Leukemia and Children

Leukemia and Children

One of the most tragic of all forms of cancer is Leukemia, which each year kills thousands of children all over the planet. Leukemia is a disorder of the blood, the bone marrow, and the lymphatic system. as one would expect with a system of this size, complexity, and importance to the body, there are numerous ways that things can go wrong. Because of this, there are various types of leukemia, all with different areas of activity and effects on the body.

There are a few ways to breakdown which type of leukemia is being dealt with. There are divisions that could be made based on whether or not the patient is a child or adult, for example. But most commonly the division is made based on how the blood cells are effected, and where the abnormality is taking place.

With symptoms that mimic those of many other, milder illnesses, leukemia is a difficult disease to diagnose initially. Some of the symptoms one is likely to experience are pervasive feelings of fatigue, constant chills and night sweats, and susceptibility to infection. As you can see, these are all conditions that could come from something as mundane as being overworked and run down. Many people assume that's exactly what the problem is, and don't seek help until their condition becomes so bad that they are unable to perform normal everyday activities without extreme discomfort.

When a person does report to the doctor, a blood test or bone marrow test may be conducted. These are the only ways to reliably screen for leukemia. Because of the variousness of the symptoms, and the invasiveness of the screening methods, leukemia often goes undiagnosed, by some estimates in as many as 20% of all cases.

The classification of leukemia arises from a four-fold matrix of conditions. The first axis is that of acute vs. chronic. In the case of acute leukemia, large numbers of immature blood cells are rapidly released. Since they are not fully developed, they crowd out the productive cells, resulting in quick deterioration of health. In the chronic case, blood cells are more mature and build up more slowly, resulting in a gradual worsening of health.

The second axis of the matrix is that of lymphocytic vs. myelogenous. Lymphocytic leukemia effects the cells which make up the body's immune system. Myelogenous leukemia effects the myeloid cells, which are responsible for producing the range of blood cells-white, red, platelet-in the body. This matrix yields four distinct forms of the disease, all of which have different degrees of danger and populations within which they occur.

Unlike some other forms of cancer, leukemia is not primarily caused by any lifestyle choices. There is a strong genetic component, which can be exacerbated by exposure to radioactive compounds. If you have a history of leukemia in your family it is important to stay vigilant and aware of your health. There are different treatments available and the earlier you can diagnose the problem (especially with the acute leukemia) the more likely you can survive.

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Dangers of Leukemia and Other Forms of Blood Cancers

Dangers of Leukemia and Other Forms of Blood Cancers

People suffering from leukemia suffer from one of the deadliest types of blood cancers. It is specifically, a form of cancer of the white blood cells.

In modern-day practice, leukemia can also refer to malignancy in the blood or any cellular element in the bone marrow, wherein, the white blood cells multiply uncontrollably. This results to more white blood cells in the bloodstream. This type of blood cancer usually occurs in children with ages between 3 to 7 years while in adults, it occurs between ages 50 to 60 years old.

The specific cause of leukemia is unknown but inheritance plays a big role in becoming susceptible to this condition. People with leukemia experience bone pain, easy bleeding, pale skin and fatigue as well as abdominal pain, easy bruising and lymph gland swelling. Treatment of leukemia includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant.

Since blood cancers obviously involve the blood, it is more deadly and most dreaded. The infected blood can imminently spread to other parts of the body through the blood stream. Leukemia starts in the bone marrow - the spongy, soft material inside the bones where blood cells are produced from stem cells.

As mentioned above, leukemia mostly affects the white blood cells which protect the body against infection. Then, cancer commences when abnormal white blood cells are created as a result when the development of stem cells into white blood cells goes uncontrollably wrong. With blood cancers, the abnormal white cells take over other types of blood cells, including the red blood cells (the ones that transport oxygen to the body tissues) and the platelets which make blood clotting possible. Therefore, leukemia is the intervention of the blood's ability in carrying oxygen and in clotting.

Without the presence of leukemia, the white blood cells can readily function in fighting disease-producing germs or pathogens. However, when it becomes dysfunctional, it can weaken the patient's immune system.

The body won't be able to fight even the simplest of infections. Pathogens can start attacking various other bodily cells. Since blood cancers destroy the immune system's normal function, some patients can experience frequent infections ranging from infected tonsils, diarrhea or sores in the mouth to opportunistic infections and life-threatening pneumonia.

Studies are still ongoing as to determine the exact causes of leukemia. Medical experts think that exposure to ionizing radiations and hazardous chemicals can trigger the development of these blood cancers. Irrespective of the age, survival rate is very low. This enlists leukemia as one of the most fatal of all cancers.

Leukemia patients have a 43% survival rate of 5 years. It is also noted that leukemia is hereditary or it can be traced to the family's history. However, this should not hinder you from living a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and nutritious diet to prevent it.

Diet should contain vegetable juices, lots of water, unrefined sea salt and foods that can heal like Aloe Vera, lemon, olive oil, green tea, tomato and more. For some people, fish, oranges and bananas can also help prevent blood cancers.

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The Chronic and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

The Chronic and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), as well called acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), is a rapidly progressive neoplasm resulting from hematopoietic precursors, or myeloid stem tissue, that give rise to granulocytes, monocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets. There's growing evidence that genetic events occurring early in stem mobile maturation can lead to leukemia. Very first, there's a lag time of 5-10 years towards the development of leukemia after coverage to known causative agents such as chemotherapy, radiation, and particular solvents.

2nd, many instances of secondary leukemia evolve out of a prolonged "preleukemic phase" manifested like a myelodysplastic syndrome of hypoproduction with abnormal maturation without having precise malignant behavior. Finally, examination of precursor cells at a stage earlier than the malignant expanded clone in a provided kind of leukemia can reveal genetic abnormalities such as monosomy or trisomy of various chromosomes. In maintaining using the general molecular theme of neoplasia, extra genetic modifications are witnessed in the malignant clone compared with the morphologically normal stem cell that developmentally precedes it.

Acute myelocytic leukemias are classified by morphology and cytochemical staining. Auer rods are crystalline cytoplasmic inclusion bodies characteristic of, though not uniformly witnessed in, all myeloid leukemias. In contrast to mature myeloid tissue, leukemic cells have large immature nuclei with open chromatin and prominent nucleoli. The look from the individual kinds of AML mirrors the cell kind from which they derive. M1 leukemias originate from early myeloid precursors with no apparent maturation toward any terminal myeloid mobile type. This really is apparent within the lack of granules or other features that mark more mature myeloid cells. M3 leukemias are a neoplasm of promyelocytes, precursors of granulocytes, and M3 cells exhibit abundant azurophilic granules which are common of normal promyelocytes.

M4 leukemias arise from myeloid precursors that may differentiate into granulocytes or monocytes, whereas M5 leukemias derive from precursors currently committed towards the monocyte lineage. Therefore, M4 and M5 cells both include the feature folded nucleus and gray cytoplasm of monocytes, whereas M4 cells include also granules of the granulocytic cytochemical staining pattern. M6 and M7 leukemias can't be readily identified on morphologic grounds, but immunostaining for erythrocytic proteins is positive in M6 tissue, and staining for platelet glycoproteins is apparent in M7 tissue.

Chromosomal deletions, duplications, and well balanced translocations had been noted about the leukemic tissue of some patients prior to the introduction of molecular genetic techniques. Cloning from the regions exactly where well balanced translocations occur has, in some cases, revealed a preserved translocation website that reproducibly fuses a single gene with an additional, producing in the manufacturing of a brand new blend protein. M3 leukemias show a really higher frequency of the t(15;17) translocation that juxtaposes the PML gene with the RAR- gene. RAR- encodes a retinoic acid steroid hormone receptor, and PML encodes a transcription factor whose target genes are unknown. The blend protein possesses novel biologic action that presumably results in improved proliferation and a obstruct of differentiation.

Interestingly, retinoic acid can induce a short-term remission of M3 leukemia, supporting the importance of the RAR--PML blend protein. Monosomy of chromosome seven can be observed in leukemias arising out from the preleukemic syndrome of myelodysplasia or in de novo leukemias, and in both instances this finding is associated with a worse clinical prognosis. This monosomy as well as other serial cytogenetic modifications may also be seen right after relapse of treated leukemia, a scenario characterized by a a lot more aggressive program and resistance to therapy.

As hematopoietic neoplasms, acute leukemias involve the bone marrow and usually manifest abnormal circulating leukemic (blast) cells. Occasionally, extramedullary leukemic infiltrates recognized as chloromas can be observed in other organs and mucosal surfaces. A marked improve within the number of circulating blasts can sometimes trigger vascular obstruction associated with hemorrhage and infarction within the cerebral and pulmonary vascular beds. This leukostasis results in symptoms such as strokes, retinal vein occlusion, and pulmonary infarction.

In most instances of AML along with other leukemias, peripheral blood counts of mature granulocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets are decreased. This is probably because of crowding from the bone marrow by blast tissue as nicely as the elaboration of inhibitory substances by leukemic cells or alteration of the bone marrow stromal microenvironment and cytokine milieu required for normal hematopoiesis. Susceptibility to infections consequently of depressed granulocyte amount and function and abnormal bleeding as a result of reduced platelet counts are common problems in sufferers initially presenting with leukemia.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is an indolent leukemia manifested by an increased quantity of immature granulocytes in the marrow and peripheral circulation. One of the hallmarks of CML may be the Philadelphia chromosome, a cytogenetic function that is due to balanced translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22, producing in a fusion gene, bcr-abl, that encodes a kinase that phosphorylates a number of key proteins included in cell development and apoptosis. The fusion gene can recreate a CML-like syndrome when released into mice.

CML eventually transforms into acute leukemia (blast crisis), which is associated with further cytogenetic changes and a clinical course similar to that of acute leukemia. New courses of medicines that block the bcr-abl kinase by competing with the ATP-binding site, induce remissions in most patients in chronic phases of CML. Moreover, resistance to these bcr-abl inhibitors can include amplification from the bcr-abl breakpoint as nicely as the development (or clonal expansion) of mutations in the ATP-binding pocket of bcr-abl, which no longer allows binding of inhibitors.

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General Info On Leukemia

General Info On Leukemia

Leukemia is a very serious disease that affects both the marrow and blood system. In the case of leukemia the number of white blood cells that are in a human body get seriously out of control and multiply to a very big and alarming number.

Because of this, and the fact that the marrow is responsible for normal blood production, the space for the normal count of blood cells to be made is messed up. From this 3 major problems occur: either the white blood cells become to rare the risk of infection seriously rising in this case, the red cells also become to be more rare, in this case anemia, fatigue or weakness affecting the patient.

Modern medicine has been able to classify leukemia in many types all of them with a wide variety of symptoms.

The word used to name this disorder also kind of names it: in Greek this literally means white blood. Because of the problems that occur in this disease the bone marrow might not be able to keep passe with the production of red blood cells or platelets in the normal numbers.

To make matters even worse the white cells start to increase in number at an alarming rate, thus not being capable to fully mature in order to fight viruses or other threats as they should. Aggravating the situation even more would be the fact that these great numbers of white cells infiltrate the organs causing even more problems like making them malfunction or even worse making them fail. The organs most likely to be affected are kidneys, liver and even the spleen. In the cases of the liver and spleen the size might actually increase.

The normal function of the spleen is that of a cleaner, filtering aging or dying red cells or platelets. When in the case of leukemia the spleen becomes enlarged, the duty that it has may actually become a problem for the body in the fact that it may actually start removing normally healthy red cells and platelets. This fact lids to the further decrease of number of these cells that were already starting to be produced in lower numbers.

As leukemia aggravates, the state of the blood also aggravates. This may become overwhelmed by immature white cells leading to severe problems in the patient, like: fatigue and weakness. The actual fact is that deprived of red cells and platelets the blood is no longer capable of coagulating properly making every little cut dangerous; to further increase risks white blood cells can’t this way fight an intruder if this ultimately makes its way into the body.

Leukemia is not a fact to joke about, the help of doctors and the need of medical attention being very big.

By: Groshan Fabiola

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Cure For Leukemia From Nature

Cure For Leukemia From Nature
By Ty Daniel

Many people are now looking for natural cures to things such as leukemia. This is becoming more and more common among those that are suffering from this disease. There are many different reasons that people have for looking for natural cures for their illnesses. Some of them are because the patient may not like the chemical treatment that the doctor is offering. There can be severe and dangerous side effects and the patient may not find it worth the risk. If this is the case then they may turn to natural treatments to help them with their battle. You should certainly have hope because there are options for those seeking a cure for leukemia from nature out there.

Medical Treatment for Leukemia

The main medical treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy. The effects of chemotherapy may be detrimental to the patient in many ways. The patient may get fatigue and feel like they don't want to get out of bed. This can lead to depression and depression is far from good when you are trying to get your body to heal. Chemotherapy can also cause nausea or vomiting this is a side effect that many people simply do not like. It can make you feel very ill and that is not always good for getting your body to want to heal either.

Another common side effect from chemotherapy treatment is that you will often times lose your hair. This is undesirable and may be something that many are not willing to deal with. With chemotherapy you may find that you lose all of you hair and then are in need of a wig just to hide the fact that your hair is missing. You may also lose a good bit of weight as well. This could mainly be the cause of the nausea and vomiting enabling you from being able to eat or even keep down any amount of food.

Natures cure for leukemia

One of the most common known cures for leukemia is vitamin A. It is said that vitamin A has had great cure rates since the studies that have been done on it. In the studies vitamin A was injected directly into the fat of the person with leukemia. This deposit of vitamin A was said to be deposited into a "fat bubble" or into "bubbles of fat" to increase or enhance bio-availability.

There were 34 patients that were in the study and all they received was the vitamin A. Out of these 34 patients that received the vitamin A, 10 of these patients where still cancer free after five years even though none of these patients received the chemotherapy treatments. This was said to be astonishing by those who preformed the study.

These patients received only vitamin A for the natural treatment they did not receive any of the other natural remedies that are proven to help with leukemia as well. There are many other herbs and vitamins that if taken in conjunction with the vitamin A are thought to increase the success rate of the vitamin A treatment.

There are other supplements that you may want to take with this cure for leukemia remedy to improve the chances of being cured even more.

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