July 19, 2010 | According to National Cancer Institute estimates, 43,050 men and women in this country will be diagnosed with leukemia this year. An estimated 21,840 will die of the disease, a form of cancer that originates in the body’s main blood-forming tissue, the bone marrow. Many types of leukemia exist, some are most common in children while others occur mostly in adults. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20. Leukemia usually starts in the white blood cells, potent infection fighters that normally grow and divide in an orderly way, as your body needs them. But in people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal white blood cells, which don’t function properly. Unlike normal blood cells, leukemia cells don’t die when they should. They may crowd out the growth of normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets, making it hard for normal blood cells to do their work.

July 19, 2010 | Leukemia is classified two ways. The first type of classification, acute or chronic, is determined by how fast the disease progresses. In acute leukemia, the abnormal blood cells are immature blood cells. They can’t carry out their normal work, and they multiply rapidly, so the disease worsens quickly. Chronic leukemia typically involves more mature but still abnormal blood cells. These blood cells replicate or accumulate more slowly and can function normally for a period of time. Some forms of chronic leukemia initially produce no symptoms and can go unnoticed or undiagnosed for years. The second type of classification is by the type of white blood cell affected. Lymphocytic leukemia affects the lymphoid type of white blood cells or lymphocytes, which form lymphoid or lymphatic tissue. Lymphocytes also make up the immune system. Myelogenous (pronounced MI-uh-loj-uh-nus) leukemia affects the myeloid cells, which give rise to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelet-producing cells.

July 19, 2010 | Leukemia cells are abnormal blood cells that are incapable of helping the body fight infections. For this reason, people with leukemia often get infections and have fevers. They also don’t produce enough healthy red blood cells or platelets. As a result, their bodies don’t receive enough oxygen. Without enough red blood cells, leukemia patients look pale and feel weak and tired. They also are unable to deliver enough oxygen to all parts of their bodies. Without enough platelets, these patients tend to bleed and bruise easily. Other possible symptoms of leukemia include tiny red spots called petechiae (pronounced pe-te-key-eye) under the skin caused by abnormal bleeding, swollen or bleeding gums, night sweats and joint pain. If leukemia cells collect in the brain or spinal cord, the result may be headaches, vomiting, and loss of muscle control or seizures. If these cells collect in the testicles, they may become swollen. Leukemia can also affect the kidneys, lungs or other parts of the body.

July 19, 2010 | Doctors often find chronic leukemia in a routine blood test, before the symptoms begin. If this happens, or if you have signs that suggest leukemia, your doctor may want you to undergo some diagnostic exams. Your doctor will look for physical signs of leukemia, such as pale skin from anemia and swelling of your lymph nodes, liver and spleen. By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of white blood cells or platelets, which may suggest leukemia. Your doctor may recommend a procedure to remove a sample of bone marrow from your hipbone. The bone marrow is removed using a long, thin needle and sent to a laboratory to look for leukemia cells. Specialized tests of your leukemia cells may reveal certain characteristics that are used to determine your treatment options. You may undergo additional tests to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the type of leukemia and its extent in your body.

July 19, 2010 | When it comes to treating leukemia, a number of factors must be taken into consideration. Dr. Peter Emanuel of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS says how the disease is treated will depend on the patient’s age and health, the type of leukemia they have, and whether it has affected other parts of their body. Chemotherapy is the major form of treatment for leukemia, but others have shown dramatic success. A stem cell transplant is a procedure to replace diseased bone marrow with healthy marrow. Before a transplant, the patient receives high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy to destroy their diseased bone marrow and then receives an infusion of blood-forming stem cells that help to rebuild marrow. These stem cells can come from a donor’s bone marrow, bloodstream, or a baby’s umbilical cord. But in all cases these are considered adult type stem cells and are not embryonic stem cells, even in the case of cord blood.