Leukemia

By Mary Chen and Genesis Pimentel

http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.115519174.jpg

Website http://whsleukemia.weebly.com http://whsleukemia.weebly.com

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).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Leukemia_cells.png

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

http://www.uchicagokidshospital.org/specialties/images/cms/uch1001089-1.jpg

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)

http://ocw.tufts.edu/data/graphics/genetics.jpg, http://www.fotosearch.com/bthumb/SUE/SUE105/TOBW0151.jpg ,http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/D41DB314-E7F2-99DF-3D6ACEC215A9A006_1.jpg

Symptoms, Detection, & Diagnosis

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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

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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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leukaemia_world_map_-_Death_-_WHO2004.svg

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

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Famous People With Leukemia

Ed Bradley Marie Curie Mary Travers Bill Walsh

http://www.aolcdn.com/channels/0f/01/455371ba-002b2-04ec9-400cb8e1, https://thescienceclassroom.wikispaces.com/file/view/Marie_curie_pic.jpg/66535110/Marie_curie_pic.jpg,http://www.chapelhillmemories.com/uploads/Image/P%20MaryJPG%20Medium%20Web%20view.jpg

Works Cited Davis, Bets. "Leukemia - Symptoms, Types, Causes, Diagnoisis and Treatment Options

for Leukemia." WebMD. Healthwise, 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/leukemia-topic-overview>.

"Facts About Leukemia." Cancer Prevention. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. <http://www.your-cancer-prevention-guide.com/facts-about-leukemia.html>.

"Famous People With Leukemia." HistoryKing. History King, 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2010. <http://www.historyking.com/Famous-people/Famous-People-With-Leukemia.html>.

Feist, Patty. "Signs of Childhood Cancer." Pediatric Oncology Resource Center. Association of Cancer Online Resources, July 2005. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://www.acor.org/ped-onc/diseases/SOCC.html>.

Leukemia." MayoClinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 3 Apr. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/leukemia/DS00351>.

"Leukemia Home Page." National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute, 2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/leukemia>.

"Leukemia Risk Factors." Oncology Channel. 04 Dec. 2007. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://www.oncologychannel.com/leukemias/risk-factors.shtml>.

Myrrh, Hector. "Leukemia 101." About.com. The New York Times Company, 8 May 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://leukemia.about.com/od/whatisleukemia/a/leukemia101.htm>.