Leukemia Essay

I am a Pediatric hematologist/oncologist and a physician scientist with specific interest in pediatric leukemia. After graduating from medical school in India, and completing residency training Pediatrics, I joined Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital for fellowship training in Hematology-Oncology in 2010. After the initial clinical year, I pursued basic science and translational research under the mentorship of Dr. Sinisa Dovat. I successfully obtained funding from Hyundai 'Hope on Wheels' foundation and St. Baldrick's foundation to continue my research project beyond fellowship training period. Results of our study showed that, Ikaros function in leukemia is impaired by pro-oncogenic Casein Kinase II (CK2) and that inhibition of CK2 restores

Multiple Myeloma is a form of cancer which affects the plasma cells of the body, which are white blood cells. Multiple Myeloma, first described in 1848, is a disease “characterized by a proliferation of malignant plasma cells and a subsequent overabundance of monoclonal paraprotein.” To understand how Multiple Myeloma affects an infected person’s plasma cells, it helps to have a general understanding of how normal blood cells are formed and how they act. Most blood cells develop from stem cells, which can be found in bone marrow (soft material inside our bones – the “filling”). Stem cells mature into white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets.2 The purpose of white blood cells is to fight off infection, while

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

Leukemia, a word that means white blood, is a form of cancer that affects exactly what its name says; the white blood cells in your body. There are many different types of leukemia; some types are more common in adults, while some types are found mainly in children. Leukemia can range in severity and can affect people of all ages. During this paper we are going to explore the anatomy of leukemia, as well as the physiology. We will also learn about the statistics behind this disease, and any possible treatments.

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.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, is the disease that affects children the most and because of the abnormal cells that are immature white blood cells which cannot help the body fight infections cause children with the disease to often get infections and have fevers (National Cancer Institute, 2002, p. 1). The symptoms that the patient with ALL may have depend on the number of abnormal cells of the patient where exactly the cells collect. Children patients with ALL have low amounts of healthy red blood cells and platelets, which cause less oxygen to be carried through the body because of the lack of red blood cells. Patients at times may look pale, feel weak, and tired causing bleeding and bruising very easily because of their lack of enough platelets. This condition is called anemia. Anemia is very much common in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Fever, fatigue, bone or joint pain, tiny red spots under the skin called petechiae are a couple of symptoms that the disease ALL has. Headaches with, or without vomiting also may occur if patient happens to have abnormal cells collecting in the brain or spinal cord (National Cancer Institute, 2002 para. 2).

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

Leukemia Leukemia is a group of blood diseases characterized by cancer of the blood forming tissues. It was discovered in Europe during the XIX century when a group of doctors directed by John Hughes Bennett tested their patients and discovered their elevated number of white blood cells. It was then called “white blood” and later was named leukemia from the words greek words “leukos” (white) and “hemia” (blood). Leukemia is a disfunction of the bone marrow stem that over

Leukemia is immature white blood cells in the blood forming tissue of the body that is unrestricted proliferation

The production of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets happens in bone marrow. The bone marrow produces extra white blood cells when an infection occurs. According to Gordon-Smith (2013), the main function of white blood cells is to respond to infection in the body by killing the pathogen. However, traumatic bone marrow injury may cause the abnormality of blood production. Snyder (2012) states, extreme exposure to the toxin, such as benzene can harm the bones and affect the production of blood. The condition calls Leukaemia or blood cancer, which is the development of excessive amount of abnormal white blood cells. As the result, the bone marrow is not able to produce mature white blood cells. According to Cancer Council Victoria

-Very high doses of radiation, either accidentally (nuclear accident) or therapeutically (to treat other cancers), -Industrial chemicals like benzene over a long period, certain types of chemotherapy to treat other cancers,

Some of these factors are older age, working with certain chemicals, smoking, exposure to high levels of radiation, or prior blood disorders. Also, AML can be caused by failures of regulations in the cell cycle. Hematopoietic precursor cells, or HPCs, enable these cancer cells to go through unlimited numbers of cell cycles and become immune to death. According to the National Cancer Institute, 7 per 100,000 men and women die from Leukemia every year. The relative success rate after 5 years is 58.5%, which means 58.5 out of every 100 people survive after being diagnosed with Leukemia. According to the Leukemia Research Foundation, 67 Americans lose the fight to Leukemia. Also, Leukemia causes more deaths than other cancer among children and youths under 20. There are many types of treatment options for Leukemia, however there is not a set treatment that is preferred to all patients. It just depends on which route the patient is wanting/needing to take. The four main types of treatments are Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and Biological Therapy. Biological Therapy is treatment with substances that affect the immune systems’s response to cancer. Also, patients can partake a Stem Cell Transplantation where high doses of drugs or radiation goes into the bone marrow and destroys all of the cancer cells, plus the normal cells. Later, the patient comes back and is implanted with healthy

Childhood Leukemia is a rare type of cancer that accounts for about one in three cancers in kids. Though there is many types of leukemia that affects children, most are acute. Acute meaning fast growing. With two main types of acute leukemia being Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). ALL affects about 3 out of childhood leukemias, forming from lymphocytes in the bone marrow of every case. AML however accounts for the remaining cases and forms from other white blood cells different from lymphocytes, red blood cells, or platelets. With very few kids dealing with both types of a hybrid form of leukemia. Chronic or slow growing leukemia are not so popular in children as they are more common in adults but are too

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.