Chronic Myeloid Leukemia ( Leukemia )

Leukemia is a cancer of blood cells, specifically white blood cells that are responsible for fighting infection. However, the abnormal cells in leukemia do not function in the same way as normal white blood cells. Leukemia cells continue to grow and divide, eventually crowding out normal blood cells. The end result is that it becomes difficult for the body to fight infections, control bleeding and transport oxygen (Medicine Net, 2015). It is estimated that each year, approximately 30,800 individuals will be diagnosed with leukemia in the United

The symptoms of leukemia come in painful long durations. Such as fever and night sweats. Or even bruising and bleeding, bone or joint pain, swollen or painful belly from enlarged spleen, feeling very tired or weak, losing weight or not hungry. The other common symptom that is frequent is the throwing up of blood. These symptoms last the entire time unless your treatments work and subside. Treatments come in different forms. Like consolidation, maintence, or inductions. The most popular treatment would be chemotherapy. The other two treatments are radiation therapy, and if your leukemia gets worse they will perform stem cell transplant on you.

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, “Leukemia is a cancer that starts in early blood-forming cells” (American Cancer Society, 2013). “Most often, leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, but some leukemias start in other blood cell types” (American Cancer Society, 2013). “Any of the cells from the bone marrow can turn into a leukemia cell” (American Cancer Society, 2013). According to the American Cancer Society (2013) stated, “Once this change takes place, the leukemia cells don’t go through the normal process of maturing” (American Cancer Society, 2013). There are changes that leukemia cells can quickly reproduce themselves and not die when they are suppose too (American Cancer Society, 2013). “They survive and build up in the bone marrow, crowding out normal cells” (American Cancer Society, 2013). “In most cases, the leukemia cells spill into the bloodstream fairly quickly” (American Cancer Society, 2013). “Almost all childhood leukemia is acute leukemias” (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).

Transition: Now that I have talked about the basics regarding Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, let’s talk about the new approaches we are taking to combat this disease.

DK is a 51-year old male patient presenting with Acute Myeloid Leukemia AML. Two weeks ago while vacationing in Ocean City with his family, DK visited the local hospital with the symptoms of swollen leg, difficulty walking, pain, and fever. Bloodwork was performed at the local clinic and revealed anemia and low cell counts indicating possible leukemia. Patient returned to Baltimore and was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital 1 week ago. His current symptoms are swelling of lower legs, fever, low blood Oxygen level, anemia.

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.

Leukemia is a type of cancer that sadly causes around 25,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The area that it affects is the blood and the bone marrow and like most or all of the types of cancer in the world if not taken control of early it will most likely kill you.

Leukemia is cancer in the bone marrow and the lymphatic system and affect the body's blood-forming tissues. Leukemia usually involves white blood cells. Your white blood cells fight off infections. People with leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells, which don't function properly. Scientists don't understand the exact causes of leukemia. It is believed to develop from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In general, leukemia is thought to occur when blood cells acquire mutations in their DNA. The CD34 phenotype. Certain abnormalities

In conclusion to my research about acute lymphoblastic leukemia, I discovered many interesting facts about this disease. The first fact that I discovered about this disease is how rapidly blood cells form. I also learned the many different symptoms this disease can cause, such as enlarge abdomen region. Finally I learned that you could diagnosed leukemia through X-rays and CT scans. With these advancements in technology it will be the guide to a cure, and future generations will no longer fear the word

“You have cancer” are three words that no one wants to hear. In an instant, someone’s life was changed forever. Multiple myeloma is one of those scary forms of cancer. It is defined as a type of cancer that affects a certain kind of white blood cells called plasma cells (Multiple Myeloma Pamphlet 4). It may seem scary, but fortunately, there are many different kinds of treatment to either treat the disease itself, or to treat the symptoms. Some of the symptoms can be minor, but there are also some major symptoms that can lead to serious problems. Before a doctor can treat a patient with any kind of medications or remedies, he must perform many tests to assure an accurate diagnosis. He would go through the patient 's medical history and

“If the ALL has spread to the covering of the brain or spinal cord”, doctors should take this into consideration while deciding the patients treatment (“Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia”3). If patients have certain chromosomal changes chromosomal changes, doctors need to think about that when deciding treatment for a patient (“Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia” 3).

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is a scary disease. The term “acute” means the disease can quickly spread and progress quickly and can prove fatal in months if left untreated. “Lymphocytic” simply means that it develops from immature forms of lymphocytes. Also known as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL for short, it is a type of cancer that starts from the early form of white blood cells called lymphocytes in the bone marrow. ALL is the most common form of cancer in children, though adults can get it as well. For children, treatment results in a good chance of a cure. Adults have a significantly smaller chance of a cure with ALL. ALL generally invades the blood very quickly and has the potential to spread to other body parts such as the spleen,

Picture yourself at a check-up appointment with your oncologist. You are told the chemotherapy is not responding. You feel weaker each day. You cannot see straight, you feel dizzy, and you pray that you will find a match for a bone marrow transplant. This is the reality that AML patients face. AML poses the greatest risk to cancer survivors who develop this disease following treatment for a previous cancer—for these patients, it is the next hurdle in their lives (Cancer Research UK). When chemotherapy does not work and bone marrow transplant matches cannot be found, patients realize that they do not have much time left in this world. New treatments are desperately needed for AML, but many just assume that donating money to the American