cancer types, the causes of leukemia is still unknown. The closest the medical field has gone in determining the root cause of leukemia is the identification of risk factors or the things that increase the probability of one developing the disease. First and common to all cancer types is genetic influence. People with relatives who had any cancer type, died or survived, are at a very high risk level of having leukemia. Environmental factors, such as high radiation exposure and contact with carcinogenic materials, are also high risk factors. Exposure to chemicals and substance, such as benzene and formaldehyde, in the workplace or in other places also increases the risk of having leukemia. Medical conditions such as chemotherapy from a previous cancer, Down syndrome, and myelodysplastic syndrome are also known risk factors.

By Hendrick Wilbur

Check Out the Related Article : A Guide To Leukemia

A Guide To Leukemia

2008-08-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

Being diagnosed with cancer is devastating; cancer is a very serious disease that has caused the deaths of a lot of people. However, given recent developments in medicine and in technology, the treatments used to treat cancers are now becoming more potent and effective, and in some cases, treatments are successful at eradicating certain forms of cancers.

In addition to treatment, one of the most powerful tools in the battle against cancer is information; a better understanding of a disease can help an individual to avoid certain risk factors that could prevent full recovery. This principle applies to most diseases, especially to those that are considered very serious. One of these diseases is leukemia, which, in simpler terms, is cancer of the blood. Following is some information on this disease.

Leukemia facts

Leukemia is considered one of the most dangerous types of cancer as it affects one of the most important tissues of the body: blood, which has access to almost all of the organs of the body. This increases the chances of cancer cells being carried to other parts of the body where these cells can stay and grow. It is also considered a dangerous disease because it affects the leukocytes, or the white blood cells, which play an important role in the body’s defense against disease; people with leukemia often have compromised immunity. The presence of abnormal cells in the blood hinders the blood from functioning well.

With regard to symptoms, people with leukemia often exhibit dramatic weight loss, frequent headaches, and bleeding in different organs such as the gums and the nose. Another common symptom is the presence of hematomas or bruises on the body. The usual treatment of this disease is chemotherapy, where patients are given oral drugs that target cancer cells. Another common treatment is radiation, which can have certain side effects such as the loss of hair.

Leukemia is a very dangerous disease because it affects the blood. However, it is still curable, as recent developments in treatments and research have made some headway in effectively treating the disease. Together with this, people should also realize that one of the most important weapons against this disease is information, which can help people deal better with this dreaded disease.

By Jennifer Bailey