Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment and Supportive Therapies!

Are you interested in learning more about acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and what some of the options are that you have in regards to treatment and supportive therapies for this devastating cancer?

In this article, you will discover some of the signs and symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia as well as standard treatments for this type cancer and most importantly supportive therapies that you, your family and friends can utilize during this challenging time of life.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment and Supportive Therapies!

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a form of leukemia or cancer of the white blood cells that is characterized by an excess of lymphoblasts.

Although, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is most common in childhood, it is also commonly found in older adults as well.

Signs and Symptoms of Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Weakness and fatigueAnemiaUnexplained fever and infections frequentlyLoss of appetiteUnexplained bruisingBone and joint painBreathlessnessEnlarged lymph nodesSwelling in the lower limbsTiny red spots or lines in the skin

The sooner that acute lymphocytic leukemia is detected, the more effective that treatment can be the aim of acute lymphocytic leukemia treatment is to induce a lasting remission or absence of detectable cancer cells in the body.

Treatments for acute lymphocytic leukemia:

ChemotherapySteroidsRadiation TherapyIntensive Combined Treatments (bone marrow or stem cell transplants)

Supportive Therapies for acute lymphocytic leukemia:

ALL Support Groups - Once you are a loved one is diagnosed with (ALL) hopefully your care provider will give you a list of different support groups that are available to you that will allow you to share and communicate your feelings, concerns, and worries, with other people who are going through the same type of challenges (or similar) that you are.

Yoga Nidra - Let's face it, while Support groups work for some people, oftentimes especially when faced with the sudden realities of life that being diagnosed with cancer can bring, being able to expand your capacity to deal with what is can be very beneficial. The practice of Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation technique that will bring a greater sense of ease and acceptance into your life that will expand your capacity to face the challenges that will come while fighting acute lymphocytic leukemia.

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The practice of Meditation and/or Yoga Nidra is just one of the many powerful tools that you can use in order to help Heal You First.

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Treatment of Leukimia

Treatment of leukemia depends on the type and level of disease and tailored for each patient. In general, chemotherapy-the use of drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells are the main treatment for acute or chronic leukemia. In acute leukemia, intensive chemotherapy and the use of some drugs, either simultaneously or sequentially, to kill the leukemia cells as possible. Antibiotics and transfusions of red blood cells and platelets help the blood to maintain a low number of patients who are dangerous because they received intensive chemotherapy.

Sometimes radiation is used to shrink the collection of leukemia cells that accumulate in various parts of the body, such as the lining of the brain and spinal cord in acute lymphocytic leukemia, or in the lymph nodes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. If not treated, a collection of cells on the lining of the brain and spinal cord can cause headaches, blurred vision, and confusion, and elsewhere in the body can cause swelling and pain from the affected area.

Especially in younger patients, if doctors determine that chemotherapy alone is not likely to succeed or if the patients who relapsed after chemotherapy, allogeneic (genetically different) stem cell transplants can be performed. In this procedure, very intense total body irradiation or high dose chemotherapy or both were used. Chemotherapy and radiation designed to destroy all the leukemia cells in the body of the patient, but this treatment also destroys the blood-forming system in the bone marrow of patients. For this reason, the healthy stem cells, bone marrow cells that allow the formation of long-term blood, then be inserted into patients to replace blood-forming system. Stem cells must come from immunologically suitable donor, usually siblings, but if your game is not available, sometimes an unrelated donor may be sought. The latter can be identified from the database of voluntary donors. This database can be searched people with matching tissue types are identical or very close. Previously, stem cells can only be transplanted from donor bone marrow. This procedure is known as bone marrow transplants. Recent advances now enable to recover stem cells from blood, or from the placenta and umbilical cord blood ("cord blood") after giving birth to newborns, making the transplant procedure is much simpler and less risky for the donor. Cord-blood stem cells frozen, stored in a bank "," and can be used later for patients who need them. The number of stem cells in this sample may not be sufficient for larger adults and most commonly used for children or smaller adults who need transplants and in need of donors, unrelated match.

Unexpected effect of allogeneic stem cell transplant is what is known as the effect of graft-versus-leukemia. Immune cells recognize the donor antigen small tissue types (proteins that produce antibodies) that is incompatible with the recipient. This donor's immune cells attack the recipient's network, including leukemia cells and normal tissue. The attack on normal tissue recipients as a disease called graft-versus-host. This attack can be acute or chronic, and very mild or very severe. This is a serious complication that is not desirable from allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Graft-versus-leukemia-cells, on the other hand, is the desired effect and is responsible in part for some beneficial effects of transplantation, especially in patients who received transplants for treatment of acute or chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Transplantation is the most effective in children and young adults; in older adults are often too dangerous a procedure to apply. A transplant approach called non-myeloablative stem cells are being tested on older patients. Here's a very mild pretreatment with chemotherapy or radiation is used, whereas the anti-immune therapy based on the immune system to prevent recipients from stem cells reject donor. Stock graft-versus-leukemia who relied on as a substitute for intensive therapy given before transplantation for leukemia standards.

Immunotherapy is a promising new approach for treating leukemia. With this technique, highly specific molecules known as monoclonal antibodies are made in the laboratory to the target molecule on the surface of leukemia cells. Antibody itself may kill leukemia cells, or radioactive substances or toxic cells attached to the antibody can kill leukemia cells, when injected intravenously into the patient. This method provides an easy way to deliver immediate radioactive or toxic substance into the leukemia cells, which may kill cells with minimal effect on healthy cells.

The objective in the treatment of acute leukemia is to kill leukemia cells is sufficient to produce remission, which means that the production of red blood cells no longer suppressed, blood cell counts returned to normal, and patient symptoms decreased. At that stage, further therapy is used to try to extend the reach remission or cure. Approximately 80 percent of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia can be cured. Cure rate of acute myelocytic leukemia is estimated at around 40 percent in children but much lower in adults depending on their age. Because most patients more than 65 years when they develop the disease, treatment is rare.

In chronic leukemia, the cure is rare, but the current chemotherapy regimens have improved survival in patients with an average of about three years to more than six years. chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the most lazy form may not require treatment and may not progress or a serious health consequences for patients. In patients with active or progressive disease, new drugs and types of available monoclonal antibodies to treat disease. In chronic myelocytic leukemia, dramatic advances in therapy involves the introduction of drugs that specifically target leukemia causes changes in bone marrow cells. The introduction of this treatment has been projected to increase survival for more than a decade on average. Young patients with diseases that have an appropriate stem cell donor can be cured by stem cell transplantation.

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Types of Leukemia

Leukemia is caused by excessive production of abnormal or immature blood cells (mostly leukocytes). It starts with problem in DNA of cells. This results in shortage of normal blood cell and body stops working properly.

The production of cells in bone marrow consists of several steps. Cells get converted into many intermediate types before forming white, red cells and platelets.

Bone marrow initially consists of stem cells. Stem cells have three main categories including Hematopoietic, mesenchymal and endothelial stem cells. Of these three types, hematopoietic stem cells are the root of normal cells. Hematopoietics can be classified into Lymphoid and Myeloid cells. Often, the root cause of leukemia is the abnormal production of white cells. White blood cells or leukocytes have many sub types. Few of these types are produced from Lymphoid cells and other are produced from myeloid. Red blood cells and platelets are grown up form of myeloid cells. In leukemia, DNA of cells produced either from lymphoid or myeloid origin becomes damaged. This causes production of abnormal production of white blood cells which eventually crowd out normal blood cell. The cancer caused by myeloid origon is called Myelogenous Leukemia and cancer caused by lymphoid is known as Lymphocytic Leukemia. Myelogenous leukemia and lymphocytic leukemia are the two basic types of leukemia.

Leukemia is further categorized into acute and chronic levels. Including this factor, leukemia has four types including acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and chronic myelogenous Leukemia (CML).

Acute refers to the fact that this cancer has potential to become fatal in quick time. Acute lymphocytic leukemia requires immediate treatment otherwise recovery becomes impossible. It is mostly seen in childhood. Acute myelogenous and chronic cancer does not require immediate treatment. Patient suffering from chronic leukemia are kept under observation and treated only when leukemia starts to damage body tissues. Chronic type is mostly seen in aged peoples. The treatment options for all leukemia types include chemotherapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplant.

To read more about leukemia and leukemia symptoms, please visit following website.

http://leukemia-symptoms.thehealthinfo.net/

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What is "Leukemia"?

What is Leukemia?

The word Leukemia is derived from the Greek words leukos (white) and aima (blood). In simple terms, it is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. It affects the forming of blood cells, one of the most important cells groups of the human body.

An abnormal production and accumulation of white blood cells characterizes this disease. This form of cancer starts to grow from the stem cells present in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is where blood cells are made.

The presence of abnormal cells called as leukemia cells?, also called as damaged leukocytes confirms the disease. Abnormal cells often over crowd with the other cells and end up with damaged DNA. The entire process makes it difficult for the other cells to do their functions smoothly.

In a healthy human, the W.B.C will die after a certain period resulting in the growth of fresh. In this case, they do not die easily and take-up space and continue to add-up. This crowding of bad cells, almost like a fission reaction in an uncontrolled manner, does not allow the normal functioning of the good cells and this result in sickness.

To better understand this disease, it is important that we know the related biological terms:

Bone Marrow:
The inner part of the bone is the bone marrow and this is where R.B.C, platelets and W.B.C are created

White blood cells (W.B.C):
They are also called leukocytes, and they primarily help fight infections. They are of three types:
• Lymphocytes - Main cells that help in fighting infections
• Granulocytes - These are W.B.C with granules which destroy microbes
• Monocytes - These are related to granulocytes and also help the body fight against microbes

Red blood cells (R.B.C):
They are the ones that carry oxygen to all the tissues of the body.

Platelets:
They are very important in forming clots which prevents the blood vessels from bleeding.

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Symptoms of Leukemia: Spotting Them Before It's Too Late

Leukemia is a type of cancer that is very common nowadays. It does not choose who it attacks: men, women, children, adults, Caucasian, African-American, Asian, Hispanic - we are all at risk. According to the latest survey conducted, almost 44,000 people will be diagnosed with leukemia by 2010. It is now 2011. However, with developments that we have had in the aspect of health and medicine, the outcome of leukemia is looking bright. There is now a significant increase in the survival rate - a little over 50 per cent. That might not be a very big number for you, but compared to the 1970s when they only had a 14 per cent chance of survival, 50 per cent is almost like being disease-free. Won't you agree?

Surviving leukemia would largely depend on the severity of the disease by the time it gets diagnosed. As you could deduce, an earlier diagnosis of leukemia would give a better prognosis as compared to a late detection. Knowing which symptoms to look out for would be a great help in getting the earliest treatment possible. The following would be the most common symptoms of leukemia:

• Fever and recurrent infections. The reason behind this is that in leukemia, you do not have mature white blood cells to combat foreign bodies. You do not have a good defense system to protect you from invading viruses.

• Fatigue. Leukemia is a condition where there is a massive production of abnormal white blood cells. These cells would take up a lot of space, thus impeding the production of other types of cells. Since the production of red blood cells is decreased in the process, oxygen delivery to your various systems would also be decreased. This is what's causing fatigue.

• Bleeding and/or easy bruising. Bleeding, when associated with cancer, is painless. The same goes with bruising. A normal bruise would be tender when touched. Bruising, as related to leukemia, does not have any pain at all. Platelets, the ones responsible for clotting, are decreased in leukemia. This causes the bleeding and the bruising.

• Petechiae. They are tiny, rash-like spots found on the skin. Unlike rashes, though, petechiae are not itchy. This is caused by the rupture of capillaries and a decrease in platelet count.

• Pain. All types of cancer have pain. In the case of leukemia, it is bone or joint pain. This should not be confused with symptoms of bone cancer, though. The pain in bone cancer is caused by the compression of nerves due to tumor growth. In leukemia, the pain is caused by the overcrowding of blood cells in the bone marrow.

There are many other symptoms of leukemia, but the aforementioned would be the most common of the lot. If you experience any of those mentioned above, consult with your doctor immediately. If you get treatment early in the disease, there is a chance that the cancer cells might be eradicated and you would be one of the few survivors who would live to tell your story about battling with death.

For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: Symptoms of Bone Cancer and Symptoms of Leukemia.

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Hematology and Oncology Specialists Offer Treatment for Leukemia and Lymphoma

Hematology and oncology are fields of medicine that diagnose, treat and prevent diseases of the blood and cancer as well as research them. Some diseases that are treated by doctors who specialize in hematology and oncology in Louisiana include leukemia and lymphoma.

Leukemia occurs when cancer attacks the tissues within the body that form blood. This can include the lymphatic system and the bone marrow. This disease usually begins in leukocytes or white blood cells. Although leukocytes function to fight off infection by growing and dividing in an orderly manner as the body requires them, those who develop this disease have large numbers of uncharacteristic leukocytes that do not perform properly, which are produced with bone marrow. Leukemia, depending on its type, can strike anyone at any age. There are types that mainly affect children and there are certain types that only affect adults. Normally this form of cancer is due to a mutation of DNA within blood cells. If this mutation occurs, cells begin to grow and divide at a rapid speed and while other healthy cells die off, these mutated ones continue to live. As time goes by, the mutated cells begin to overcrowd healthy cells, which result in the signs and symptoms of leukemia. Treatment depends on the type of leukemia as well as other factors. Among the common types of treatment that are used on patients with this disorder include radiation, chemotherapy, medications that target the cancer, biological therapy that assists the immune system in helping to find and fight the leukemia and stem cell transplants, which replace unhealthy bone marrow with healthy bone marrow.

Lymphoma is a cancer that attacks the lymphatic system, which is normally responsible for fighting off disease. Lymphatic systems contain the spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow and the thymus gland. Cancer can affect the entire system including all of these organs as well as other organs in the body. Hodgkin's disease is one form of lymphoma that attacks the lymphatic system. This occurs as cells within the lymphatic system begin to abnormally grow and gather in the organs of this system. As Hodgkin's disease progresses, the body's ability to ward off infection becomes inhibited, resulting in the development of tumors. Because the lymphatic system is located throughout the body, this form of cancer can spread through the lymph nodes to many areas of the body. Although this form of cancer was once considered a fatal disease, with advancements in diagnostic technology and advanced treatments, Hodgkin's disease is now very treatable.

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I Am Diagnosed With Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Will I Live?

Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a frequent cancer of the blood cells. It's frequency increases with the increasing of age. Before treatment existed this type of cancer was totally mortal, and with the therapy that is used nowadays, its survival rate is bigger, up to 90 % in case of Acute promyelocitic leukemia. It is thought that one of the main causes of this Leukemia, is the BENZENE exposure.

So, lets start with the basics. As of the FAB classification, your disease can be classified in 8 groups, from AML-M0 to AML-M7.

The worst prognosis is AML-M0, and the best prognosis is AML-M3.

As of the WHO classification that is more recent and more concise, a person can have:
Leukemia from chromosomal trans-location
Leukemia from myelodisplasia
Leukemia from treatment
Leukemia of unknown origin

Of this 4 cases, the leukemia from treatment may have the best prognosis.

Treatment:
If you suffer from AML-M3 (Acute promyelocitic leukemia), the treatment of choice will be ATRA (All trans retinoic acid). The survival rate will be great, up to 90% after 5 years.

If you suffer from all other forms, the treatment is as follows:
One cycle of INDUCTION: You use 3 days of anthracyclines, and 7 days of ARA-C.

One cycle of CONSOLIDATION: In the start of this phase, the cancer cells will be really low. If this second cycle is successful, you will be safe, no more cancer in your body. But the success of this phase depends on the prognostic factors of your leukemia.

First of all, your age. The older you are (over 70), the more difficult will be. But you still have the possibility to survive. Other prognostic factors are the chromosomal trans-locations that are present in your genotype.
Good Prognosis: t(8;21), t(15;17), inv(16)

Intermediate Prognosis: Normal, +8, +21, +22, del(7q), del(9q), Abnormal 11q23, all other structural or numerical changes

Bad Prognosis: -5, -7, del(5q), Abnormal 3q, Complex cytogenetics

Will YOU Live?

Well, you have to fight! It's a battle that you have just started, but you have to be strong, physically and mentally. Be very collaborative with your physician, and take your pills very regularly. The chances to survive after 5 years are up to 70 % in general. YOU HAVE TO BE IN THAT 70 %!

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