Cancer occurs
when there is uncontrolled abnormal cell growth and development. It disturbs
the normal life span of cells wherein they are formed, mature, carry out their
intended function, die, and are replaced by new cells which are constantly
regenerated in the body to maintain normal cellular function. Cancer represents
the disturbance of this process.
Leukemia symptoms vary, depending on the type of leukemia. Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Persistent fatigue, weakness
- Frequent or severe infections
- Losing weight without trying
- Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Recurrent nosebleeds
- Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)
- Excessive sweating, especially at night
- Bone pain or tenderness
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is a
spongy material that is found inside the bones, and it produces all of the
blood cells. It also produces vital cells called stem cells that can create
other specialised cells that carry out essential functions. These specialised
cells are of three types:
* Red blood
cells which carry oxygen around the body
* White blood
cells which help fight infection
* Platelets
which help stop bleeding
Acute leukaemia
prevents the affected bone marrow from producing stem cells that mature into
adult blood cells. Instead it releases numerous immature blood cells called
blast cells. The immature white blood cells begin to rapidly disrupt the normal
balance of cells in the blood, limiting the presence of red blood cells or
platelet cells in the body. This can lead to tiredness and other
symptoms of
anaemia, and also increase risk of excessive bleeding. The patient also becomes
more vulnerable to infection as the white blood cells are not properly formed
and thus ineffective in
fighting
bacteria and viruses.
Types of acute leukaemia
There are two
main types of white blood cells classified according to the type of white blood
cells that are affected by cancer:
Lymphocytes
which are mostly used to fight viral infections
Myeloid cells
which fight bacterial infections defend the body against parasites and prevent
the spread of tissue damage
The two main types of acute leukaemia are:
Acute
lymphoblastic leukaemia, which is cancer of the lymphocytes
Acute myeloid
leukaemia, which is cancer of the myeloid cells
Acute myeloid leukaemia
It is more
common in older people, especially when over 50 years of age, and more common
in males than females, though it is not clear why. The causes of acute
leukaemia are uncertain, but known risk factors include:
Exposure to
high levels of radiation
Exposure to
benzene, a chemical that is used in manufacturing and is also found in
cigarettes
The lack of
healthy blood cells in the blood supply causes most of the symptoms of acute
leukaemia, which usually begin slowly before rapidly escalating in severity as
the number of blast cells in the blood increases.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
ALL is the most
common type of cancer found in children, though it is uncommon on an overall
basis. Approximately one in every 2,000 children will develop ALL. The majority
of cases develop in the age group of two to five year olds, and 85 per cent develop
in children below the age of 15.
Treatment
Treatment for AML involves two
stages:
Induction: The
aim of the initial stage of treatment is to kill the leukaemia cells in the
bone marrow, restore the blood to proper working order and resolve any symptoms
that may be present.
Consolidation:
This stage aims to kill any remaining leukaemia cells that may be present in
the central nervous system.
Treatment for ALL involves three stages:
Induction
Consolidation
Maintenance,
which involves taking regular doses of chemotherapy tablets to prevent the
leukaemia returning. This seems to be the most effective stage.
Other treatments
The other
treatments that are used in some circumstances are:
- Radiotherapy
- Stem cell transplant
- Targeted therapies
Please
scan and email your medical reports to us at care@medworldindia.com and we
shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.
Call Us : +91-9811058159
Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment