Leukemia

Leukemia

By: Kalpana Ganeshan

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells.The word Leukemia comes from the Greek word leukos which means "white" and aima which means "blood".It is also the most common type of blood cancer.What are the different types of Leukemia?

Acute Leukemia- rapidly growing

Chronic Leukemia-Slowly developing

How does Leukemia harm you?Leukemiastarts in the bone marrowSo to get a better understanding of leukemia, let's talk about the bone marrow first. The Bone Marrow is soft material in the center of most bones where blood cells are formed (white and red blood cells, platelets).Red Blood cells help carry oxygen to the rest of the body

White Blood Cells help your body fight infections

Platelets help with clotting (when you bleed)So what happens when you have Leukemia?In Leukemia, the Bone Marrow produces large numbers of abnormal blood cells.These abnormal cells look different, and don't function properly.This causes lots of problems:

- difficulty fighting infection- bleed and bruise easily- bleed a lot when injured- tiredness (due to decrease in oxygen supply)It may also affect the liver and spleen.Symptoms of Leukemia Chronic Leukemia-no symptoms. Usually detected during a routine blood test.

Acute Leukemia- may have one or more of the following Symptoms: sickness, headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control, or seizures.Treatment for Leukemia(treatment may vary by type and severity)Watchful waiting:

- Only available for people with Chronic Leukemias who haven't experienced symptoms yet- you have regular checkups and wait it outChemotherapy

- Uses high doses of drugs to destroy leukemia- Has many side effects and may kill normal cells as wellBiological therapy:

- The usage of drugs that improve bodys natural defense against the diseaseRadiation therapy

- Uses high-energy rays to kill leukemia cells- Lots of side affects and may kill normal cells as wellStem cell transplant

- After destroying cancer cells, infuse blood-forming stem cells into the body (either from yourself or a matching donor)Survival ratesChildren:ALL- 90%AML- less than 40%CLL- Not availableCML- 70%Adults:AML-40%ALL-35%CML-90%CLL- 82%Sources:-"KidsHealth." Leukemia. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2013.-Nordqvist, Christian. "What Is Leukemia? What Causes Leukemia?" Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 17 Mar. 2009. Web. 111 Aug. 2013- "National Cancer Institute." Leukemia Home Page -. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Aug. 2013. The End

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