INTRODUCTION: Leukemia means white blood. It is found in the bone marrow or blood and is characterized by an abnormal growth of blood cells, typically white blood cells (leukocytes)and is separated into its acute and chronic forms.
It 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 metastasize (spread) to the brain may produce central nervous system effects, including headaches, seizures, weakness, blurred or distorted vision, balance difficulties, or vomiting and the chemotherapy used to treat it, can cause anemia.
ACUTE LEUKEMIA: Leukemia in it's acute form is characterized by the rapid increase of immature blood cells, and is potentially curable; However only a small number of patients are cured with todays therapy. It begins with one or a few white blood cells that have a lost or damaged DNA sequence and becomes worse quickly and may make you feel sick right away.
Leukemia tends to develop suddenly and quickly, however some chronic types may exist for many years before they are even diagnosed. Immediate treatment is required due to the rapid growth and accumulation of these malignant cells, which then can spill over into the blood stream and spread to other organs.
Although acute leukemia must be treated immediately, chronic forms of the disease are sometimes monitored for some time before any treatment is begun to ensure maximum effectiveness of therapy.
CHRONIC LEUKEMIA: Chronic leukemia is recognized by an excessive build up of relatively mature, but abnormal blood cells and can go undetected for many years until identified in a routine blood test. It is more common between the ages of 40 to 70 and rarely occurs among younger people.
It tends to gets worse slowly and may not produce symptoms for years. Like many cancers, it is a disease that usually occurs in old age. Doctors often find chronic leukemia during a regular checkup, before there are any noticeable symptoms. In grownups, the acute forms occur in those of all ages, whereas the chronic forms tend to occur in people over 40 years. Although slow-growing chronic leukemia can also be seen in children, although it is very rare, accounting for less than 50 cases in children each year in the US.
TREATMENT: Treatment for leukemia is complex and it depends largely on your age and health, the type and how far it has metastasize or spread. Treatment is generally considered necessary when the patient shows signs and symptoms such as low blood cell numbers. Generally speaking, all treatment is divided into several different phases. In children, an intensive 6-month treatment program is needed after induction, followed by 2 years of chemotherapy.
In low risk children, standard treatment usually consists of three drugs (prednisone, L-asparaginase, and vincristine) for the first month of treatment. Higher risk patients receive larger drug doses and extra treatment with chemotherapy drugs. All patients receive follow up treatment which usually includes supportive care, such as intravenous nutrition and oral antibiotic treatment.
In general, the indications for treatment are: declining hemoglobin or platelet count, progression to advance stages of the disease, painful and disease related over-growth of lymph nodes or spleen, lymphocyte doubling time (an indicator of lymphocyte reproduction) occuring in less than twelve months. The over all strategy is to control bone marrow and total body disease while using specific treatment for the central nervous system (CNS), when necessary. Maintenance treatments may be used to prevent re-ocurrence of the disease once remission has been accomplished. Regardless the plan or strategy, it is very important for the patient to understand the treatment that he or she is receiving and the reasons behind it.
CONCLUSION: Leukemia is a cancer of blood forming cells in the bone marrow. These cells crowd out other types of cells produced by the bone marrow, including red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body, and platelets, which are used to form blood clots.
Leukemia cells can spread to the lymph nodes and various other organs causing swelling and or pain and can also accumulate in the kidney, liver and spleen, causing enlargement of these organs. These cells also can affect the lungs and other parts of the body. Acute forms can occur in both children and young adults. Chronic forms usually occurs in older people, but can theoretically occur in any age group.
To date there is no single known cause that covers all of the different types of leukemia. Some studies have linked exposure to various chemicals agents, such as benzene, and hair dyes for the cause of some forms of the disease. Viruses have also been linked to other forms. Until such cause or causes are found, there is no known way to prevent the occurrence of the disease. The estimation as of 1998, is that each year, approximately 30,800 people will be diagnosed with Leukemia in the USA and about 21,700 will die of the disease.
About the Author:
Richard H. Ealom is an expert ezinearticles.com author and has written many articles on The causes and potential cures for diseases and author of this article. To find out more about Cancer please visit "Cancer Breakthrough USA!"
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