Leukemia

Leukemia

I. What leukemia is?

a. Leukemia is a cancer found in the blood and bone marrow.

b. It is caused by the rapid production of white blood cells.

c. The abnormal white blood cells are unable to fight infection and impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets.

d. There are four classifications of leukemia:

i. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)

ii. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

iii. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)

iv. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)

e. Symptoms of leukemia:

v. Fever, chills, night sweats.

vi. Weakness and fatigue

vii. Swollen or bleeding gums.

viii. Headaches.

ix. Enlarged liver and spleen.

x. Swollen tonsils.

xi. Bone pain.

xii. Paleness.

xiii. Red spots on the skin that are pinhead sized.

xiv. Weight loss.

II. Treatment

f. Chemotherapy- Most major form of treatment. Uses chemicals to kill leukemia cells. Can be a single drug or a combination of drugs, according to the type of leukemia. Drugs may come in a pill form, or injected into a vein.

g. Biological therapy- Helps your immune system to recognize and attack leukemia cells.

h. Targeted therapy- Uses drugs that attack specific vulnerabilities within the cancer cells.

i. Radiation therapy- Uses x-rays or other high energy beams to damage leukemia cells and stops their growth. Radiation therapy can be used in preparation for a stem cell transplant.

j. Stem cell transplant- Replaces your diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow.

III. Risk Factors

k. Age- Roughly 60-70% of leukemia’s occurring in people who are older than 50 Healthcommunities.com (2011).

l. Radiation- Risk increased among people who have been exposed to high doses of radiation.

m. Chemicals- Increased among workers with long...