Archive for the ‘leukimia’ Category

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Cancer Prevention – Good News For Vegans

Comments: 0July 18th, 2010 by admin



As far as scary words in the English language go, “cancer” is near the top of the list. The good news is that we don’t have to wait around simply hoping that cancer doesn’t affect us and our loved ones. According to scientists in the UK, effective cancer prevention starts with the food on your plate.

The British Journal of Cancer reports optimistic news for vegans. British scientists studied the diets of over 61,000 men and women for 12 years. At the end of 12 years, the scientists recorded how many subjects developed stomach, bladder, ovarian, and lymphatic cancers in the three dietary categories reviewed: vegan, pescetarian, and omnivore. For each type of cancer tested, vegans developed a significantly lower number of cases than did meat eaters.

The National Cancer Institute currently predicts that stomach cancer will be diagnosed in over 21,000 American men and women in 2010 and will cause over 10,000 deaths. The lifetime risk of stomach cancer is 1 in 113.

Of men and women born today, 2.41% can expect to be diagnosed with urinary bladder cancer during their lifetimes. That’s 1 in 41 people. Almost 71,000 American men and women are diagnosed annually with bladder cancer and over 14,000 of these bladder cancer cases prove fatal.

For women born today, 1.4% can expect a diagnosis of ovarian cancer during their lifetimes. The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 21,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and over 14,000 women will die of ovarian cancer in 2010.

The National Cancer Institute predicts that over 70,000 American men and women will be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2010 and that more than 20,000 of these cases will prove fatal.

The position of the American Dietetic Association on vegan diets is that they are associated with fewer cases of cancer as well as fewer cases of type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and death from heart attacks. Some nutrients that the ADA regards as healthy and particularly high in vegan diets are fruits, vegetables, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals (phyto=related to plants).

Don’t let yourself and your loved ones become a statistic. Join Gobble Green in the movement for disease prevention and make the transition to a vegan diet in 2010.

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Leukemia For Twins and Stem Cells Solutions

Comments: 0June 23rd, 2010 by admin



Although there are no accurate data for concordance rates of leukemia in infant twins, anecdotally it seems to be exceptionally high, perhaps approaching one hundred percent that is, if one twin has it, unfortunately so will the other. If correct, this suggests that MLL gene fusion in utero has a dramatic impact, ensuring subsequent leukemia. But for children aged two to six years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the concordance rate is considerably lower at around five percent. This still represents a one hundred fold extra risk of leukemia for the twin of a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia but also indicates the need for some additional postnatal event for which there is a one in twenty chance, or ninety five percent discordance. This suggests, at a minimum, a “two hit” model for the natural course of childhood leukemia.

If this model of leukemia development is correct, then, for every child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosed, there should be at least twenty healthy children who have had a chromosome translocation, a functional leukemia fusion gene, and a covert preleukaemic clone generated in utero. This possibility has been investigated by screening unselected samples of newborn cord blood for fusion genes. About six hundred samples have been screened, and around one percent have a leukemia TEL

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All About Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Comments: 0June 12th, 2010 by admin



Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease is a rare for of cancer which is characterized by orderly growth of malignant cells of the lymphatic system. Described for the first time by Thomas Hodgkin in 1832, this disease primarily affects the lymph nodes and later spreads to other parts of the lymphatic system.

The most significant characteristic of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is presence of malignant B-cells with unique characteristics. These cells are called as Reed-Sternberg cells. Hodgkin’s lymphoma mainly occurs in individuals with depleted immune system and persons infected with viruses including HIV, Epstein-Barr virus and HTLV-I. Epidemiology of this disease is unique. The frequency of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is predominant in two separate age groups. These include individuals between 15-35 years of age and individuals above 55 years of age.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is primarily classified into classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (CHL), nodular sclerosis (NS), lymphocyte predominance (LP), mixed cellularity (MC), Lymphocyte depleted (LD) and nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NLPHL) depending on the Reed-Sternberg cell morphology. The most common symptom of Hodgkin’s disease is swelling in the lymph nodes of the neck and chest. Other noticeable symptoms include enlarged spleen, swollen liver, fever, excessive sweating, fatigue, abnormal weight loss and itchy skin. The disease could be medically diagnosed through microscopical examination of Reed-Sternberg cells during biopsy. Other diagnostic methods include physical examination, chest X-rays, blood cell counts, and CT scan and MRI scan of the lymphatic system, PET scanning, gallium scanning and bone marrow aspiration.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the first cancers to have been cured using radiation therapy. Other therapeutic approaches include chemotherapy, bone marrow and peripheral blood transplantation and immunotherapy. The common chemotherapeutic regimens followed for the treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma include ABVD (Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarabzine), BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone), COPP/ABVD, MOPP (mechlorethamine, oncovin, procarbazine, prednisone) and Stanford V.

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Child Leukemia – Generalities, Symptoms and Treatment

Comments: 0June 7th, 2010 by admin



Leukemia interferes with the body’s production of white blood cells. These cells are supposed to fight infections with viruses or bacteria, and when someone has leukemia, they are defective and their number is largely increased, but because they are not fulfilling their role any more, although their number can increase ten times the body’s defense system is seriously weakened and any infection can be very dangerous.

Unfortunately leukemia can affect young children too, and the number of child leukemia cases keeps increasing.
There are two types of leukemia – acute leukemia – a cancer that develops and evolves very fast and it affects all the white blood cells, and chronic leukemia – it develops slower and healthy white blood cells can still be found.

More than 95% of the child leukemia cases are acute leukemia. Acute leukemia can also be divided into acute acute myelogenous leukemia and lymphocytic leukemia acute myelogenous leukemia because there are two types of blood cells, and each type of leukemia affects a different kind of blood cells. More than half of the children with leukemia have acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The symptoms of acute leukemia start with fever, and continue with many infections, because the child is weak against any damaging foreign microorganisms.
When the disease advances the child becomes anemic and begins to have a pale color. He will always feel a sensation of weakness and fatigue which will prevent him from playing outdoors.
All leukemia patients, including children can be bruised very easy, and the often bleed for no reason. When bleeding occurs it cannot be stopped for a long time because leukemia affects the cells responsible for healing wounds.

If the illness is not discovered and it is left untreated it starts spreading through the body and it can reach the brain, affecting some of the senses and causing headaches.

In order to diagnose child leukemia the child must go through a series of special tests. If the result is positive then therapy must begin as soon as possible. First some new tests must be performed to determine what kind of therapy works best. In most cases chemotherapy is used because it has the highest survival rate. Chemotherapy is also accompanied by drugs.
The purpose of the therapy is to heal the bone marrow, the organ that produces the defective blood cells and to kill all the malfunctioning cells from the body. If the therapy is successful it must still be continued because the cancer can re-appear.
In some more severe cases a bone marrow transplant is needed.

The good news is that therapy is getting better and better and most of the children survive this illness, but the survival rate depends on how far the cancer has advanced and on what form of it the child has.

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Canine Leukemia

Comments: 0May 16th, 2010 by admin



Leukemia is one type of cancer that affects the blood. This disease is characterized by a significant increase of the leukocytes, popularly called white blood cells.

The first symptom is a large number of these cells in the blood marrow or even in the circulation. Leukemia is a result of a genetic malfunction, a mutation that happens inside the bone’s marrow. This disease has several types. It is classified taking into consideration the type of the white blood cells that are involved and also the way in which the disease is progressing.

Leukemia can derive from the bone marrow and it is called myelogenous or granulocytic leukemia and also lymphocytic leukemia when it involves the lymph nodes.

Leukemia disease can either be chronic or acute. It all depends on the kind of white cells that are affected. The chronic one is named chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The CLL in pets like dogs and cats has a lot of similarities with the human disease but still some major differences too.

The ALL, or acute lymphoid leukemia is a disease that progresses quite rapidly. A few of the symptoms include fever, anemia, random bleeding, loosing the appetite, swollen lymph nodes, panting, anxiousness, vomiting, pale gums, shifting limb lameness, lack of coordination, some infections that appear because of the week immune system. All these symptoms can cause death if the disease is not treated.

At a clinical examination, if the dog has fever or a bigger than usual spleen or liver, it is a good sign of the disease. Many mature animals develop the acute lymphoid leukemia rather then the young. This is a difference from the human disease which is quite common in children. Another important fact is that this disease can cause some ocular lesions in dogs.

The chronic leukemia has many cancer white cells that are affecting the body’s ability to fight the infections. The disease progresses slowly and it is fatal. It suppresses the immune system and then the bone marrow fails to function. The bag cells then infiltrate the other organs. The disease easily spreads into the blood, the lymph nodes, liver or spleen and into the central nervous system. The disease doesn’t create solid tumors or other solid masses. The death can be quite painful.

Discovering the leukemia can be done ding a simple blood examination and then, if there are suspicions, a bone marrow analysis.

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Innovative Solutions for Enhancing the Effects of Leukemia Treatments

Comments: 0May 5th, 2010 by admin



The treatment of leukemia involves various cancer therapies and long-term courses of specific medications. There are many forms of treatment for leukemia and most of them have pronounced side-effects. Although the medical treatments available today are effective in achieving complete remission, they also trigger serious undesirable effects among patients with leukemia. Considering this fact, medical scientists nowadays focus on improving the efficiency of cancer medications with minimal side-effects.

The improved version of the leukemia drug ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid) is considered to be a safer and a more reliable alternative to prolonged chemotherapy and traditional cancer medications. The enhanced version of the drug ATRA is Lipo-ATRA, a more advanced and effective cancer medication. Unlike the old version of the drug, the active agent of Lipo-ATRA is covered with a layer a fat. Its inventors claim that Lipo-ATRA remains inside the human body for longer periods of time, thus having increased efficiency in fighting leukemia cells. In addition, Lipo-ATRA can be administered intravenously, allowing the drug to act a lot quicker in fighting the disease. Thanks to its long-term action, Lipo-ATRA can also minimize the risks of relapse.

During the trial period, Lipo-ATRA has proved to be very effective in overcoming acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Patients with AML that have been administered the enhanced version of ATRA have experienced a complete remission and they have remained asymptomatic for long periods of time. The majority of patients with AML have even exceeded the critical five-year period of remission, thus being completely cured.

Medical scientists are very satisfied with the potential and the safety of the new drug. They sustain that Lipo-ATRA is a reliable replacement for traditional chemotherapy. Medical scientists explain that more than a third of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia who receive Lipo-ATRA can be spared of prolonged chemotherapy. Considering the fact that the new drug acts very well on its own, patients often don’t require other adjutant cancer therapies or treatments.

In the trial period, the new drug Lipo-ATRA was tested on 34 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In the initial stages of treatment, Lipo-ATRA was administered along with idarubicin, a strong cancer medication. When patients began to achieve remission, Lipo-ATRA was administered without idarubicin. The effects of Lipo-ATRA were remarkable, as 10 patients among the 34 that participated to the study remained in remission for more than 5 years even after they stopped receiving adjutant chemotherapy drugs.

Thanks to its efficiency in curing leukemia and thanks to its fewer side-effects, Lipo-ATRA is considered to be the best option in overcoming the disease in present. An appropriate substitute for traditional chemotherapy, Lipo-ATRA may soon revolutionize the treatment of leukemia.

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Lymphoma: Who is Susceptible?

Comments: 0May 2nd, 2010 by admin



Lymphoma, as with virtually every other form of cancer, can strike anybody at any time during their life however some groups are more susceptible to the disease than others. Studies around the world have shown that age, gender and geographical location affect whether you have a high or low risk of developing lymphoma however there are always exceptions to these suggestions.

Age

Lymphoma is generally regarded as a disease of the elderly and this is true to a certain extent. There are many more cases reported in the over 60s than in the under 60s however this isn’t the only age group that are thought to be at risk. People over the age of 60 often have weaker immune systems than their younger counterparts and so when mutations occur in the DNA of certain cells the body cannot eradicate these defective cells and they go on to multiply and form a cancerous growth. Strong immune systems kill mutated cells before they have the chance to multiply and differentiate which means that younger people are less susceptible to lymphoma.

Unfortunately it would seem that 25-35 year olds also show a marked increase with regards to number of diagnosed lymphoma cases however researchers are still trying to figure out why this is so.

Gender

Studies have shown that men are about three times more likely to suffer from lymphoma than women. Again research is continuing into why this is so however scientists think that female hormones may play a protective role with regards to lymphoma development or alternatively that male hormones make the gender more prone to the disease. As people age the two genders levels out and the probability of a male developing lymphoma is only slightly higher than that of a female developing the disease. This confirms that hormone levels may in fact influence whether a person is susceptible to the disease or not.

Geographical location

It would seem that people living in highly developed countries such as the UK, America, Australia, Germany etc. are at a much higher risk of being diagnosed with lymphoma than those living in places like Africa and Asia. This may have a lot to do with lifestyle and environment i.e. rich fatty foods, air pollution and other carcinogenic agents may decrease a person’s resistance to DNA mutations, however it may also be due to other factors such as natural immunity and the use of prescription drugs. Again nobody knows for sure and more research is still needed.

Even though certain age groups and people in some geographical locations are more susceptible to lymphoma than others, this doesn’t mean that you are exempt from developing the disease if you don’t fall into these categories. Children as young as two years old have been diagnosed with the disease, and so it is obvious that nobody is one hundred percent safe from lymphoma. You should make a point of checking your lymph glands regularly for any signs of swelling and in addition you should definitely consult the doctor should you feel anything wrong.

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General Aspects of Leukemia

Comments: 0March 15th, 2010 by admin



Many people suffer from leukemia these days. A large number of cases of cancer are identified to be leukemia. Leukemia is a sort of cancer of the blood and marrow. The disease is characterized through the overproducing of immature blood cells (stem cells) that aren’t able to fully develop and to carry out the activities of normal blood cells.

According to their functions and structure, there are three different types of cells within the normal blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Through the process of hematopoiesis, these three types of blood cells are developed from a distinctive type of blood cell called stem cell. Stem cells divide and go through several stages of development to finally form a mature blood cell of a particular type, with a certain, distinctive function in the body. The process through which a stem cell morphs into a mature blood cell takes place within the bone marrow.

According to the speed of development and the persistence of the disorder, there are two types of leukemia: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is known to develop very rapidly, while chronic leukemia is developed slowly. According to the types of blood cells affected by the disease, leukemia can either be lymphocytic or myelogenous.

Lymphocytic and myelogenous types of leukemia are developed from different types of cells: the lymphocytic type of leukemia develops from cells called lymphoblasts or lymphocytes in the spongious tissue of the bones, while the myelogenous type of leukemia (sometimes refered to as myeloid and myelocytic leukemia) develops from myeloid cells.

In the case of acute forms of leukemia, the abnormal cells come from early, immature cells. Such forms of the disorder have a very fast rate of development, due to the fact that normal stem cells tend to multiply frequently. Leukemia cells usually don’t divide faster and more frequently than normal stem cells, they simply don’t stop their process of division when they should. Sometimes the numbers of white blood cells are very high, while in other cases they can be normal or low.

Chronic leukemia, apart from its slow development, is different from acute leukemia by the level of maturation that the diseased cells are able to reach. Stem cells affected by chronic leukemia reach a higher level of maturation but they present abnormalities and they can’t act as healthy white blood cells do. Unlike acute leukemia, in the chronic form of the disease the unhealthy cells have much longer periods of life and they tend to accumulate in different parts of the body.

Leukemia affects people of all age groups. While children usually respond better to the treatment for leukemia and sometimes deal well with the disease, adults difficultly cope with this form of cancer.

Regardless of age and sex, many people are diagnosed with forms of leukemia. Children tend to respond better to some types of leukemia, while adults difficultly cope with the disease. The cases of acute leukemia exceed those of chronic leukemia by approximately 10 percent. Older adults seem to be affected the most by acute leukemia. Around two thirds of acute leukemia cases seem to occur after the age of 60.

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Scientists Reveal New Aspects of T-cell Acute Lymphatic Leukemia

Comments: 0March 13th, 2010 by admin



The actual causes of leukemia are still unknown to medical science. Although there are many speculations upon this matter, scientists haven’t yet found any conclusive evidence regarding the exact causes and risk factors of leukemia. However, medical science has made great progresses in identifying various genetic particularities that are nowadays considered to be underlying causes of leukemia. It seems that each type of leukemia is caused by a specific set of genetic dysfunctions which triggers an overproduction of diseased cells. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of medical scientists focused towards unveiling the factors involved in causing the occurrence and the development of leukemia, modern medicine may soon come up with an effective cure for this type of cancer.

Scientists have recently revealed a connection between T-cell acute lymphatic leukemia (T-ALL) and ABL1 gene. ABL1 resides in chromosome 9. Due to genetic dysfunctions, a fragment of DNA that contains ABL1 fuses with another gene, thus causing T-ALL. ABL1 gene is also known to have a role in the occurrence of various other types of leukemia. Oncologists explain that the abnormal activity of ABL1 cancer gene can be countered with the means of already-existent leukemia medications such as Glivec. Thus, Glivec may also be effective in overcoming the cases of T-ALL that are caused by the malfunctioning ABL1 gene.

Inappropriate activity of ABL1 gene is known to be the underlying cause of more than 6 percent of all T-ALL cases. ABL1 is in fact a type of protein that regulates various cellular processes. Impaired activity of ABL1 determines a wide range of cellular dysfunctions. In the case of T-ALL, ABL1 is responsible for causing an overproduction of diseased blasts, cells that are unable to reach the stage of maturity. As a result, these partially-developed cells can’t fulfill their actual purpose inside the body, generating serious impairments at different levels of the organism.

Functionless blasts multiply at abnormally high rates, eventually outnumbering healthy cells. In addition, diseased T-ALL cells block the production of normal blood cells, causing a decrease in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. In present, T-cell acute lymphatic leukemia is known as the most common form of cancer among children. T-ALL predominantly affects children under the age of 15 and it is rarely seen in older children or young adults.

Medical scientists are currently trying to modify the leukemia drug Glivec so that it can also be administered to patients with T-ALL. Although Glivec is considered to be a reliable medication, it hasn’t been tested yet on patients diagnosed with T-ALL. However, oncologists believe that in future Glivec and other ABL1 inhibitors will be able to completely overcome T-ALL.

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Myelodysplastia Syndrome Exposed

Comments: 0March 11th, 2010 by admin



Previously known as pre-leukemia, myelodyslastia syndrome is a haematological condition that is made up of the inefficient red blood cell production and a host of other health complications. A lot of people are unfamiliar with myelodysplastia syndrome’s details, although most know about leukemia, which is commonly the end-result of MDS.

MDS is an affliction of the bone marrow stem cell, which may result in ineffective and irregular blood production. This irregularity can result to irreversible problems in the blood-forming cells. The illness takes a course towards being chronic in most cases, and can slowly worsen because of steady bone failure. Research shows that an estimated 1/3 of the patients who have MDS can develop acute myelogenous leukemia within a couple of years of living with the condition.

Myelodysplastia Syndrome Diagnosis

According to researchers, the time of diagnosis for the myelodysplastia syndrome is on the average, between 60 and 75 years old. This disorder is more prevalent in males than in females, and is generally rare in children. Although a lot of the symptoms can lead to the detection of this condition, these are linked to other blood disorders; the symptoms are therefore not commonly linked to MDS until the later stages.

Some of myelodyspastia syndrome’s symptoms include:

* Neutropenia – An increased vulnerability to infection

* Anemia – Chronic shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue

* Thrombocytopenia – Increased vulnerability to bleeding

It is estimated that 50 percent of MDS-related deaths occur as a result of infection or extensive bleeding. Researchers everywhere are still hard at work in trying to find a cure for myelodysplastia syndrome, and for now patients can only rely on the treatments. It should be noted, though, that the type of leukemia that develops from MDS is in particular extremely resistant to different kinds of treatment.

Myelodysplastia Syndrome Detection

Due to its common and general symptoms, MDS can often be wrongly diagnosed, which is the reason why doctors have to examine the blood film and do a full blood count. These steps are necessary to eliminate other possible causes of the symptoms, such as B12, HIV or hepatitis. Doctors also do chromosomal studies that require fresh specimens, inducing the live cells tested to magnify the chromosomal staining.

Myelodysplastia Syndrome Origins

One of the known causes of MDS has to do with environmental factors, specifically the exposure radiation and to the toxic chemical benzene. Secondary MDS can also arise in patients who experience late toxicity, as a result of prolonged exposure to cancer treatments. It is now proven that MDS is a result of the bone marrow stem cell mutations; however the abnormalities responsible for these mutations are yet to be fully understood.

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