Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)

In 2017, 54270 new cases of leukemia are expected to be diagnosed. In the United States, an estimated 54,270 adults and 4,884 children, adolescents and young adults under 20 were diagnosed with leukemia in 2015 (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 2015). The most common types of leukemia in adults are AML and CLL. ALL is very rare in adults, and is the most common type of leukemia in children (Medical News Today, 2015). Leukemia Incidences are more common in men and boys than girls and women, and also more likely to occur in white people than black. Although people of any age can get leukemia, it is most common in adults over 60 years of age. Leukemia rates peak between the ages of 2 and 5 at around 9 cases per 100,000 per year and fall to a low of around 3 per 100,000 for young adults (Health Hubs, 2016).

Scenario: John is a 4 year-old boy who was admitted for chemotherapy following diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).  He had a white blood cell count of 250,000.  Clinical presentation included loss of appetite, easily bruised, gum bleeding, and fatigue.  Physical examination revealed marked splenomegaly, pale skin color, temperature of 102°F, and upper abdomen tenderness along with nonspecific arthralgia.

According to the American Cancer Society (2013) stated, “Childhood cancers are often the result of gene changes inside cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth” (American Cancer Society, 2013). “Unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors” (American Cancer Society, 2013).

Leukemia is cancerous disease that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the blood-stream (National Cancer Institute, 2008, para. 1). It is one of many complicated cancer diseases that affect all ages and have very negative outcomes if not treated properly, and on time. Within the disease are several different types that affect according to how quickly the disease develops and attacks the body. It could be classified as chronic leukemia, which has a slow progress of getting worse or acute leukemia which usually gets worse quickly. The types of leukemia also can be grouped based on the white blood cell that is affected (National Cancer Institute , 2008, p. 1).

Leukemia broadly describes conditions that affect erythropoiesis in the bone marrow, lymphatic system, and spleen. As with all other cancers, leukemia begins from the mutation of DNA in certain cells. Classifications of leukemias are based on the age of onset and the leukocyte involved (Lewis et al. 2014, 665). The most common leukemia is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), accounting for approximately 30% of cases in the United States (Copstead and Banasik 2013, 222). The normal function of the bone marrow, spleen, and liver becomes interrupted by the invasion of malignant lymphocytes (B cells); since the B cells are functionally inactive, a patient becomes more susceptible to infections. The sluggish progression of CLL unfortunately leads to late diagnoses and poor prognosis (Lewis et al. 2014, 665). Patients that become symptomatic in later stages will experience fatigue, weight loss, anorexia, and an increased susceptibility to infection, due to abnormal antibody production. Patient specific factors such as age, disease progression, and medication side effects will determine the course of treatment (Copstead and Banasik 2013, 223). The fragile state of patients with CLL requires continuous examination of drug therapy and interventions to prevent further complications.

So Artificial ionizing radiation is one of the reasons and it's a type of energy released by atoms that travels in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles. Viruses which are infective agents. Benzene which is a colorless volatile liquid hydrocarbon present in coal tar and petroleum. Hair dyes like when you change the color of your hair. genetic predisposition. some studies researching family history and looking at twins have indicated that some people have a higher risk of developing leukemia because of a single gene or multiple genes. Down syndrome, experts say that people with down syndrome have a higher possibility of getting leukemia. “The last one is Electromagnetic energy, experts can't really prove that this is a cause, but they do say it is a slight

Overall AML is rare, accounting for 0.8% of all cancers diagnosed, at a rate of 3.7 per 100,000 of the population. Who gets it? AML can occur at any age but is more common in adults over the age of 60 years. Around 50 children (0-14 years) are diagnosed with AML in Australia each year. It occurs more commonly in males than in females.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia signs and symptoms can include swollen lymph nodes that are located in the neck, groin, stomach, and armpits. Also shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight. Other symptoms include fever and infection due to the over production of the no function lymphocytes. It is extremely important to make a doctor's appointment if you are experience any of these symptoms.

When a parent takes their child to the doctor the last thing they want to hear is that their child has cancer. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a child to be diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, also known as ALL. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is one of the most common forms of childhood cancer, and “makes up approximately 25% of cancer diagnoses among children under 15 years old” (3). Children under five years of age are at the most risk of developing ALL. Since it is an acute form of cancer once the onset has begun the disease quickly begins to worsen, therefore patients must seek treatment as soon as possible. “ALL is different than other diseases in that it is not just a single disease but also rather a group of related diseases with different subtypes”(1). This uniqueness causes the treatment of ALL to depend on the subtypes the patient has, therefore each

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is slow-progressing or “chronic”, cancer of the blood and bone marrow. CLL is the second most common leukemia in adults and one of the four primary types of leukemia. Certain risk factors have been identified including age, race, sex, family history of blood and bone marrow cancers and chemical exposure. Most people diagnosed with CLL are white males over the age of 60. Occurrence increases with age and a marked increase after 60. Herbicides, insecticides and Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War have shown to increase the risk of developing CLL. There are approximately 15,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

The first stage is called induction therapy. With induction therapy, the goal is to kill as many leukemic cells as possible in the blood and bone marrow. Restoring normal blood cell production is also a goal with induction therapy. Consolidation therapy is the second phase. Also called post-remission therapy, the goal is to destroy any remaining leukemia in the body. The third phase is maintenance therapy. The goal of maintenance therapy is to prevent leukemia cells from re-growing. Often, this phase is given in low doses over a period of time, most likely over a few years. Sometimes prevention therapy is given during the phases of treatment. Prevention therapy is given to kill any leukemia in the central nervous system. During prevention, chemotherapy is injected directly into the fluids surrounding the spinal cord. As a whole, the phases of treatment are given over a span of 2-3 years, depending on each

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ALL. This disease is primarily when the white blood cell, WBC, making tissue releases too many undeveloped lymphocytes. The immature lymphocytes then collect in lymph tissues. The tissues swell which makes it harder for the bone marrow to produce other blood cells. If the bone marrow cannot function properly the red blood cell, RBC, count decreases causing anemia. The bone marrow also cannot create the platelets needed to cause clots, therefore resulting in the body bleeding and bruising more easily. The lymphocytes can also invade other organs, impairing their ability to function properly. ALL accounts for twenty-five percent of cancers affecting children under the

Leukemia is a type of cancer. Cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases that have two or more 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 ce3lls. When leukemia develops the body produces large numbers of abnormal blood cells. In most types of leukemia, the abnormal blood cells and they do not

There are two main and four specific types of leukemia. The two main types are acute leukemia, which is fast growing, and chronic leukemia, which is slow growing. The four specific types of leukemia are chronic lymphocytic (CLL), acute lymphocytic (ALL), chronic myelogenous (CML), and acute myelogenous (AML) that were discovered in 1913. About three quarters of children diagnosed with leukemia have acute lymphocytic which peaks as early as two to four years old. This cancer kills more children that are two or fifteen than anything else. To determine whether the cancer will be chronic or acute is to look at the cell lineage. The blood cell that becomes cancerous explains what type of leukemia it is. Depending on if the white cells, the red blood cells, or the platelets can determine exactly which leukemia it is. “Adults can get either type; children with leukemia most often have an acute type” (Leukemia: MedlinePlus). For a child to get a chronic leukemia is very rare. Now it is known that the cancer starts in the bone marrow, which is where blood cells are formed. Leukemia causes the body to create too many abnormal cells and these abnormal white cells cannot fight infection and also lessen the amount of red cells and platelets. Some of the risk factors of this cancer are large doses of ionizing radiation, being exposed to benzene for a long period of time, rare viruses, genetic disorders, and

Cancer, a long and difficult journey assimilated with death. Cancer, in general, is when cells begin to grow out of control and can start anywhere in the body. There are many different forms and types of cancer; scary but true. All forms of cancer is terrifying, but the most terrifying for children is Leukemia. Leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children and teens. It zones in on blood-forming cells, mainly white blood cells, in the bone marrow. This form of cancer accounts for almost one out of three cancers (Leukemia in Children). Why, in my opinion, this is the most intimidating form of cancer is because it takes the lives of the young who had so much potential and barely began to live their own lives. It takes those who are