LEUKEMIA
Etiology & Pathophysiology
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells, which start in the bone marrow. The disease develops when the blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control. The cause for leukemia is unknown.
There are four common types of leukemia:
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): CLL affects lymphoid cells and usually grows slowly. More common in older people.
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML): CML affects myeloid cells and usually grows slowly at first. More common in older people.
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL): ALL affects lymphoid cells and grows quickly. More common in children between the ages of 2 and 5 years.
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): AML affects myeloid cells and grows quickly. More common in adults.
There are several risk factors associated with leukemia, for example:
• People exposed to high levels of radiation are likely to get AML,CML, or ALL
• Smoking cigarettes can increase the risk for AML
• People with certain blood disorders are at increased risk for developing acute leukemia
• Family history of leukemia
Although, an in...
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes of the lymphatic system; this system is an important part of the body because the cancer can use the lymphatic system to travel around the whole body.
Gleevec scientifically known as CGP57148 (imatinib) and formerly known as STI571 is the new member of a class of agents that act by binding using a kinase inhibitor to try to control CML. It acts as a specific kinase inhibitor, which induces complete remission in the population of those with chronic-phase CML. As a result of the treatment there are no immature cells seen in the blood, and the spleen returns to its normal size in a complete hematologic response (CHR). Equally patients using Gleevec see a dramatic reduction of their tumor clone cells, and restores normal regulatory behavior in the leukemic clone. As well as, the occurrence of a marked increase in the proportion of blast cells, this in addition leaves cells undamaged. If no cells with the Philadelphia chromosome are found in the blood or bone marrow, then patients obtain a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR).
I have chosen to write about the constellation Cancer (The Crab). I chose Cancer because it is one of only a handful of constellations that I am actually able to identify in the night sky. Cancer is one of the twelve Zodiac constellations; people whose birthdays fall between June 21st and July 22nd have Cancer as their sign. Cancer is the Latin word for crab, and despite the fact that the constellation looks more like a lobster then a crab, it is still referred to as a crab. The constellation is visible from the northern hemisphere from late winter to early spring.
Cancer.org. (2014). Treatment of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemiainchildren/detailedguide/childhood-leukemia-treating-children-with-all [Accessed: 7 Apr 2014].
“The word 'leukemia' is a very frightening word. In many instances, it's a killer and it's something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you're going to beat it” - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Many people, including tons of children, fight leukemia every day trying to beat this vicious cancer. Without knowing how leukemia is exactly caused, it puts a damper on how to avoid it.
There are two types of lymphoma, Hodgkin disease and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and even though they are different they both begin the same way. Like other cancers, lymphoma results when cells divide too quickly or do not die because of a discrepancy in their genes. The cells that are affected in this type of cancer are white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes make up around 20 to 40 percent of all white blood cells, and are divided into two categories, B or T. Both types help support the immune system by destroying infectious or foreign substances, but B lymphocytes make antibodies to fight these substances while T lymphocytes directly attack the unwanted substances. These cells work in the lymph system which is a part of the immune system. The main jobs of the lymph system are to protect the body from unwanted substances and to transport waste. The system includes many vital organs such as lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, thymus, and the digestive tract. When lymphocytes become cancerous they collect in the lymph nodes therefore blocking the passage of waste and other white blood cells while also using the nodes as a system to travel and spread to other parts of body. These cancerous cells do not die and become a burden for the body because they can no longer fulfill their ...
The Phase I trial will be discussed here as it pertains to the topic at hand. The typical treatment for cervical cancer if surgery is not a viable option – like if the cancer has spread, then called locally advanced cervical cancer – is chemotherapy and radiation treatment at the same time. This phase I clinical trial is simply looking to add ipilimumab to this regimen, but once the chemo/radiation has been completed (LACC article). Chemo and radiation destroy tumor cells, which causes tumor-associated antigens to be released. Once released, these antigens are exogenous (outside the cell) and will be presented to helper T cells to initiate an immune response.
- Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML): Is a cancer of the bone marrow and the blood that will progress quickly without treatment. This type of leukemia affects mainly the cells that aren’t fully developed. Therefore, making the cells not carry out their normal functions. With this type of dysfunctional activity in the cells at an early stage, this why it is very important to get care and treatment as soon as possible.
The emphasis on health and fitness has become paramount in our society today in an effort to prevent and combat diseases such as Cancers. Cancers are a group of over 100 diseases that affects every aspect of the human system from skin, to bones, to muscles, to blood. One of the most common blood disorders is Leukemia. As defined by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow. The bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of the bone that is responsible for the production of blood cells. The term leukemia means white blood. The term leukocytes refer to white blood cells, which are body’s defense against infections and other foreign substances. When Leukemia occurs there is an uncontrolled increase in the number of white blood cells. When this occurs, these cancerous cells inhibit the production of healthy red blood cells, platelets, and mature white blood cells. Over time the cancerous cells can spread to the bloodstream and lymph nodes. They can also travel to the Central Nervous System and the rest of the body.
Chronic Myeloid leukemia (CML) is a blood and bone marrow disease that slowly progresses. The disease usually occurs in middle aged or older individuals and rarely occurs in children. In CML, an unusually high number of blood stem cells become granulocytes. These granulocytes, also called leukemia cells are irregular in shape and do not develop into healthy white blood cells. Eventually, they concentrate in the blood leaving no room for healthy cells which may lead to infection, anemia, or bleeding. The typical signs of CML include fatigue, fever, night sweats, and weight loss (6).
Lymphadenopathy is the term for swelling of the lymph nodes. These are the bean-shaped organs found in the underarm, groin, neck, chest, and abdomen. They act as filters for the lymph fluid as it circulates through the body. The most common site of lymphadenopathy are the cervical lymph nodes found in the neck. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system and functions to fight infections and disease. As infection-fighting cells and fluid build up, the lymph nodes enlarge to many times their normal size. Infections, autoimmune diseases, malignancies, histiocytoses, storage diseases, benign hyperplasia, and drug reactions are causes of generalized lymphadenopathy. Sometimes, one or more lymph nodes themselves can become inflamed and enlarged, a condition called lymphadenitis. Lymph nodes can also enlarge due to cancer in the lymphatic system, such as Hodgkin disease.
...l risk factors that are fully linked developing multiple myeloma. Therefore, preventative measures remain unknown.
Kanwar, V.S. (2013, Sep 16). Diseases & Conditions - Medscape Reference. Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Retrieved January 13, 2014, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/990113-overview#a0156
There are trillions of cells in a human body. All the cells work together. In cancer, one of those cells stops to give attention to the normal signals that tell cells to grow, stop growing or even to die. The process by which a normal cell changes into one which behaves abnormally, can take a long time and is often triggered by outside influences. Some kind of Cancers grow very quickly, while the others take
Bone cancer is classified into primary bone cancer & secondary bone cancer. Basically, Primary bone cancer starts in the bone; then the cancer initially forms in the cells of the bone; while the secondary cancer starts elsewhere in the body and gets spread to the bone.