leukemia symptoms : The Benefits of Green Tea for Cancer and Leukemia
Green tea has long had many health benefits associated with it and its curative properties have been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
Green tea, black tea and oolong tea are all made with the leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and is reputed to contain the highest concentration of polyphenols, chemicals that act as powerful antioxidants. The more the leaves are fermented, the lower the polyphenol content and the higher the caffeine content. Tea polyphenols are classified as catechins and green tea contains six primary catechin compounds: catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate (also known as EGCG). EGCG is considered to be the most active component in green tea and is the best researched of all the green tea polyphenols.
Several studies have suggested that green tea and green tea extract have cancer-fighting abilities, possibly because the tea's concentration of antioxidants such as EGCG help minimize the cell damage that can lead to cancer.
A recent study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has demonstrated the benefits of green tea in adult sufferers of leukemia. EGCG (the key antioxidant in green tea) has been shown to kill cancer cells taken from leukaemia patients and put in a test tube.
Doctors at the clinic reported that four patients had started using green tea on their own last year, after hearing media reports about its health benefits. All four patients had CLL (http://hammeranvil.blogspot.com/
). In the months after they started drinking green tea or taking green tea extracts, three of them showed measurable improvements in their condition. The fourth patient who did not show an improvement in her cancer overall, still exhibited an increase in her white blood cell count.
In one case, a patient had been showing progressive swelling in her lymph nodes before she starting taking green tea capsules twice a day. Swelling of the lymph nodes is one of the characteristic symptoms of CLL. However, over the next year the patient’s lymph nodes steadily reduced in size.
Other research has come up with an explanation for why regular green tea drinkers have a low incidence of gastric and oesophageal cancers. Researchers have found that EGCG, the anti-cancer compound in green tea, works in a similar way to the anti-cancer drug methotrexate. Both work by blocking the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, which is essential to the growth of tumour cells. However, the benefit of EGCG over methotrexate is that it has far fewer side effects.
The same study also showed that blocking the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme lowers folic acid levels. This side effect could explain the increased risk of birth defects and explains why some studies suggest green tea increases the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida. However, in a study conducted at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California in Oakland, researchers found that women who drank more than one half cup of caffeinated green tea every day doubled their odds of conceiving. Women seeking to conceive or who are already pregnant are advised to consult their medical practitioner about the risks associated with drinking green tea.
The author gave up drinking coffee several years ago and has been tasting and researching the benefits of green tea and herbal teas ever since. He writes for http://www.tealeafmagic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Galloway
Green tea, black tea and oolong tea are all made with the leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and is reputed to contain the highest concentration of polyphenols, chemicals that act as powerful antioxidants. The more the leaves are fermented, the lower the polyphenol content and the higher the caffeine content. Tea polyphenols are classified as catechins and green tea contains six primary catechin compounds: catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate (also known as EGCG). EGCG is considered to be the most active component in green tea and is the best researched of all the green tea polyphenols.
Several studies have suggested that green tea and green tea extract have cancer-fighting abilities, possibly because the tea's concentration of antioxidants such as EGCG help minimize the cell damage that can lead to cancer.
A recent study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has demonstrated the benefits of green tea in adult sufferers of leukemia. EGCG (the key antioxidant in green tea) has been shown to kill cancer cells taken from leukaemia patients and put in a test tube.
Doctors at the clinic reported that four patients had started using green tea on their own last year, after hearing media reports about its health benefits. All four patients had CLL (http://hammeranvil.blogspot.com/
). In the months after they started drinking green tea or taking green tea extracts, three of them showed measurable improvements in their condition. The fourth patient who did not show an improvement in her cancer overall, still exhibited an increase in her white blood cell count.
In one case, a patient had been showing progressive swelling in her lymph nodes before she starting taking green tea capsules twice a day. Swelling of the lymph nodes is one of the characteristic symptoms of CLL. However, over the next year the patient’s lymph nodes steadily reduced in size.
Other research has come up with an explanation for why regular green tea drinkers have a low incidence of gastric and oesophageal cancers. Researchers have found that EGCG, the anti-cancer compound in green tea, works in a similar way to the anti-cancer drug methotrexate. Both work by blocking the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, which is essential to the growth of tumour cells. However, the benefit of EGCG over methotrexate is that it has far fewer side effects.
The same study also showed that blocking the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme lowers folic acid levels. This side effect could explain the increased risk of birth defects and explains why some studies suggest green tea increases the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida. However, in a study conducted at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California in Oakland, researchers found that women who drank more than one half cup of caffeinated green tea every day doubled their odds of conceiving. Women seeking to conceive or who are already pregnant are advised to consult their medical practitioner about the risks associated with drinking green tea.
The author gave up drinking coffee several years ago and has been tasting and researching the benefits of green tea and herbal teas ever since. He writes for http://www.tealeafmagic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Galloway
leukemia symptoms : Understanding Chronic Leukemia
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.
If you want to find great content on different leukemia related issues like chronic leukemia, acute leukemia and many more visit http://www.leukemia-guide.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Groshan_Fabiola
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.
If you want to find great content on different leukemia related issues like chronic leukemia, acute leukemia and many more visit http://www.leukemia-guide.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Groshan_Fabiola
leukemia symptoms : Benzene and Leukemia Information
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.
http://www.leukemia.org
http://www.benzene-leukemia.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Hilley
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.
http://www.leukemia.org
http://www.benzene-leukemia.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Hilley
leukemia symptoms : Natural Progesterone
Natural Progesterone is derived from natural sources, such as plants. Many health food stores and Internet sites sell Natural Progesterone compounds, or plants they are derived from such as wild yams, soy and fenugreek, with various claims to reduce menopausal symptoms. However, Progesterone from these plants is actually in a precursor form called diosgenin. It needs to be metabolized into active Progesterone before it exerts any of its hormonal effects. Human beings are unable to convert diosgenin into active progesterone. However, this conversion can take place in the laboratory, and the resulting active compound is still marketed as natural progesterone.
It is thought that ‘Natural’ Progesterone, or plant-derived diosgenin that is activated in a laboratory, is safer than synthetically produced Progesterone compounds. These synthetic compounds may interfere with steroid hormone production and with glucose metabolism.
Current scientific knowledge suggests Natural Progesterone is ineffective for its most widely prescribed use- treatment of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. The sale of Natural Progesterone compounds is unregulated, which also raises concerns about standardization, contamination and safety. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women share the details of any natural treatments they are taking with their physician. This can help a physician monitor their patient for side effects, including toxicity, and avoid prescribing other treatments that may lead to adverse interactions.
Diosgenin itself may have some potential uses to treat other conditions in the future. Recent laboratory research suggests that diosgenin may inhibit the growth of certain cells, lining joint cavities in humans, which are associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Other research suggests diosgenin may have a protective effect by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells involved in colon cancer, some types of human leukemia, and a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. While promising, these findings are the subject of additional research and do not prove that diosgenin is indeed beneficial in treating these conditions.
Progesterone provides detailed information about progesterone, natural progesterone, progesterone benefit, progesterone creams and more. Progesterone is the sister site of Colostrum Milk.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Stith
It is thought that ‘Natural’ Progesterone, or plant-derived diosgenin that is activated in a laboratory, is safer than synthetically produced Progesterone compounds. These synthetic compounds may interfere with steroid hormone production and with glucose metabolism.
Current scientific knowledge suggests Natural Progesterone is ineffective for its most widely prescribed use- treatment of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. The sale of Natural Progesterone compounds is unregulated, which also raises concerns about standardization, contamination and safety. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women share the details of any natural treatments they are taking with their physician. This can help a physician monitor their patient for side effects, including toxicity, and avoid prescribing other treatments that may lead to adverse interactions.
Diosgenin itself may have some potential uses to treat other conditions in the future. Recent laboratory research suggests that diosgenin may inhibit the growth of certain cells, lining joint cavities in humans, which are associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Other research suggests diosgenin may have a protective effect by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells involved in colon cancer, some types of human leukemia, and a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. While promising, these findings are the subject of additional research and do not prove that diosgenin is indeed beneficial in treating these conditions.
Progesterone provides detailed information about progesterone, natural progesterone, progesterone benefit, progesterone creams and more. Progesterone is the sister site of Colostrum Milk.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Stith
leukemia symptoms : What You Need to Know About
Cancer in any form is a deadly disease. But when it affects the most vital components of the body then their fatality increases manifold. One such type of cancer is cancer of the blood, technically known as leukemia. Blood is the most important tissue of the body. It is the connective tissue which carries and supplies oxygen and other vital elements to the remotest parts of the body. The importance of blood can be understood by the fact that it is the most important of all the connective tissues which provide the nutrients and other vital elements to the body.
The most dangerous feature of leukemia is that it is related to the blood which has access to almost all body organs including the all important brain and heart. The incidence of cancerous cells being carried to the different parts of the body increases drastically due to this fact. Another striking aspect of the blood cancer is that it affects the leukocytes or the “white blood corpuscles” of the blood. These are the ones that protect the body from external infections. Thus the immunity of the body is seen to decrease drastically due to leukemia. The main effect of the disease is that the body starts producing infected and abnormal cells that hinder the function of blood i.e. carrying of oxygen.
A patient suffering from leukemia is seen to loose weight due to anemia. This happens because the cancerous cells are unable to carry the hemoglobin properly which is the chief source of iron to the body. And due to that the body looses all vitality. The situation of the patient becomes vulnerable because the brain also starts to dysfunction due to infected blood. Headache, night sweats etc. can be commonly seen to occur as an attachment to this deadly disease.
The people living in areas prone to radioactive waste disposal and activity are most common targets of leukemia. Overexposure to radioactivity causes the cells to mutate and function abnormally. The children who are diagnosed with Down syndrome have a high probability to develop leukemia. Over exposure to Benzene, the industrially important hydrocarbon is also a known cause of blood cancer. The abnormal cells are easily detected under the microscope. Thus the doctor suspicious of such a disease advises the patient for a bone marrow examination. The onset can be detected by the swollen lymph nodes of the body which are commonly found in armpits, around the neck and at the thigh.
Chemotherapy is the most effective but a very painful way of killing the cancerous cells. The patient is subjected to drugs orally. The patient undergoes tremendous pressure as he is injected with lot many chemicals at a time. Another treatment is through the radiation. It is also very treacherous way of getting treated. The patients are seen to loose hair and texture of skin.
Leukemia though very dangerous is still curable and the research in the field is also being done on an extensive basis. Proper treatment at the right time can prevent the reflux of this disease. Methods like bone marrow transplant, which may be required at a later stage, are also effective in treating the patient. Above all to over come with the disease a person needs to be loved and supported by all. Leukemia is fatal disease but life is mightier then it.
Mansi aggarwal writes about leukemia. Learn more at http://www.leukemiacorner.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mansi_Aggarwal
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.
Mansi aggarwal writes about leukemia. Learn more at http://www.leukemiacorner.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mansi_Aggarwal
leukemia symptoms : Benzene Exposure Can Lead to Acute Myleogenous Leukemia
Over the past 60 years, oil workers have been known to have an alarming degree of leukemia diagnoses. Although it had often been cited as being a genetic problem, recent studies have shown that even minor exposure to this chemical dramatically increases the chance of contracting any of a number of cancers.
Acute myelogenous leukemia is an extremely rare form of cancer. However, many petroleum industry workers have developed it. Other individuals who are at risk are printing press operators, airplane mechanics and soda production workers.
The reason these professions are particularly at risk is because of the common use of benzene as a solvent for oil based products. If one uses benzene to remove oil however, it is commonly absorbed through the skin and brought into the body.
The other common diseases contracted through occupational benzene exposure are chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and non-hodgkins lymphoma.
There are thousands of lawsuits pending in state and federal court regarding benzene side-effects. There is a wealth of information regarding benzene to be found on the internet. In order to find a benzene specialist, the internet provides many directories of benzene lawyers. Often, information and medical testing will be provided for free by law firms handling these cases. When evaluating an attorney to handle a case, it is very important to ask specific questions about their experience. The vast majority of cases are filed by a small handful of law firms who focus their practice on prosecution of these claims.
Gary Plunkett is currently working with many patients who have developed these diseases to help gain compensation for their losses.
For information regarding the chemical benzene, go to:
http://www.benzene.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Plunkett
Acute myelogenous leukemia is an extremely rare form of cancer. However, many petroleum industry workers have developed it. Other individuals who are at risk are printing press operators, airplane mechanics and soda production workers.
The reason these professions are particularly at risk is because of the common use of benzene as a solvent for oil based products. If one uses benzene to remove oil however, it is commonly absorbed through the skin and brought into the body.
The other common diseases contracted through occupational benzene exposure are chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and non-hodgkins lymphoma.
There are thousands of lawsuits pending in state and federal court regarding benzene side-effects. There is a wealth of information regarding benzene to be found on the internet. In order to find a benzene specialist, the internet provides many directories of benzene lawyers. Often, information and medical testing will be provided for free by law firms handling these cases. When evaluating an attorney to handle a case, it is very important to ask specific questions about their experience. The vast majority of cases are filed by a small handful of law firms who focus their practice on prosecution of these claims.
Gary Plunkett is currently working with many patients who have developed these diseases to help gain compensation for their losses.
For information regarding the chemical benzene, go to:
http://www.benzene.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Plunkett
leukemia symptoms : Leukemia and What Online Writers Can Do to Help
They say that the pen is mightier than the sword and indeed it is. Now then is the keyboard and word processor mightier than cancer? It very well could be and this is why I would ask that all online article writers put in a good word for those who do research and are working on ways to cure leukemia. In fact with the right level of funding mankind could solve this problem within perhaps a decade or two.
If you have a skill of any kind shouldn’t you use it to help the common good? Shouldn’t we all work to promote the common good and remove those things, which challenge our civilization and people? We are all here for a reason and yet while we are here we can do so much more.
On one online article website there are nearly 30,000 authors, but what if everyone of them wrote one article on Leukemia next week for public awareness, then we might be able to leverage the power of the people or the power of the online writers to do some good in the World.
What would it take for you to write one more article for a special cause? Why not pick 4 special causes each month and simply write on them. That is only one per week, it will not impact your life, but it could make the difference in someone else’s. Do you see what I am writing about? Consider this in 2006.
Lance Winslow
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
If you have a skill of any kind shouldn’t you use it to help the common good? Shouldn’t we all work to promote the common good and remove those things, which challenge our civilization and people? We are all here for a reason and yet while we are here we can do so much more.
On one online article website there are nearly 30,000 authors, but what if everyone of them wrote one article on Leukemia next week for public awareness, then we might be able to leverage the power of the people or the power of the online writers to do some good in the World.
What would it take for you to write one more article for a special cause? Why not pick 4 special causes each month and simply write on them. That is only one per week, it will not impact your life, but it could make the difference in someone else’s. Do you see what I am writing about? Consider this in 2006.
Lance Winslow
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
leukemia symptoms : How Is Leukemia Treated?
Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. There are two types of leukemia, chronic and acute, which are treated differently and have different symptoms. Acute leukemia rapidly progresses and needs immediate, aggressive treatment. Chronic leukemia can take months or years to show symptoms and may not need immediate treatment but will require ongoing monitoring.
Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals to treat the cancer. It causes many side effects such as hair loss, nausea and decline of the immune system. The complete course of therapy can be from two to five years including maintenance. This is the most common form of treatment for leukemia with the desired result being total remission. Even without symptoms, ongoing monitoring must occur to guard against relapse.
Radiation therapy is another form of treatment. It is painless and in low doses causes very few side effects. Where the radiation is concentrated and the exposure levels will determine the side effects, if any, and the severity of them. Damage to the skin, swelling and infertility are among the possible side effects.
A bone marrow transplant is an effective way to prolong the life of cancer patients. It is, however, a risky surgery and requires a donor which can be difficult in attaining. These surgeries should be performed at state of the art hospitals specializing in cancer treatment. This surgery has a high mortality rate and is therefore used only in life threatening cases.
Immunotherapy is a means to stimulate the immune system so the body can attack the cancer cells. This type of treatment is still in its early stages and continually under development. It is believed that this type of treatment may prove less harmful than chemotherapy or radiation therapy and may someday supplant these treatments as a method for treating cancer.
Long term effects of leukemia treatments may cause anemia. This side effect can be treated by blood transfusions or platelet transfusions. There are risks with transfusions but it is believed transfusions will help reduce the threat of additional complications such as heart attacks. Doses of antibiotics are also generally prescribed to leukemia patients to help counteract the danger of infection cause by declined immune system or treatment side effects.
There are currently almost 200,000 people in the United States diagnosed with leukemia and an estimated 35,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. It is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 20. There are many treatment facilities throughout the United States specializing in cancer treatment. Early diagnosis, aggressive treatment, and monitoring will help prolong life and increase chances of a person going into remission.
About The Author
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for http://www.leukemiaclinical.com. To learn more about leukemia, visit http://www.leukemiaclinical.com/acutemyeloidleukemia/.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gray_Rollins
Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals to treat the cancer. It causes many side effects such as hair loss, nausea and decline of the immune system. The complete course of therapy can be from two to five years including maintenance. This is the most common form of treatment for leukemia with the desired result being total remission. Even without symptoms, ongoing monitoring must occur to guard against relapse.
Radiation therapy is another form of treatment. It is painless and in low doses causes very few side effects. Where the radiation is concentrated and the exposure levels will determine the side effects, if any, and the severity of them. Damage to the skin, swelling and infertility are among the possible side effects.
A bone marrow transplant is an effective way to prolong the life of cancer patients. It is, however, a risky surgery and requires a donor which can be difficult in attaining. These surgeries should be performed at state of the art hospitals specializing in cancer treatment. This surgery has a high mortality rate and is therefore used only in life threatening cases.
Immunotherapy is a means to stimulate the immune system so the body can attack the cancer cells. This type of treatment is still in its early stages and continually under development. It is believed that this type of treatment may prove less harmful than chemotherapy or radiation therapy and may someday supplant these treatments as a method for treating cancer.
Long term effects of leukemia treatments may cause anemia. This side effect can be treated by blood transfusions or platelet transfusions. There are risks with transfusions but it is believed transfusions will help reduce the threat of additional complications such as heart attacks. Doses of antibiotics are also generally prescribed to leukemia patients to help counteract the danger of infection cause by declined immune system or treatment side effects.
There are currently almost 200,000 people in the United States diagnosed with leukemia and an estimated 35,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. It is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 20. There are many treatment facilities throughout the United States specializing in cancer treatment. Early diagnosis, aggressive treatment, and monitoring will help prolong life and increase chances of a person going into remission.
About The Author
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for http://www.leukemiaclinical.com. To learn more about leukemia, visit http://www.leukemiaclinical.com/acutemyeloidleukemia/.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gray_Rollins
leukemia symptoms : No link between leukemia risk and nuclear plants
Children living near nuclear plants in France do not have an increased risk of leukemia, a new study confirms.
Most studies that have examined cancer risk near nuclear installations have looked only at how far a child lives from the plant, Dr. Jacqueline Clavel of Universite Paris Sud, Villejuif and colleagues note, assuming that the greater the distance, the lower the radiation exposure. However, radiation dispersion follows a more complex pattern, they note.
To get a more accurate picture of the risk, Clavel and her team divided regions around each of 23 different French nuclear plants into five zones based on radiation exposure to the red bone marrow (RBM) due to gaseous discharge from the plant. They evaluated the rate of leukemia diagnoses among children younger than 15 years old between 1990 and 2001 over 40 square kilometers around each plant.
A total of 750 cases of leukemia were diagnosed, slightly lower than the 795 cases that would have been expected, although the difference was not statistically significant. The researchers also found no evidence of an increased risk that correlated with increased radiation exposure.
The average radiation exposure from gaseous discharge was very low, a small fraction of the estimated exposure from natural sources of ionizing radiation, such as radon, or from medical tests, such as X-ray imaging.
The average RBM dose from gaseous radioactive discharge among children who lived in the vicinity of nuclear plants was about 1,000 to 10,000 times lower than the average RBM dose from natural sources, Clavel and her colleagues report.
They conclude that there was no evidence of an increase in the rate of childhood leukemia in the vicinity of these 23 French nuclear plants between 1990 and 2001.
SOURCE: British Journal of Cancer, May 8, 2004.
Most studies that have examined cancer risk near nuclear installations have looked only at how far a child lives from the plant, Dr. Jacqueline Clavel of Universite Paris Sud, Villejuif and colleagues note, assuming that the greater the distance, the lower the radiation exposure. However, radiation dispersion follows a more complex pattern, they note.
To get a more accurate picture of the risk, Clavel and her team divided regions around each of 23 different French nuclear plants into five zones based on radiation exposure to the red bone marrow (RBM) due to gaseous discharge from the plant. They evaluated the rate of leukemia diagnoses among children younger than 15 years old between 1990 and 2001 over 40 square kilometers around each plant.
A total of 750 cases of leukemia were diagnosed, slightly lower than the 795 cases that would have been expected, although the difference was not statistically significant. The researchers also found no evidence of an increased risk that correlated with increased radiation exposure.
The average radiation exposure from gaseous discharge was very low, a small fraction of the estimated exposure from natural sources of ionizing radiation, such as radon, or from medical tests, such as X-ray imaging.
The average RBM dose from gaseous radioactive discharge among children who lived in the vicinity of nuclear plants was about 1,000 to 10,000 times lower than the average RBM dose from natural sources, Clavel and her colleagues report.
They conclude that there was no evidence of an increase in the rate of childhood leukemia in the vicinity of these 23 French nuclear plants between 1990 and 2001.
SOURCE: British Journal of Cancer, May 8, 2004.
leukemia symptoms : leukemia drug MabCampath promising
German drugmaker Schering AG and U.S. biotech firm Genzyme Corp have seen good preliminary results in a study of the drug MabCampath to treat leukemia, Schering said in a statement.
Schering and Genzyme are co-developing MabCampath (alemtuzumab), which is marketed in the United States as Campath, for use against cancer and other diseases.
The drug is already approved to treat a type of blood cancer and the two companies are now studying it in a phase III trial of previously untreated patients with progressive B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
"Patients who received the monoclonal antibody MabCampath exhibited significantly higher overall and complete response rates, with a manageable safety profile," than those treated with comparison drug chlorambucil, Schering said in a statement late on Saturday.
The interim results of the trial showed a nearly 30 percent greater overall response rate among patients treated with MabCampath than chlorambucil, it added.
Schering holds the worldwide marketing and distribution rights to the product, which is marketed in the U.S. by Schering affiliate Berlex Laboratories.
"Once the final data from the study's primary endpoint of progression-free survival are available, Genzyme and Berlex expect to file an application seeking to expand the product's current label to include previously untreated B-CLL patients who require therapy," Schering said.
The trial involves 297 previously untreated patients with progressive disease at 44 medical centers in Europe and the United States, it added.
The most common side effects in the trial so far were fever, rigors, nausea, abnormally low blood pressure and vomiting.
Serious adverse events related to treatment occurred in 25 percent of MabCampath patients and 6 percent of patients on chlorambucil.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most prevalent form of adult leukemia, affecting approximately 120,000 people in Europe and the United States. The disease is most commonly diagnosed among people age 50 or older, Schering said.
by German drugmaker Schering AG
Schering and Genzyme are co-developing MabCampath (alemtuzumab), which is marketed in the United States as Campath, for use against cancer and other diseases.
The drug is already approved to treat a type of blood cancer and the two companies are now studying it in a phase III trial of previously untreated patients with progressive B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
"Patients who received the monoclonal antibody MabCampath exhibited significantly higher overall and complete response rates, with a manageable safety profile," than those treated with comparison drug chlorambucil, Schering said in a statement late on Saturday.
The interim results of the trial showed a nearly 30 percent greater overall response rate among patients treated with MabCampath than chlorambucil, it added.
Schering holds the worldwide marketing and distribution rights to the product, which is marketed in the U.S. by Schering affiliate Berlex Laboratories.
"Once the final data from the study's primary endpoint of progression-free survival are available, Genzyme and Berlex expect to file an application seeking to expand the product's current label to include previously untreated B-CLL patients who require therapy," Schering said.
The trial involves 297 previously untreated patients with progressive disease at 44 medical centers in Europe and the United States, it added.
The most common side effects in the trial so far were fever, rigors, nausea, abnormally low blood pressure and vomiting.
Serious adverse events related to treatment occurred in 25 percent of MabCampath patients and 6 percent of patients on chlorambucil.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most prevalent form of adult leukemia, affecting approximately 120,000 people in Europe and the United States. The disease is most commonly diagnosed among people age 50 or older, Schering said.
by German drugmaker Schering AG
leukemia symptoms : Clinical Features in Rai & Binet Staging
Lymphocytosis = high numbers of lymphocytes
Lymphadenopathy = lymphatic disease
Hepatomegaly = enlarged liver
Splenomegaly = enlarged spleen
There are a few more types and subtypes of chronic leukemia, the most notable of which are hairy cell leukemia, prolymphocytic leukemia, T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), like CLL, is a slow-growing lymphocytic cancer. It is distinguished by its appearance under the microscope, because the lymphocytes have many fine, "hairy" projections from their surfaces. HCL is typically a disease of middle-aged males. Most individuals report nonspecific symptoms that are partially caused by anemia. Yet HCL differs from CLL with respect management.
Both prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) and T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (T-CLL; also known as large granular lymphocyte leukemia, or LGL) are unusual forms of CLL. They are very rare, and account for only about 1% of all CLL cases. PLL, like CLL, is mostly seen in men. More than half of the cells in PLL are prolymphocytes, which are larger than CLL cells and have less condensed genetic material. T-CLL results from the reproduction of cells that resemble normal large granular lymphocytes. PLL and T-CLL are more aggressive in nature than other forms of CLL, and they are less likely to respond to treatment.
There is some dispute about the categorization of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Some groups consider CMML to be a "pre-leukemia," or "myelodysplastic syndrome," rather than a malignant disorder. It is a disease that is found in older individuals. Patients may be asymptomatic (without symptoms) and be diagnosed accidentally, or they may have symptoms of tiredness, bruising and/or abdominal discomfort from an enlarged spleen. CMML may be inactive, or it may progress slowly over months and years. CMML eventually transforms into an acute, usually fatal form of leukemia.
by Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
Lymphadenopathy = lymphatic disease
Hepatomegaly = enlarged liver
Splenomegaly = enlarged spleen
There are a few more types and subtypes of chronic leukemia, the most notable of which are hairy cell leukemia, prolymphocytic leukemia, T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), like CLL, is a slow-growing lymphocytic cancer. It is distinguished by its appearance under the microscope, because the lymphocytes have many fine, "hairy" projections from their surfaces. HCL is typically a disease of middle-aged males. Most individuals report nonspecific symptoms that are partially caused by anemia. Yet HCL differs from CLL with respect management.
Both prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) and T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (T-CLL; also known as large granular lymphocyte leukemia, or LGL) are unusual forms of CLL. They are very rare, and account for only about 1% of all CLL cases. PLL, like CLL, is mostly seen in men. More than half of the cells in PLL are prolymphocytes, which are larger than CLL cells and have less condensed genetic material. T-CLL results from the reproduction of cells that resemble normal large granular lymphocytes. PLL and T-CLL are more aggressive in nature than other forms of CLL, and they are less likely to respond to treatment.
There is some dispute about the categorization of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Some groups consider CMML to be a "pre-leukemia," or "myelodysplastic syndrome," rather than a malignant disorder. It is a disease that is found in older individuals. Patients may be asymptomatic (without symptoms) and be diagnosed accidentally, or they may have symptoms of tiredness, bruising and/or abdominal discomfort from an enlarged spleen. CMML may be inactive, or it may progress slowly over months and years. CMML eventually transforms into an acute, usually fatal form of leukemia.
by Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
leukemia symptoms : Staging
Most cancer patients are assigned a clinical "stage" after undergoing a diagnostic work-up. American physicians often use the four-stage TNM system - a classification system developed and recently revised by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC; International Union Against Cancer). According to this system, staging is based on the size of the tumor and how far it has spread from its original location in the body.
Because leukemia starts in the bone marrow and often has spread to other organs by the time it is detected, there is no need for traditional staging. Instead, physicians rely upon cytologic (cellular) classification systems to identify the type and subtype of leukemia. Cell classification systems, in turn, help to predict the prognosis, or outcome, of specific forms of leukemia and the likely response to treatment.
The most popular classification method for acute leukemia is the French-American-British (FAB) system. According to FAB classification, acute leukemia is divided into eight subtypes of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and three subtypes of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (see Types of Leukemia). FAB originally was based upon the microscopic appearance of leukemia cells; however, in recent years, researchers have discovered that cellular characteristics such as genetic make-up and numbers of specific cell types help to classify leukemia and predict its outcome.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is classified by one of two cytologic staging systems, which known as Rai Classification and Binet Staging, respectively.
Rai Classification
Rai Classificationseparates chronic lymphocytic leukemia into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories, which correspond with stages 0, I & II, and III & IV, respectively:
Rai Stage 0 patients are low risk and have lymphocytosis, a high lymphocyte count defined as more than 15,000 lymphocytes per cubic millimeter (> 15,000 /mm3).
Rai Stage I patients are intermediate risk and have lymphocytosis plus enlarged lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy).
Rai Stage II patients are also intermediate risk but have lymphocytosis plus an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly) or enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), with or without lymphadenopathy.
Rai Stage III patients are high-risk and have lymphocytosis plus anemia, a low red blood cell count (hemoglobin < 11 g/dL), with or without lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, or splenomegaly.
Rai Stage IV patients are also high-risk but have lymphocytosis plus thrombocytopenia, a low number of blood platelets (< 100 Ž 103 /µL).
Binet Staging
Binet Staging classifies CLL according to the number of lymphoid tissues that are involved (i.e., the spleen and the lymph nodes of the neck, groin, and underarms), as well as the presence of low red blood cell count (anemia) or low number of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia): Binet Stage A patients have fewer than three areas of enlarged lymphoid tissue. Enlarged lymph nodes of the neck, underarms, and groin, as well as the spleen, are each considered "one group," whether unilateral (one-sided) or bilateral (on both sides).
Binet Stage B patients have more than three areas of enlarged lymphoid tissue
Binet Stage C patients have anemia plus thrombocytopenia (platelets <100 Ž 103 /µL).
One major advantage of the Binet system is its ability to highlight the splenic form of CLL, which may have a better prognosis than when classified by the Rai system.
by Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All rights reserved
Because leukemia starts in the bone marrow and often has spread to other organs by the time it is detected, there is no need for traditional staging. Instead, physicians rely upon cytologic (cellular) classification systems to identify the type and subtype of leukemia. Cell classification systems, in turn, help to predict the prognosis, or outcome, of specific forms of leukemia and the likely response to treatment.
The most popular classification method for acute leukemia is the French-American-British (FAB) system. According to FAB classification, acute leukemia is divided into eight subtypes of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and three subtypes of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (see Types of Leukemia). FAB originally was based upon the microscopic appearance of leukemia cells; however, in recent years, researchers have discovered that cellular characteristics such as genetic make-up and numbers of specific cell types help to classify leukemia and predict its outcome.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is classified by one of two cytologic staging systems, which known as Rai Classification and Binet Staging, respectively.
Rai Classification
Rai Classificationseparates chronic lymphocytic leukemia into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories, which correspond with stages 0, I & II, and III & IV, respectively:
Rai Stage 0 patients are low risk and have lymphocytosis, a high lymphocyte count defined as more than 15,000 lymphocytes per cubic millimeter (> 15,000 /mm3).
Rai Stage I patients are intermediate risk and have lymphocytosis plus enlarged lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy).
Rai Stage II patients are also intermediate risk but have lymphocytosis plus an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly) or enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), with or without lymphadenopathy.
Rai Stage III patients are high-risk and have lymphocytosis plus anemia, a low red blood cell count (hemoglobin < 11 g/dL), with or without lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, or splenomegaly.
Rai Stage IV patients are also high-risk but have lymphocytosis plus thrombocytopenia, a low number of blood platelets (< 100 Ž 103 /µL).
Binet Staging
Binet Staging classifies CLL according to the number of lymphoid tissues that are involved (i.e., the spleen and the lymph nodes of the neck, groin, and underarms), as well as the presence of low red blood cell count (anemia) or low number of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia): Binet Stage A patients have fewer than three areas of enlarged lymphoid tissue. Enlarged lymph nodes of the neck, underarms, and groin, as well as the spleen, are each considered "one group," whether unilateral (one-sided) or bilateral (on both sides).
Binet Stage B patients have more than three areas of enlarged lymphoid tissue
Binet Stage C patients have anemia plus thrombocytopenia (platelets <100 Ž 103 /µL).
One major advantage of the Binet system is its ability to highlight the splenic form of CLL, which may have a better prognosis than when classified by the Rai system.
by Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All rights reserved
leukemia symptoms : HK scientists uncover workings behind leukemia
Scientists in Hong Kong believe they have uncovered the trigger for leukemia, a cancer of the blood that afflicts millions worldwide.
The findings could pave the way for the design of new drugs to combat the abnormal proliferation of white blood cells and might also lead to new treatments for other types of cancers.
Leukemia has been linked to infection by the Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1), which is contracted through sex, blood transfusions and breastfeeding.
More than 20 million people suffer from leukemia globally and it is especially prevalent in Japan.
In a study that began in 2000, researchers at the University of Hong Kong found that abnormal division of white blood cells took place when a foreign protein called TAX in the leukemia virus bound itself to a human protein which the same group of scientists identified for the first time in human cells.
That newly identified protein, called TAX1BP2, ensures proper cell division.
When the foreign protein started merging with the human protein, the scientists began to observe abnormal cell division.
"When they merge, the function of TAX1BP2 is disrupted ... and leads to the generation of abnormal numbers of chromosomes in daughter cells and is therefore thought to be a driving force in the development of cancer," said Wilson Ching, assistant professor of the University of Hong Kong's departments of pathology and biochemistry.
The group's findings were published in the journal Nature Cell Biology on June 11.
The researchers will see if their findings apply to other types of virus-linked cancers, such as liver cancer, which is believed to be linked to the hepatitis B virus, and nasopharyngeal cancer, linked to the Epstein-Barr virus.
The latter two cancers are endemic in southern China and Hong Kong. Up to 10 percent of Hong Kong's population were estimated to be carriers of hepatitis B just five years ago.
At least 15 percent of all human cancers are believed to be caused by viral infections.
The team's findings might also help pave the way for the design of new drugs to stop the foreign protein from disrupting normal cell division.
"We're thinking of a way to block or inhibit the binding of TAX to the human protein. If you can block this binding, then, it will stop this foreign protein from causing cancer," Ching said.
© Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
The findings could pave the way for the design of new drugs to combat the abnormal proliferation of white blood cells and might also lead to new treatments for other types of cancers.
Leukemia has been linked to infection by the Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1), which is contracted through sex, blood transfusions and breastfeeding.
More than 20 million people suffer from leukemia globally and it is especially prevalent in Japan.
In a study that began in 2000, researchers at the University of Hong Kong found that abnormal division of white blood cells took place when a foreign protein called TAX in the leukemia virus bound itself to a human protein which the same group of scientists identified for the first time in human cells.
That newly identified protein, called TAX1BP2, ensures proper cell division.
When the foreign protein started merging with the human protein, the scientists began to observe abnormal cell division.
"When they merge, the function of TAX1BP2 is disrupted ... and leads to the generation of abnormal numbers of chromosomes in daughter cells and is therefore thought to be a driving force in the development of cancer," said Wilson Ching, assistant professor of the University of Hong Kong's departments of pathology and biochemistry.
The group's findings were published in the journal Nature Cell Biology on June 11.
The researchers will see if their findings apply to other types of virus-linked cancers, such as liver cancer, which is believed to be linked to the hepatitis B virus, and nasopharyngeal cancer, linked to the Epstein-Barr virus.
The latter two cancers are endemic in southern China and Hong Kong. Up to 10 percent of Hong Kong's population were estimated to be carriers of hepatitis B just five years ago.
At least 15 percent of all human cancers are believed to be caused by viral infections.
The team's findings might also help pave the way for the design of new drugs to stop the foreign protein from disrupting normal cell division.
"We're thinking of a way to block or inhibit the binding of TAX to the human protein. If you can block this binding, then, it will stop this foreign protein from causing cancer," Ching said.
© Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
leukemia symptoms : Parents who smoke may raise child's leukemia risk
The risk of leukemia in childhood appears to be increased when fathers smoke, even if the smoking occurs before conception, and with exposure to smoking after birth, researchers report in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Dr. Jeffrey S. Chang of the University of California, Berkeley and colleagues note that cigarette smoking has been linked to leukemia in adults, but the association in children has remained unclear.
To investigate further, the researchers conducted a study of 287 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 46 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 416 "control" children without leukemia.
Chang's group found that maternal smoking alone was not associated with an increased risk of either type of leukemia, but paternal smoking before conception increased the risk of AML by almost four times and a possible increased risk of ALL was suggested.
However, the investigators point out that the strong association with AML was based on data from only 16 cases and 8 controls.
The researchers also found that the risk of ALL was greater when paternal smoking before conception was combined with maternal smoking after birth and other passive smoking exposure.
The team notes that the public is aware of the detrimental effect of maternal smoking on the fetus. "The knowledge of a potentially harmful effect of paternal smoking exposure," they conclude, "may provide men with a stronger incentive to quit."
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, June 2006.
Dr. Jeffrey S. Chang of the University of California, Berkeley and colleagues note that cigarette smoking has been linked to leukemia in adults, but the association in children has remained unclear.
To investigate further, the researchers conducted a study of 287 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 46 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 416 "control" children without leukemia.
Chang's group found that maternal smoking alone was not associated with an increased risk of either type of leukemia, but paternal smoking before conception increased the risk of AML by almost four times and a possible increased risk of ALL was suggested.
However, the investigators point out that the strong association with AML was based on data from only 16 cases and 8 controls.
The researchers also found that the risk of ALL was greater when paternal smoking before conception was combined with maternal smoking after birth and other passive smoking exposure.
The team notes that the public is aware of the detrimental effect of maternal smoking on the fetus. "The knowledge of a potentially harmful effect of paternal smoking exposure," they conclude, "may provide men with a stronger incentive to quit."
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, June 2006.
leukemia symptoms : Specific Skin Lesions
definition
The cutaneous manifestations of leukaemia include primary, specific skin lesions resulting from direct infiltration of the skin and subcutaneous tissues by leukaemic cells. Examples are leukaemia cutis, granulocytic sarcomas, and extramedullary tumour masses. The papulonodular lesions of leukaemia cutis present as brown-red to violaceous, indurated dermal papules, plaques, or nodules. Early lesions may be macular. Other rare clinical presentations of leukaemia cutis include bullae, ulcerations, and erythroderma resulting from diffuse leukaemic infiltration of the skin. Granulocytic sarcomas are extramedullary masses of leukaemic cells that may be found in the facial sinus, orbit, paravertebral area, long bones and lymph nodes. Extramedullary tumour masses are neoplastic infiltrates that are histologically composed of monoblasts and which, unlike granulocytic sarcomas, are found only in the setting of active leukaemia.
http://dermis.multimedica.de/dermisroot/en/20371/diagnose.htm
The cutaneous manifestations of leukaemia include primary, specific skin lesions resulting from direct infiltration of the skin and subcutaneous tissues by leukaemic cells. Examples are leukaemia cutis, granulocytic sarcomas, and extramedullary tumour masses. The papulonodular lesions of leukaemia cutis present as brown-red to violaceous, indurated dermal papules, plaques, or nodules. Early lesions may be macular. Other rare clinical presentations of leukaemia cutis include bullae, ulcerations, and erythroderma resulting from diffuse leukaemic infiltration of the skin. Granulocytic sarcomas are extramedullary masses of leukaemic cells that may be found in the facial sinus, orbit, paravertebral area, long bones and lymph nodes. Extramedullary tumour masses are neoplastic infiltrates that are histologically composed of monoblasts and which, unlike granulocytic sarcomas, are found only in the setting of active leukaemia.
http://dermis.multimedica.de/dermisroot/en/20371/diagnose.htm
leukemia symptoms : What is Leukemia?
Leukemia is a type of cancer. Cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases that have two important things in common. One is that certain cells in the body become abnormal. Another is that the body keeps producing large numbers of these abnormal cells.
Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. To understand leukemia information, it is helpful to know about normal blood cells and what happens to them when leukemia develops. Each year, nearly 27,000 adults and more than 2,000 children in the United States learn that they have leukemia.
The blood is made up of fluid called plasma and three types of cells. Each type has special functions.
White blood cells (also called WBCs or leukocytes) help the body fight infections and other diseases.
Red blood cells (also called RBCs or erythrocytes) carry oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and take carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. The red blood cells give blood its color.
Platelets (also called thrombocytes) help form blood clots that control bleeding.
Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow, the soft, spongy center of bones. New (immature) blood cells are called blasts. Some blasts stay in the marrow to mature. Some travel to other parts of the body to mature. Normally, blood cells are produced in an orderly, controlled way, as the body needs them. This process helps keep us healthy.
When leukemia develops, the body produces large numbers of abnormal blood cells. In most types of leukemia, the abnormal cells are white blood cells. The leukemia cells usually look different from normal blood cells, and they do not function properly.
Types of Leukemia
The types of leukemia are grouped by how quickly the disease develops and gets worse. There are two types of leukemia, chronic or acute. Chronic leukemia gets worse slowly while acute leukemia gets worse quickly:
Chronic leukemia — Early in the disease, the abnormal blood cells can still do their work, and people with chronic leukemia may not have any symptoms. Slowly, chronic leukemia gets worse. It causes symptoms as the number of leukemia cells in the blood rises.
Acute leukemia — The blood cells are very abnormal. They cannot carry out their normal work. The number of abnormal cells increases rapidly. Acute leukemia worsens quickly.
The types of leukemia are also grouped by the type of white blood cell that is affected. Leukemia can arise in lymphoid cells or myeloid cells. Leukemia that affects lymphoid cells is called lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia that affects myeloid cells is called myeloid leukemia or myelogenous leukemia.
There are four common types of leukemia:
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, CLL) accounts for about 7,000 new cases of leukemia each year. Most often, people diagnosed with this form of chronic leukemia are over age 55. It almost never affects children.
Chronic myeloid leukemia (chronic myelogenous leukemia, CML) accounts for about 4,400 new cases of leukemia each year. It affects mainly adults.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL) accounts for about 3,800 new cases of leukemia each year. It is the most common type of leukemia in young children. It also affects adults.
Acute myeloid leukemia (acute myelogenous leukemia, AML) accounts for about 10,600 new cases of leukemia each year. This type of acute leukemia occurs in both adults and children.
In addition, there are also other rare types of leukemia, including hairy cell leukemia. Together, all of these rare types of leukemia account for about 5,200 new cases of leukemia each year.
To learn more about the different types of leukemia, the treatment options available, possible symptoms to look for and much more, including our supportive message board, please take some time and explore our site.
© Copyright 2006, International Capital & Management Company, LLLP
Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. To understand leukemia information, it is helpful to know about normal blood cells and what happens to them when leukemia develops. Each year, nearly 27,000 adults and more than 2,000 children in the United States learn that they have leukemia.
The blood is made up of fluid called plasma and three types of cells. Each type has special functions.
White blood cells (also called WBCs or leukocytes) help the body fight infections and other diseases.
Red blood cells (also called RBCs or erythrocytes) carry oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and take carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. The red blood cells give blood its color.
Platelets (also called thrombocytes) help form blood clots that control bleeding.
Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow, the soft, spongy center of bones. New (immature) blood cells are called blasts. Some blasts stay in the marrow to mature. Some travel to other parts of the body to mature. Normally, blood cells are produced in an orderly, controlled way, as the body needs them. This process helps keep us healthy.
When leukemia develops, the body produces large numbers of abnormal blood cells. In most types of leukemia, the abnormal cells are white blood cells. The leukemia cells usually look different from normal blood cells, and they do not function properly.
Types of Leukemia
The types of leukemia are grouped by how quickly the disease develops and gets worse. There are two types of leukemia, chronic or acute. Chronic leukemia gets worse slowly while acute leukemia gets worse quickly:
Chronic leukemia — Early in the disease, the abnormal blood cells can still do their work, and people with chronic leukemia may not have any symptoms. Slowly, chronic leukemia gets worse. It causes symptoms as the number of leukemia cells in the blood rises.
Acute leukemia — The blood cells are very abnormal. They cannot carry out their normal work. The number of abnormal cells increases rapidly. Acute leukemia worsens quickly.
The types of leukemia are also grouped by the type of white blood cell that is affected. Leukemia can arise in lymphoid cells or myeloid cells. Leukemia that affects lymphoid cells is called lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia that affects myeloid cells is called myeloid leukemia or myelogenous leukemia.
There are four common types of leukemia:
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, CLL) accounts for about 7,000 new cases of leukemia each year. Most often, people diagnosed with this form of chronic leukemia are over age 55. It almost never affects children.
Chronic myeloid leukemia (chronic myelogenous leukemia, CML) accounts for about 4,400 new cases of leukemia each year. It affects mainly adults.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL) accounts for about 3,800 new cases of leukemia each year. It is the most common type of leukemia in young children. It also affects adults.
Acute myeloid leukemia (acute myelogenous leukemia, AML) accounts for about 10,600 new cases of leukemia each year. This type of acute leukemia occurs in both adults and children.
In addition, there are also other rare types of leukemia, including hairy cell leukemia. Together, all of these rare types of leukemia account for about 5,200 new cases of leukemia each year.
To learn more about the different types of leukemia, the treatment options available, possible symptoms to look for and much more, including our supportive message board, please take some time and explore our site.
© Copyright 2006, International Capital & Management Company, LLLP
leukemia symptoms : Medications
Numerous chemotherapy and biological drug combinations may be prescribed by an oncologist. Which type and combination of therapy depends on many factors including the type and stage of leukemia, whether treating adult or childhood leukemia, ability to tolerate chemotherapy side effects, and if any previous treatment for the leukemia has occurred. Oncologists often work together regionally to decide which combination of chemotherapy and biological drugs are currently working best for their patients. Because of this, the drug combinations often vary and are able to change rapidly when improved results occur.
Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD.
All Rights Reserved
Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD.
All Rights Reserved
leukemia symptoms : Medical Treatment
Leukemia treatment falls into 2 categories: treatment to fight the cancer and treatment to relieve the symptoms of the disease and the side effects of the treatment (supportive care).
The most widely used anti-leukemic treatment is chemotherapy, that is, the use of powerful drugs to kill leukemia cells.
Treatment usually involves combinations of chemotherapy.
Depending on the medication, therapy may be administered by vein or by mouth.
In some cases, chemotherapy can be given at the doctor's office or some may be taken at home; in other cases, the patient may have to stay in a hospital. This depends on which agents the patient is receiving along with his or her overall condition (sometimes measured in terms of "performance status").
Many people with leukemia have a semi-permanent intravenous (IV) line placed in the upper chest, near the shoulder.
A thin, plastic tube called a catheter is passed through the skin of the chest and inserted into a large vein. It is held in place, usually for the planned duration or therapy, with a few stitches, which makes it possible to use the same vein on numerous occasions without worry about the intravenous line being pulled out. The line is often burrowed under the skin.
People who have leukemia in their cerebrospinal fluid, or who are at high risk of having leukemic cells migrate to the spinal fluid, receive chemotherapy directly into the cerebrospinal canal. This is known as intrathecal chemotherapy.
Intrathecal chemotherapy is necessary because drugs given via IV do not sufficiently penetrate into the cerebrospinal fluid or brain and, thus, cannot kill leukemia cells there. Insufficient penetration of drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid results in uncontrolled growth of leukemic cells in the cerebrospinal fluid. Sometimes the therapy is inserted into a sac placed in one of the larger fluid-filled areas of the brain, a ventricle. The sac is known as an Ommaya reservoir, so named after its developer.
The reservoir stays in place for the duration of the treatment.
Chemotherapy kills cells or stops them from reproducing. Chemotherapy also kills rapidly growing healthy cells, accounting for many of the side effects of therapy.
The exact side effects depend on the particular agent or agents administered to the patient, and the severity of side effects depends on the doses given and the patient's tolerance.
Chemotherapy has its most severe effects on the bone marrow, the hair follicles, and the digestive system (from the mouth to the anus). These are the areas of the body where cells reproduce and replace themselves most quickly. Occasionally, the fingernails and toenails may splinter, crack, develop deep ridges, or stop growing.
Common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, and irritation of the esophagus (the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach).
Because chemotherapy kills normal blood cells, it can have some of the same effects as the leukemia itself: infections, anemia, and bleeding problems. Therefore, treatment of a patient with leukemia may involve the use of antibiotics and other anti-infective agents, red blood cell and platelet transfusions, and periodic injections to help increase the production of healthy red blood cells.
Newer agents are being developed that target leukemia cells and only minimally affecting healthy cells.
These agents greatly reduce the severity of side effects.
Imatinib (Gleevec), an agent used in the treatment of CML, is an example of such a chemotherapeutic drug.
Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles.
Each cycle consists of intensive treatment over several days followed by a few weeks without treatment for rest and recovery from side effects caused by the chemotherapy, particularly anemia and low white blood cells. The sequence is then repeated.
Chemotherapy regimens may be administered for 2-6 cycles, depending on subtype of leukemia and risk factors involved.
In accordance with particular treatment regimens, bone marrow exams may be carried out prior to each cycle of chemotherapy. After completion of treatment, the patient is evaluated again to see the effect of the chemotherapy on the leukemia.
Hematologists and oncologists often refer to phases of chemotherapy. Only in certain types of leukemia are all 3 phases used.
Induction: The purpose of this first phase is to kill as many leukemia cells as possible and bring about a remission.
Consolidation: In this phase, the goal is to seek out and kill the residual leukemia cells not killed by induction. Often, these cells are not detectable, but they are assumed to be still present.
Maintenance: The third phase is used to keep numbers of leukemia cells low, that is, to keep the disease in remission. The doses of chemotherapy are not as high as in the first 2 phases. This phase can last as long as 2 years.
The fundamental goal of chemotherapy is to cure the patient. Cure means that blood tests and bone marrow biopsy show no evidence of leukemia and the leukemia does not come back (relapse) over time. Only time can determine whether a remission (with no evidence of disease) will lead to disease-free survival (cure). In effect, remission may be short-lived, thereby requiring administration of new, previously unseen therapy. Results of this approach, often referred to as second-line therapy, are rarely curative. Stem cell transplant, if available, has the best chance of a second-line therapy cure.
Biological drug therapy: This type of therapy uses biological drugs that act similarly to the body's natural immune system, such as monoclonal antibodies, interferon, or interleukins.
Biological therapy consists of proteins like those produced naturally by the body's immune system to promote the body's innate ability to fight cancer.
Some people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or acute myelogenous leukemia receive a monoclonal antibody. This is an antibody specifically designed to fight their type of leukemia cells.
Some people with chronic myelogenous leukemia receive injections of interferon, a protein produced by some of the body's lymphocytes, which on occasion may slow the growth of leukemia cells but which has many unpleasant side effects.
Radiation therapy: Radiotherapy is another treatment occasionally used in some types of leukemia.
A high-energy beam is targeted at an organ, such as the brain, bones, or spleen, where large numbers of leukemia cells have collected. The radiation kills these cells.
Radiation to the brain can have negative long-term effects on some people, especially children. It has been linked to learning or thinking problems later in life. For this reason, radiation to the brain is carefully calibrated and used only when absolutely required.
Stem cell transplantation: This is a treatment that allows use of very high doses of chemotherapy along with total body irradiation in order to kill the leukemic cells.
At the completion of high-dose (lethal) therapy, the patient's immune system is essentially depleted, and the patient is at high risk of developing serious life-threatening infections. Accordingly, these patients are treated in specially designed, sterile, air-filtered marrow transplant rooms.
Immediately upon completion of the high-dose therapy, stem cells from a healthy, complete blood cell matched donor, usually a sibling or less commonly a parent, are transplanted into a vein whereupon they migrate to the marrow where they grow and multiply before entering the circulation, a process that may take 2-3 weeks to be completed. On rare occasions, when a donor is not available, one's own marrow cells, usually pretreated in order to remove residual, but otherwise unseen, leukemic cells, are infused. This approach is far less successful than the use of matched donor cells.
If a patient receives stem cells from a matched donor, the type of stem cell transplant is called allogeneic. If the patient’s own stem cells are reintroduced back into the patient following high dose therapy, the infusion is called autologous. Marrow or stem cells from an identical twin is referred to as syngeneic.
Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD.
All Rights Reserved.
The most widely used anti-leukemic treatment is chemotherapy, that is, the use of powerful drugs to kill leukemia cells.
Treatment usually involves combinations of chemotherapy.
Depending on the medication, therapy may be administered by vein or by mouth.
In some cases, chemotherapy can be given at the doctor's office or some may be taken at home; in other cases, the patient may have to stay in a hospital. This depends on which agents the patient is receiving along with his or her overall condition (sometimes measured in terms of "performance status").
Many people with leukemia have a semi-permanent intravenous (IV) line placed in the upper chest, near the shoulder.
A thin, plastic tube called a catheter is passed through the skin of the chest and inserted into a large vein. It is held in place, usually for the planned duration or therapy, with a few stitches, which makes it possible to use the same vein on numerous occasions without worry about the intravenous line being pulled out. The line is often burrowed under the skin.
People who have leukemia in their cerebrospinal fluid, or who are at high risk of having leukemic cells migrate to the spinal fluid, receive chemotherapy directly into the cerebrospinal canal. This is known as intrathecal chemotherapy.
Intrathecal chemotherapy is necessary because drugs given via IV do not sufficiently penetrate into the cerebrospinal fluid or brain and, thus, cannot kill leukemia cells there. Insufficient penetration of drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid results in uncontrolled growth of leukemic cells in the cerebrospinal fluid. Sometimes the therapy is inserted into a sac placed in one of the larger fluid-filled areas of the brain, a ventricle. The sac is known as an Ommaya reservoir, so named after its developer.
The reservoir stays in place for the duration of the treatment.
Chemotherapy kills cells or stops them from reproducing. Chemotherapy also kills rapidly growing healthy cells, accounting for many of the side effects of therapy.
The exact side effects depend on the particular agent or agents administered to the patient, and the severity of side effects depends on the doses given and the patient's tolerance.
Chemotherapy has its most severe effects on the bone marrow, the hair follicles, and the digestive system (from the mouth to the anus). These are the areas of the body where cells reproduce and replace themselves most quickly. Occasionally, the fingernails and toenails may splinter, crack, develop deep ridges, or stop growing.
Common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, and irritation of the esophagus (the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach).
Because chemotherapy kills normal blood cells, it can have some of the same effects as the leukemia itself: infections, anemia, and bleeding problems. Therefore, treatment of a patient with leukemia may involve the use of antibiotics and other anti-infective agents, red blood cell and platelet transfusions, and periodic injections to help increase the production of healthy red blood cells.
Newer agents are being developed that target leukemia cells and only minimally affecting healthy cells.
These agents greatly reduce the severity of side effects.
Imatinib (Gleevec), an agent used in the treatment of CML, is an example of such a chemotherapeutic drug.
Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles.
Each cycle consists of intensive treatment over several days followed by a few weeks without treatment for rest and recovery from side effects caused by the chemotherapy, particularly anemia and low white blood cells. The sequence is then repeated.
Chemotherapy regimens may be administered for 2-6 cycles, depending on subtype of leukemia and risk factors involved.
In accordance with particular treatment regimens, bone marrow exams may be carried out prior to each cycle of chemotherapy. After completion of treatment, the patient is evaluated again to see the effect of the chemotherapy on the leukemia.
Hematologists and oncologists often refer to phases of chemotherapy. Only in certain types of leukemia are all 3 phases used.
Induction: The purpose of this first phase is to kill as many leukemia cells as possible and bring about a remission.
Consolidation: In this phase, the goal is to seek out and kill the residual leukemia cells not killed by induction. Often, these cells are not detectable, but they are assumed to be still present.
Maintenance: The third phase is used to keep numbers of leukemia cells low, that is, to keep the disease in remission. The doses of chemotherapy are not as high as in the first 2 phases. This phase can last as long as 2 years.
The fundamental goal of chemotherapy is to cure the patient. Cure means that blood tests and bone marrow biopsy show no evidence of leukemia and the leukemia does not come back (relapse) over time. Only time can determine whether a remission (with no evidence of disease) will lead to disease-free survival (cure). In effect, remission may be short-lived, thereby requiring administration of new, previously unseen therapy. Results of this approach, often referred to as second-line therapy, are rarely curative. Stem cell transplant, if available, has the best chance of a second-line therapy cure.
Biological drug therapy: This type of therapy uses biological drugs that act similarly to the body's natural immune system, such as monoclonal antibodies, interferon, or interleukins.
Biological therapy consists of proteins like those produced naturally by the body's immune system to promote the body's innate ability to fight cancer.
Some people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or acute myelogenous leukemia receive a monoclonal antibody. This is an antibody specifically designed to fight their type of leukemia cells.
Some people with chronic myelogenous leukemia receive injections of interferon, a protein produced by some of the body's lymphocytes, which on occasion may slow the growth of leukemia cells but which has many unpleasant side effects.
Radiation therapy: Radiotherapy is another treatment occasionally used in some types of leukemia.
A high-energy beam is targeted at an organ, such as the brain, bones, or spleen, where large numbers of leukemia cells have collected. The radiation kills these cells.
Radiation to the brain can have negative long-term effects on some people, especially children. It has been linked to learning or thinking problems later in life. For this reason, radiation to the brain is carefully calibrated and used only when absolutely required.
Stem cell transplantation: This is a treatment that allows use of very high doses of chemotherapy along with total body irradiation in order to kill the leukemic cells.
At the completion of high-dose (lethal) therapy, the patient's immune system is essentially depleted, and the patient is at high risk of developing serious life-threatening infections. Accordingly, these patients are treated in specially designed, sterile, air-filtered marrow transplant rooms.
Immediately upon completion of the high-dose therapy, stem cells from a healthy, complete blood cell matched donor, usually a sibling or less commonly a parent, are transplanted into a vein whereupon they migrate to the marrow where they grow and multiply before entering the circulation, a process that may take 2-3 weeks to be completed. On rare occasions, when a donor is not available, one's own marrow cells, usually pretreated in order to remove residual, but otherwise unseen, leukemic cells, are infused. This approach is far less successful than the use of matched donor cells.
If a patient receives stem cells from a matched donor, the type of stem cell transplant is called allogeneic. If the patient’s own stem cells are reintroduced back into the patient following high dose therapy, the infusion is called autologous. Marrow or stem cells from an identical twin is referred to as syngeneic.
Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD.
All Rights Reserved.
leukemia symptoms : 2 major types of leukemia
myelogenous and lymphocytic, include both acute and chronic forms.
Acute essentially refers to a disorder of rapid onset. In the acute myelocytic leukemias, the abnormal cells grow rapidly and do not mature. Most of these immature cells tend to die rapidly. In the acute lymphocytic leukemias, growth is not as rapid as that of the myelocytic cells. Rather, the cells tend to accumulate. Common to both types of leukemia is their inability to carry out the functions of healthy white blood cells. Untreated, death occurs within weeks or a few months.
In the chronic leukemias, the onset tends to be slow, and the cells generally mature abnormally and often accumulate in various organs, often over long intervals. Their ability to fight infections and assist in repairing injured tissues is impaired. However, unlike the acute forms of leukemia, untreated, these disorders may persist for many months or, as in the chronic lymphocytic group, many years. A distinctive feature of the chronic myelocytic type is its invariable conversion, if untreated, to a more rapidly fulminating acute type, leading to rapid death.
In summary, the 4 main types of leukemia are as follows:
Acute lymphocytic leukemia
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Acute myelocytic leukemia
Chronic myelocytic leukemia
Less common types include hairy cell leukemia and human T-cell leukemia.
Leukemia affects people of all ages. Approximately 85% of leukemias in children are of the acute type.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) affects both children and adults but is more common in children. It accounts for 65% of the acute leukemias in children.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is essentially an adult disorder and is almost twice as common as chronic myelocytic leukemia.
Acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults.
Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) is far more common in adults than in children.
As leukemic cells grow and eventually outnumber normal cells, the following events occur:
The normal blood cells are disabled, resulting in conditions such as frequent infections, bleeding problems (poor healing of small cuts or sores), and anemia (low red blood cell count).
The leukemia cells may collect in certain parts of the body, causing pain, swelling, and other problems.
Identifying the type of leukemia is important, since this determines which treatment is given.
Leukemia is newly diagnosed in about 29,000 adults and 2000 children each year in the United States.
In adults, the acute leukemias occur in those of all ages, whereas the chronic varieties, particularly CLL, tend to occur in people older than 40 years.
Leukemia is one of the most common cancers of children.
Leukemia is more common in people of European descent than in African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, or Native Americans.
Survival rates in leukemia have risen dramatically in the last 40 years with improvements in diagnosis and treatment.
In 1960, the overall 5-year survival rate for all leukemias was about 14%. It is now about 50%.
The highest survival rates occur in children with the so-called "common" ALL type.
Acute essentially refers to a disorder of rapid onset. In the acute myelocytic leukemias, the abnormal cells grow rapidly and do not mature. Most of these immature cells tend to die rapidly. In the acute lymphocytic leukemias, growth is not as rapid as that of the myelocytic cells. Rather, the cells tend to accumulate. Common to both types of leukemia is their inability to carry out the functions of healthy white blood cells. Untreated, death occurs within weeks or a few months.
In the chronic leukemias, the onset tends to be slow, and the cells generally mature abnormally and often accumulate in various organs, often over long intervals. Their ability to fight infections and assist in repairing injured tissues is impaired. However, unlike the acute forms of leukemia, untreated, these disorders may persist for many months or, as in the chronic lymphocytic group, many years. A distinctive feature of the chronic myelocytic type is its invariable conversion, if untreated, to a more rapidly fulminating acute type, leading to rapid death.
In summary, the 4 main types of leukemia are as follows:
Acute lymphocytic leukemia
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Acute myelocytic leukemia
Chronic myelocytic leukemia
Less common types include hairy cell leukemia and human T-cell leukemia.
Leukemia affects people of all ages. Approximately 85% of leukemias in children are of the acute type.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) affects both children and adults but is more common in children. It accounts for 65% of the acute leukemias in children.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is essentially an adult disorder and is almost twice as common as chronic myelocytic leukemia.
Acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults.
Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) is far more common in adults than in children.
As leukemic cells grow and eventually outnumber normal cells, the following events occur:
The normal blood cells are disabled, resulting in conditions such as frequent infections, bleeding problems (poor healing of small cuts or sores), and anemia (low red blood cell count).
The leukemia cells may collect in certain parts of the body, causing pain, swelling, and other problems.
Identifying the type of leukemia is important, since this determines which treatment is given.
Leukemia is newly diagnosed in about 29,000 adults and 2000 children each year in the United States.
In adults, the acute leukemias occur in those of all ages, whereas the chronic varieties, particularly CLL, tend to occur in people older than 40 years.
Leukemia is one of the most common cancers of children.
Leukemia is more common in people of European descent than in African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, or Native Americans.
Survival rates in leukemia have risen dramatically in the last 40 years with improvements in diagnosis and treatment.
In 1960, the overall 5-year survival rate for all leukemias was about 14%. It is now about 50%.
The highest survival rates occur in children with the so-called "common" ALL type.
leukemia symptoms : Leukemia Overview
Leukemia Overview
Cancer is a process of uncontrolled abnormal cell growth and development. Under normal circumstances, cells are formed, mature, carry out their intended function, and then die. New cells are constantly regenerated in the body to replace those cells and to maintain normal cellular function.
Cancer represents the disturbance of this process, which can occur in several ways.
Cells may grow and reproduce in a disorganized and out-of-control fashion. Cells may fail to develop properly, so they will not function normally. Cells may fail to die normally. One or a combination of these processes may occur when cells become cancerous.
Leukemia is a cancer of blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. These deranged, immature cells accumulate in the blood and within organs of the body. They are not able to carry out the normal functions of blood cells.
Normal blood contains 3 major groups of cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. All 3 types of blood cells develop from one immature cell type, called blood/marrow stem cells, in a process called hematopoiesis.
These stem cells divide and develop to a more developed, but still immature precursor, called a blast, which then develops through several more stages, into a mature blood cell.
This process takes place in the bone marrow, which is the soft spongy material found in the center of most bones.
Each type of blood cells has its own different and essential function in the body.
White blood cells (leukocytes) are part of the immune system and help fight a variety of infections. They also help in the healing of wounds, cuts, and sores.
Red blood cells (erythrocytes) contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to, and removes carbon dioxide from, the cells throughout the various organs of the body.
Platelets, along with certain plasma proteins, help plug the holes in blood vessels and form clots once blood vessels are damaged or cut.
The first step in the process of stem cell maturation is differentiation into 2 groups: the myeloid stem cell line and the lymphoid stem cell line.
The myeloid stem cells, or lineage, develop into red blood cells, platelets, and certain types of white blood cells (granulocytes or monocytes).
The lymphoid stem cells, or lineage, develop into another type of white blood cell (lymphocytes).
Either lineage can be affected by leukemia. Leukemias that affect the myeloid lineage are called myelocytic (also myelogenous, myeloblastic, or nonlymphocytic) leukemias. Leukemias that affect the lymphoid lineage are called lymphocytic (also lymphoblastic or lymphogenous) leukemias.
Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD.
All Rights Reserved.
Cancer is a process of uncontrolled abnormal cell growth and development. Under normal circumstances, cells are formed, mature, carry out their intended function, and then die. New cells are constantly regenerated in the body to replace those cells and to maintain normal cellular function.
Cancer represents the disturbance of this process, which can occur in several ways.
Cells may grow and reproduce in a disorganized and out-of-control fashion. Cells may fail to develop properly, so they will not function normally. Cells may fail to die normally. One or a combination of these processes may occur when cells become cancerous.
Leukemia is a cancer of blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. These deranged, immature cells accumulate in the blood and within organs of the body. They are not able to carry out the normal functions of blood cells.
Normal blood contains 3 major groups of cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. All 3 types of blood cells develop from one immature cell type, called blood/marrow stem cells, in a process called hematopoiesis.
These stem cells divide and develop to a more developed, but still immature precursor, called a blast, which then develops through several more stages, into a mature blood cell.
This process takes place in the bone marrow, which is the soft spongy material found in the center of most bones.
Each type of blood cells has its own different and essential function in the body.
White blood cells (leukocytes) are part of the immune system and help fight a variety of infections. They also help in the healing of wounds, cuts, and sores.
Red blood cells (erythrocytes) contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to, and removes carbon dioxide from, the cells throughout the various organs of the body.
Platelets, along with certain plasma proteins, help plug the holes in blood vessels and form clots once blood vessels are damaged or cut.
The first step in the process of stem cell maturation is differentiation into 2 groups: the myeloid stem cell line and the lymphoid stem cell line.
The myeloid stem cells, or lineage, develop into red blood cells, platelets, and certain types of white blood cells (granulocytes or monocytes).
The lymphoid stem cells, or lineage, develop into another type of white blood cell (lymphocytes).
Either lineage can be affected by leukemia. Leukemias that affect the myeloid lineage are called myelocytic (also myelogenous, myeloblastic, or nonlymphocytic) leukemias. Leukemias that affect the lymphoid lineage are called lymphocytic (also lymphoblastic or lymphogenous) leukemias.
Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD.
All Rights Reserved.
