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Leukemia 101: What you need to know

Cancer in any form is a deadly disease. But when it affects the most vital components of the body then their fatality increases manifold. One such type of cancer is cancer of the blood, technically known as leukemia. Blood is the most important tissue of the body. It is the connective tissue which carries and supplies oxygen and other vital elements to the remotest parts of the body. The importance of blood can be understood by the fact that it is the most important of all the connective tissues which provide the nutrients and other vital elements to the body.

The most dangerous feature of leukemia is that it is related to the blood which has access to almost all body organs including the all important brain and heart. The incidence of cancerous cells being carried to the different parts of the body increases drastically due to this fact. Another striking aspect of the blood cancer is that it affects the leukocytes or the “white blood corpuscles” of the blood. These are the ones that protect the body from external infections. Thus the immunity of the body is seen to decrease drastically due to leukemia. The main effect of the disease is that the body starts producing infected and abnormal cells that hinder the function of blood i.e. carrying of oxygen.

A patient suffering from leukemia is seen to lose weight due to anemia. This happens because the cancerous cells are unable to carry the hemoglobin properly which is the chief source of iron to the body. And due to that the body looses all vitality. The situation of the patient becomes vulnerable because the brain also starts to dysfunction due to infected blood. Headache, night sweats etc. can be commonly seen to occur as an attachment to this deadly disease.

The people living in areas prone to radioactive waste disposal and activity are most common targets of leukemia. Overexposure to radioactivity causes the cells to mutate and function abnormally. The children who are diagnosed with Down syndrome have a high probability to develop leukemia. Over exposure to Benzene, the industrially important hydrocarbon is also a known cause of blood cancer. The abnormal cells are easily detected under the microscope. Thus the doctor suspicious of such a disease advises the patient for a bone marrow examination. The onset can be detected by the swollen lymph nodes of the body which are commonly found in armpits, around the neck and at the thigh.

Chemotherapy is the most effective but a very painful way of killing the cancerous cells. The patient is subjected to drugs orally. The patient undergoes tremendous pressure as he is injected with lot many chemicals at a time. Another treatment is through the radiation. It is also very treacherous way of getting treated. The patients are seen to loose hair and texture of skin.

Leukemia though very dangerous is still curable and the research in the field is also being done on an extensive basis. Proper treatment at the right time can prevent the reflux of this disease. Methods like bone marrow transplant, which may be required at a later stage, are also effective in treating the patient. Above all to over come with the disease a person needs to be loved and supported by all. Leukemia is fatal disease but life is mightier then it.

About Author

Mansi gupta writes about leukemia topics at www.leukemiacorner.com

Recomended reading: Surviving Leukemia: A Practical Guide In 1982, Dr. Robert Patenaude was diagnosed with leukemia. This book is the moving, first-hand account of his experience. From the first shock of hearing the diagnosis and the anguish of his hospitalization, to chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, the author gives a painfully frank description of his experiences and shows the incredible survival instinct that helped him beat the disease. Patenaude offers the reader a complete and scientific understanding of leukemia. Each chapter is written in layman's terms and thoroughly covers the scope of its topic. Patenaude leads the reader through the different classifications of leukemia, how they progress and how they are treated. Scientific explanation is complemented by Patenaude's ability to explain the how and why of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. *Chapter 1 tells Dr. Patenaude's own experiences with his leukemia. *Chapter 2 discusses matters relating to the circulatory system, such as: the cell; blood; plasma; types of blood cells; bone marrow; blood clot formation; and hemopoietic, cardiorespiratory, central nervous, digestive and urinary systems. *Chapter 3 describes different diagnostic tests: blood test; bone marrow puncture and the bone biopsy; rachicentesis; X-ray examinations; nuclear medicine; and surgery and diagnosis. *Chapter 4 examines malignant blood diseases such as cancer and the different types of leukemia and congenital diseases of the blood system. *Chapter 5 looks at the treatment of blood diseases: chemotherapy; radiotherapy; surgery; bone marrow transplant; and immunotherapy and gene therapy. *Chapter 6 offers practical advice for patients coping with effects such as mouth-related problems; loss of appetite and nausea, gastrointestinal problems, weight gain, and fatigue and anxiety.Both expert physician and patient, he answers all the questions frequently asked by leukemia sufferers about symptoms, phases, treatments and research. Surviving Leukemia is illustrated with tables and includes a glossary of 300 medical terms. Surviving Leukemia is a unique, exceptional book designed specifically for people with blood diseases, their families and care givers. From the Preface by Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, 1990 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine