Leukemia By Mary Chen and Genesis Pimentel
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What is leukemia? Cancer of the blood Begins in bone marrow If healthy, makes white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets In a leukemia patient, unregulated growth of immature “leukemia” cells crowds out normal cells Enters bloodstream liver, spleen, lymph nodes 4 Major types: Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Abnormal leukemia cells
Types of Leukemia Acute or chronic = how fast the cancer progresses Acute immediate effects Chronic gradual and may not show symptoms for years Myelogenous or Lymphocytic/lymphoblastic depends on type of white blood cell it affects (lymphocytes or myelocytes) Acute lymphoblastic leukemia: most common childhood cancer Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: most common in adults, especially those older than 55; rare in children Acute myelogenous leukemia: both children and adults Chronic myelogenous leukemia: mainly in adults
Risk Factors Genetics Such as chromosomal abnormalities like down syndrome Family history Exposure to Dangerous Chemicals formaldehyde and benzene Exposure to High Levels of Radiation Medical radiation like frequent X-rays Nuclear fallout Prior history of chemotherapy Lifestyle factors Smoking/drug abuse correlate with higher chances of developing leukemia (especially myelogenous leukemia)
Symptoms, Detection, & Diagnosis Common Symptoms Detection & Diagnosis physical exam Swollen lymph nodes/spleen? Paleness? blood tests bone marrow biopsy
Treatment Depends on age, overall health, stage of cancer, type of cancer, and consideration of side effects “remission” not “cure” Chemotherapy: anti-cancer drugs to kill leukemia cells Surgery: to remove enlarged spleen/cancerous areas Radiation: high-dose X-rays to treat cancer cells that may stay after surgery Bone Marrow Transplants: can rebuild a patient's supply of normal blood cells and boost their immune system radiation or chemotherapy first to destroy the cells in the patient's bone marrow to make room for the donated cells Biological Therapy: improve the body's natural defenses against cancer Clinical Trials: studies to test new medicines and other possible treatments There are side effects for certain treatments. Chemotherapy causes temporary hair loss.
5-Year Survival Rate National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Review 2010 Estimate 43,050 new cases will be diagnosed in US; 21,840 will die Overall 5-year relative survival from 17 different geographic areas was 54.1% Breakdown by race and gender 54.6% for white males, 54.2% for white females 46.8% for black males, 46.2% for black females. In US, estimated middle age of death for leukemia is 74 years
Interesting Facts History Greeks first recognized the disease in the 5th century "leukemia" comes from Greek "leukos" + "hemia" = white blood John Hughes Benett made the first diagnosis in 1845, Edinburgh The disease affects more men than women but men have a slightly higher survival rate chronic is more common among older people while acute is mainly pediatric
Famous People With Leukemia Ed Bradley Marie Curie Mary Travers Bill Walsh
Works Cited Davis, Bets. "Leukemia - Symptoms, Types, Causes, Diagnoisis and Treatment Options for Leukemia." WebMD. Healthwise, 26 Nov Web. 12 Oct overview "Facts About Leukemia." Cancer Prevention Web. 13 Oct guide.com/facts-about-leukemia.html "Famous People With Leukemia." HistoryKing. History King, Web. 16 Oct Feist, Patty. "Signs of Childhood Cancer." Pediatric Oncology Resource Center. Association of Cancer Online Resources, July Web. 12 Oct Leukemia." MayoClinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 3 Apr Web. 13 Oct "Leukemia Home Page." National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute, Web. 11 Oct "Leukemia Risk Factors." Oncology Channel. 04 Dec Web. 12 Oct Myrrh, Hector. "Leukemia 101." About.com. The New York Times Company, 8 May Web. 12 Oct