Leukemia

Leukemia is a group of cancers that usually begins in the bone marrow and results in high numbers of white blood cells. These white blood cells are not fully developed and are called blasts or leukemia cells. White blood cells are a vital part of your immune system. They protect your body from invasion by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. WBCs (white blood cells) also protect your body from abnormal cells and other foreign substances. In leukemia, the white blood cells have mutated. These mutant white blood cells may divide too quickly and eventually crowd out normal cells. Often, they do not function as normal WBCs.

Acute Leukemia

Acute leukemia is characterized by a rapid increase in the number of immature blood cells. Crowding due to such cells makes the bone marrow unable to produce healthy blood cells. Immediate treatment is required in acute leukemia due to the rapid progression and accumulation of the malignant cells, which then spill over into the bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body. Acute forms of leukemia are the most common forms of leukemia in children.

Chronic Leukemia

Chronic leukemia is characterized by the excessive build up of relatively mature, but still abnormal, white blood cells. Typically taking months or years to progress, the cells are produced at a much higher rate than normal, resulting in many abnormal white blood cells. Whereas acute leukemia must be treated immediately , chronic forms are sometimes monitored for some time before treatment to ensure maximum effectiveness of therapy. Chronic leukemia mostly occurs in older people, but can theoretically occur in any age group.

Risk Factors

People who have been exposed to high levels of radiation, such as long-term survivors of atomic bombs, may be more likely to develop leukemia. Exposure to electromagnetic fields or high-voltage electric lines has not been proven to increase a person's risk of leukemia. Also people with down syndrome have a higher risk of developing leukemia than the general population.

 

Survival Rates and Deaths Globally

The average five-year survival rate of leukemia is 57% in the United States. In children under 15, the five-year survival is greater than 60% to 85%, depending on the type of leukemia. In people with acute leukemia who are cancer-free after five-years, the cancer is unlikely to return. In 2012, leukemia developed in 352,000 people globally and caused 265,000 deaths. It is the most common type of cancer in children, with three quarters of leukemia cases in children. However, about 90% of all leukemia's are diagnosed in adults.

Most Often Found

Leukemia often is considered a disease of children, yet it actually affects far more adults. In fact, the frequency of the disease increases with age. Leukemia is more common in men than in women, and more common in Caucasians than in African-Americans. Almost 30,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. White people are somewhat more likely than black people to develop leukemia. Children younger than 15 and adults older than 50 are more likely to develop leukemia. In Canada it is estimated that in 2014:
- 5,900 Canadians will be diagnosed with leukemia.
- 2,700 Canadians will die from leukemia.
- 3,400 men will be diagnosed with leukemia and 1,550 will die from it.  
- 2,600 women will be diagnosed with leukemia and 1,100 will die from it.
It is estimated that around 600,000 people worldwide, will be diagnosed with leukemia in 2015.

 

Causes

Experts say that different leukemias have different causes. The following are either known causes, or strongly suspected causes:
- Artifical ionizing radiation
- Viruses
- Chemotherapy agents used in previous cancer treatments
- Maternal fetal transmission (rare)
- Hair dyes
- Genetic Predispostion- some studies researching family history and looking at twins have    
  indicated that some people have a higher risk of developing leukemia because of a single 
  gene or multiple genes.
- Electromagnetic energy- studies indicate there is not enough evidence to show that ELF 
  magnetic (not electric) fields that exist currently might cause leukemia. The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) says that studies which indicate there is risk tend to be biased and unreliable.

Symptoms/Early Signs

There are many symptoms and signs of leukemia. Lots that you should take precautions. Like:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Easy bruising and bleeding
- Pale skin
- Red, pinheaded-sized spots on the skin
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Bone or abdominal pain
- Difficulty breathing or shortness or breath
- Frequent infections 
- Swollen lymph nodes (gland)
- Enlarged liver or spleen

Affects With The Body

Your bone marrow is where stem cells grow. These stem cells become white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. In most cases of leukemia, there are too many abnormal white blood cells. These leukemia cells crowd out the normal blood cells in your bone marrow and build up in your lymph nodes, liver and spleen. When the leukemia cells crowd out your normal cells, your blood can't do its job. You may bleed or bruise easily, have more infections and feel very tired.

Leukemias Spreading

Leukemia spreads by a genetic mutation that produces abnormal cells that grow much faster than normal cells. When the growth rate of the leukemia cells outpaces the growth rate of normal cells, the leukemia cells will begin to outnumber normal cells and the leukemia cells eventually take over.

Fatal and Treatable

Leukemia is treatable. About 80% to 90% of adults with leukemia will have complete remissions after treatment. That means leukemia cells can no longer be seen in their bone marrow. But in about half of these patients the cancer will come back , so the overall cure rate is around 40%. Again, these rates vary depending on the type of leukemia and other predictions of the outcome of the disease. Cure rates tend to be higher in younger patients and lower in older patients. Leukemia is usually fatal. It has a 60% chance of survival. 

Treatments

Leukemia treatment plans often are personalized and geared toward each individual patient. In general, there are five major approaches to the treatment of leukemia:

1- Chemotherapy to kill leukemia cells using strong anti-cancer drugs.

2- Interferon therapy to slow the reproduction of leukemia cells and promote the immune system's anti-leukemia activity.

3- Radiation therapy to kill cancer cells by exposure to high-energy radiation.

4- Stem cell transplantation to enable treatment with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

5- Surgery to remove an enlarged spleen or to install a venous access device (large plastic tube) to give medications and withdraw blood samples.

Interferon Therapy To Treat Leukemia

Interferons are a class of proteins that are released by virus-infected cells. They help normal cells to make antiviral proteins. Interferons also help the body to reduce the leukemias cell growth and reproduction, while strengthening the body's immune response. 

Precautions To Prevent Leukemia

There are no precautions to prevent leukemia. It is a disease and there are no known precautions.

Concerns

I foresee in the future that this type of cancer will get worse. This is because each year the percentage and death rate of people getting leukemia worldwide is getting higher very fast. The graph below shows the years up to 2020 and the diagnosed population of many different countries including Canada.