Leukemia Introduction
Leukemia, also known as leukemia, bone marrow cells to produce because of abnormal proliferation, thereby affecting the bone marrow of malignant disease. Depending on the clinical progression of leukemia speed can be divided into: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia; Secondly, again according to the source and type of cell characteristics, broken down into acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Causes and Epidemiology
Cause of leukemia is usually unknown. Factors known to cause leukemia include radiation exposure, certain chemical drugs such as ethylbenzene contacts had cancer previously treated with chemotherapy, and certain congenital chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome and so on. Another type I human T-lymphocyte cell virus HTLV-I infection and adult T-cell leukemia. But most of the patients have no more risk factors are of primary leukemia. The incidence of leukemia each year about 2-4 people per 100,000 population, with increasing age, the higher the incidence, the most common acute myeloid leukemia, or about five percent; followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or about two percent more; again, followed by chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia less.
Clinical symptoms
Leukemia cells is mainly due to give birth from bone marrow, bone marrow hematopoietic function first to be affected, the patient often due to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets lack the normal performance of a variety of symptoms. When the normal white blood cells (especially granulocytes) is low, resistance will be weakened, patients may develop a fever subside, or localized inflammation occurs due to bacterial infection symptoms become serious and even sepsis. When the red blood cells is low (ie, anemia), the patient will appear tired, pale, physical deterioration and other symptoms. When platelets is low, due to coagulation dysfunction, there will be nosebleeds, bleeding gums, skin bleeding or bruising, menstrual volume or difficult to stop bleeding and other symptoms. Also some leukemia cells can also invade tissue, which leads to swollen gums, lymph nodes or hepatosplenomegaly, sternal pain and other symptoms. As for chronic leukemia is often no obvious symptoms at first, but when blood tests are often surprised to discover that leukocytosis before checking out.
Diagnostic methods
When the suspected leukemia, the most basic blood test to check that complete blood counts and peripheral blood smears, but the diagnosis must be determined by bone marrow examination. Bone marrow examination can be used in addition to the general point of view is not normal blood cells staining characteristics, but also can make further specific staining, chromosome, and cell surface markers checks to further differentiate myeloid and lymphoid leukemia. Bone marrow examination is a simple and safe procedure, usually by iliac spine (lumbar spine on both sides of the pelvic bone) or sternum needle to a small sample of bone marrow, in addition to a little pain, no other sequelae.
Treatment
Treatment of leukemia according to their classification different treatment. Patients with acute leukemia usually takes 1-2 times to accept the guidance of chemotherapy, so that the condition was alleviated, so that bone marrow function can be restored. If the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL, AML-M3), you can also add a special oral drug ATRA to enhance the effect. Besides acute lymphoblastic leukemia often violated because the central nervous, chemotherapy and often can not penetrate the blood brain barrier into the central nervous system, central nervous system therefore also an additional radiotherapy or intrathecal chemotherapy. If the condition has been initially alleviated, in order to further eradicate residual leukemia cells, must be carried out to consolidate chemotherapy. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients often need to carry out maintenance of oral chemotherapy treatment. For a greater chance of relapse patients with acute leukemia, if suitable bone marrow donor, you should consider receiving high-dose chemotherapy plus radiation therapy and stem cell transplantation, in order to improve cure opportunities.Chronic myelogenous leukemia early symptoms although less obvious, but without active treatment, will eventually be transformed into acute leukemia, and the prognosis is very poor. Past for younger (40 years old), time of onset within a year, the prognosis is better for patients, often recommended for high-dose chemotherapy plus bone marrow (or peripheral stem cell) transplantation, up to 50-65% chance to cure, but the treatment process considerable risk, even if the transplant was successful, there are still many patients will occur rejection or infection problems. In recent years, due to targeted therapy "group Rickettsia" (Glivec) the advent of such treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia significantly enhance the effectiveness of the base Rickettsia is a tyrosine kinase? Inhibitors, particularly chronic myeloid locked leukemia-specific "Philadelphia chromosome" product to be suppressed. For chronic phase patients, blood remission rate close to 100%, side effects are quite mild. In addition to group Rickettsia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2006 through another drug Dasatinib, is a targeted therapy drugs, can be the first line of the base Rickettsia failure, as a second-line treatment, the effect is quite good.As a result of chronic lymphocytic leukemia progression is slow, generally the first observation, not necessarily need to be treated immediately. If symptoms appear, and then given chemotherapy control can be.
Epilogue
In many people's minds, leukemia is the most difficult to treat all cancers kind, the treatment process is also the most painful. Nevertheless, today's chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation technology continues to progress, making the patient and improve the chance of cure. The innovation of new drugs, but also significantly reduces the side effects of the treatment process. Prospects of this new century, will continue to be many breakthroughs appear, and change the status of the entire treatment. Future treatment of leukemia is likely to be a high cure rate and low side effects, we should maintain an optimistic mood seen.
Leukemia, also known as leukemia, bone marrow cells to produce because of abnormal proliferation, thereby affecting the bone marrow of malignant disease. Depending on the clinical progression of leukemia speed can be divided into: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia; Secondly, again according to the source and type of cell characteristics, broken down into acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Causes and Epidemiology
Cause of leukemia is usually unknown. Factors known to cause leukemia include radiation exposure, certain chemical drugs such as ethylbenzene contacts had cancer previously treated with chemotherapy, and certain congenital chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome and so on. Another type I human T-lymphocyte cell virus HTLV-I infection and adult T-cell leukemia. But most of the patients have no more risk factors are of primary leukemia. The incidence of leukemia each year about 2-4 people per 100,000 population, with increasing age, the higher the incidence, the most common acute myeloid leukemia, or about five percent; followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or about two percent more; again, followed by chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia less.
Clinical symptoms
Leukemia cells is mainly due to give birth from bone marrow, bone marrow hematopoietic function first to be affected, the patient often due to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets lack the normal performance of a variety of symptoms. When the normal white blood cells (especially granulocytes) is low, resistance will be weakened, patients may develop a fever subside, or localized inflammation occurs due to bacterial infection symptoms become serious and even sepsis. When the red blood cells is low (ie, anemia), the patient will appear tired, pale, physical deterioration and other symptoms. When platelets is low, due to coagulation dysfunction, there will be nosebleeds, bleeding gums, skin bleeding or bruising, menstrual volume or difficult to stop bleeding and other symptoms. Also some leukemia cells can also invade tissue, which leads to swollen gums, lymph nodes or hepatosplenomegaly, sternal pain and other symptoms. As for chronic leukemia is often no obvious symptoms at first, but when blood tests are often surprised to discover that leukocytosis before checking out.
Diagnostic methods
When the suspected leukemia, the most basic blood test to check that complete blood counts and peripheral blood smears, but the diagnosis must be determined by bone marrow examination. Bone marrow examination can be used in addition to the general point of view is not normal blood cells staining characteristics, but also can make further specific staining, chromosome, and cell surface markers checks to further differentiate myeloid and lymphoid leukemia. Bone marrow examination is a simple and safe procedure, usually by iliac spine (lumbar spine on both sides of the pelvic bone) or sternum needle to a small sample of bone marrow, in addition to a little pain, no other sequelae.
Treatment
Treatment of leukemia according to their classification different treatment. Patients with acute leukemia usually takes 1-2 times to accept the guidance of chemotherapy, so that the condition was alleviated, so that bone marrow function can be restored. If the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL, AML-M3), you can also add a special oral drug ATRA to enhance the effect. Besides acute lymphoblastic leukemia often violated because the central nervous, chemotherapy and often can not penetrate the blood brain barrier into the central nervous system, central nervous system therefore also an additional radiotherapy or intrathecal chemotherapy. If the condition has been initially alleviated, in order to further eradicate residual leukemia cells, must be carried out to consolidate chemotherapy. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients often need to carry out maintenance of oral chemotherapy treatment. For a greater chance of relapse patients with acute leukemia, if suitable bone marrow donor, you should consider receiving high-dose chemotherapy plus radiation therapy and stem cell transplantation, in order to improve cure opportunities.Chronic myelogenous leukemia early symptoms although less obvious, but without active treatment, will eventually be transformed into acute leukemia, and the prognosis is very poor. Past for younger (40 years old), time of onset within a year, the prognosis is better for patients, often recommended for high-dose chemotherapy plus bone marrow (or peripheral stem cell) transplantation, up to 50-65% chance to cure, but the treatment process considerable risk, even if the transplant was successful, there are still many patients will occur rejection or infection problems. In recent years, due to targeted therapy "group Rickettsia" (Glivec) the advent of such treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia significantly enhance the effectiveness of the base Rickettsia is a tyrosine kinase? Inhibitors, particularly chronic myeloid locked leukemia-specific "Philadelphia chromosome" product to be suppressed. For chronic phase patients, blood remission rate close to 100%, side effects are quite mild. In addition to group Rickettsia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2006 through another drug Dasatinib, is a targeted therapy drugs, can be the first line of the base Rickettsia failure, as a second-line treatment, the effect is quite good.As a result of chronic lymphocytic leukemia progression is slow, generally the first observation, not necessarily need to be treated immediately. If symptoms appear, and then given chemotherapy control can be.
Epilogue
In many people's minds, leukemia is the most difficult to treat all cancers kind, the treatment process is also the most painful. Nevertheless, today's chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation technology continues to progress, making the patient and improve the chance of cure. The innovation of new drugs, but also significantly reduces the side effects of the treatment process. Prospects of this new century, will continue to be many breakthroughs appear, and change the status of the entire treatment. Future treatment of leukemia is likely to be a high cure rate and low side effects, we should maintain an optimistic mood seen.
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