Posts Tagged ‘Bone Marrow’

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Leukemia 101

Comments: 0December 23rd, 2011 by admin



Luekemia is a cancer (malignant disease) of the blood or ‘bone marrow’, (soft tissue found in the hollow interior of the bone.) It is characterized by the uncontrolled accretion of blood cells, usually white blood cells. The word Luekemia means “white blood”, which was derived by luekemia patients’ high white blood count. An excessive amount of cells can interfere with other cells which causes a very harmful imbalance of blood count. There are four different categories of luekemia:

* Acute Lymphocytic Luekemia (ALL): This type of Luekemia is a rapidly progressing disease that is the most common type of Luekemia for children. However it does occur in adults, especially those over 65 years of age.

* Chronic Lymphocytic Luekemia (CLL): This type of luekemia (chronic) progresses more slowly than acute and most commonly affect those over 55 years of age. Once in a while will occur in a young adult but very rarely occurs in a child.

* Acute Myelogenous Luekemia (AML): More common to occur in an adult than a child.

* Chronic Myelogenous Luekemia (CML): Occurs mainly in adults and sometimes in children.

Some Statistics to Think About:

* To this day 218,659 people are living with luekemia in the United States.

* Luekemia affects about nine in 100,000 people each year.

* It is expected that 21,790 deaths in the United States are caused by Luekemia.

* Once diagnosed with luekemia, the five year survival rate is 42 percent.

* The estimated numbers of deaths caused by Luekemia in the US are about 30 percent higher for males than females.

* Adults are 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with luekemia than children, especially the elderly.

* About 515 children under the age of 14 are expected to die from Luekemia.

* Children under the age of 4 have a greater chance of developing luekemia than older children.

Symptoms:

Damage to the bone marrow will lead to a deficiency level of blood platelets which is important for blood clotting. This means people with luekemia may have problems with bruising, bleeding excessively, and petechiae. Petechiae is a small red or purple spot on the body caused by a minor hemorrhage. Other common symptoms for those who have Luekemia are:

* Weak immune system

* Anemia

* Fever, chills, and night sweats (flu like).

* Easily fatigued and weak.

* Swollen and bleeding gums.

* Frequent infection

* Bone and joint pain

* Dizziness

* Swollen tonsils

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Chronic Leukemia – A Less Dangerous Cancer, But Harder To Treat

Comments: 0December 5th, 2011 by admin



Leukemia is a dangerous form of cancer, and it affects thousands of people every year. It affects the white blood cells. The body loses control of the quantity and quality of blood cells, and it becomes very vulnerable because the white blood cells are supposed to protect our organism against infections. There are two main types of leukemia – acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Acute leukemia is more dangerous because it spreads much faster, but chronic leukemia can be tricky because it has almost no symptoms.

The first organ that is affected by chronic leukemia is the bone marrow. The bone marrow is a tissue that can be found on some of the main bones in the body and that has the role of producing blood cells (red blood cells and white blood cells).
White blood cells are the guardians of the body. They can be found anywhere in the blood and they attack and neutralize any type of bacteria that enters the body and that can be harmful.

When a patient has chronic leukemia, the white blood cells from his blood are deffective and they are continuously created. A normal person should have less then 10000 white blood cells white a person with leukemia can have more than 100000, but although there are so many the protection against infections is decreased because most of the cells are malfunctioning.
A particularity of chronic leukemia is that patients who have it also have a lower number of red blood cells.

The causes of all types of leukemia are unknown, doctors cannot determine why some people have this illness and other don’t. Though, scientists discovered some factors that increase the risks of becoming ill of leukemia. Among these factors radiations play an important role, many that were exposed to radiations were soon diagnosed with leukemia. Also, a malfunction in the genes can cause the blood cells to transform, so it can have a genetic cause. The causes and risk factors are still being researched.

The bad thing about chronic leukemia is that it usually shows no symptoms that can give he patient an idea about his condition. It’s often discovered during routine lab tests. Some of those suffering from chronic leukemia reported having a general state of weakness and fatigue. As the disease advances blood can start to come out of the nose or of the gums for no reason, and because the organism is weakened and its defense is lowered, leukemia patients can be vruised very easy, and they are often infected with foreign microorganism.

Chronic leukemia treatment depends on each patient. After the diagnose a series of tests are made to determine which therapy the patient responds to. Chemotherapy is used in most situations. The number of people that are cured of chronic leukemia is increasing as time passes, but a there is a notable number of victims too.

New drugs and cures keep being researched by doctors and scientists and the survival rate is rising, so maybe in the near future chronic leukemia will be musc easier to treat.

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When Blood Cells Go Wild

Comments: 0September 25th, 2011 by admin



For your body to function properly, it needs a steady supply of oxygenated blood that is supplied by red blood cells. These blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to different parts of the body to give you energy and keep the skin healthy.

But if the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, the blood thickens and trouble begins. This is called polycythemia vera – a blood disorder that causes many health problems.

“Polycythemia vera – also called primary polycythemia – occurs most often in older adults. It’s rare in people younger than 20. Polycythemia vera usually develops very slowly. You may have it for years without noticing any signs or symptoms. Often, polycythemia vera is found during a blood test done for some other reason,” said the Mayo Clinic.

In the early stages, the disease has no symptoms. As it progresses, the patient may have headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing especially when lying down, chest pain, numbness and fatigue.

No one knows why people get polycythemia vera but it appears to be caused by a mutation in red blood cell production. The mutation is acquired but how this happens is a mystery. What we know if that the disease is common in older people, it affects more men than women and it appears to run in families.

“The problem with blood cell production associated with polycythemia vera is caused by a change, or mutation, to DNA in a single cell in your bone marrow. In polycythemia vera, researchers have found this mutation to be a change in a protein switch that tells the cells to grow. Specifically it’s a mutation in the protein JAK2 (the JAK2 V617F mutation),” explained the Mayo Clinic.

“More than 90 percent of patients with polycythemia vera, and about half of patients with other myeloproliferative disorders, have this mutation. Doctors and researchers don’t understand the full role of this mutation and its implications for treating the disease,” it added.

But don’t feel so bad if you have this condition since you can live with the disease in the absence of complications like a stroke, heart attack, an enlarged spleen and skin problems.

“Polycythemia vera causes your blood to be thicker than normal, which can slow the rate of blood flow through your veins and arteries. Increased blood thickness and decreased blood flow, as well as abnormalities in your platelets, increase your risk of blood clots. Blood clots can cause a stroke, a heart attack, or blockage of an artery in your lungs (pulmonary embolism) or in a vein deep within a muscle (deep vein thrombosis),” warned the Mayo Clinic.

Treatment is aimed at keeping the red blood cell level within a tolerable range. This can be done with the use of drugs, phlebotomy (removing blood) or low-dose aspirin to decrease clotting and reduce the chance of a stroke or heart attack.

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Anemia and Kidney Dialysis Patients

Comments: 0September 8th, 2011 by admin



A large percentage of chronic kidney failure patients suffer from anemia, but what makes them so susceptible to this problem?

Most people think their kidneys do only one thing – purify the blood. But among other things, the kidneys secrete the important hormone erythropoietin (also known as EPO), which controls red blood cell production (the amount of iron in your diet is also important). The EPO tells your bone marrow to make more red blood cells. As kidney failure progresses (indeed even before you know you are suffering from kidney failure), your kidneys ability to produce erythropoietin is reduced, so your bone marrow receives less signals to spring into action and so less red blood cells are produced. This is anemia.

As the concentration of red blood cells reduces, your blood carries less and less oxygen, and symptoms of anemia start to be obvious when your kidneys have dropped to around 45% of their usual ability. As kidney failure increases, you become more anemic. Telltale signs of anemia are fatigue, shortness of breath, feeling cold all the time, looking pale, problems concentrating, headaches, and sometimes chest pains. Women also have changes in their period, while men may have trouble with erections.

Your heart now has to work harder than normal, because with less red blood cells and thus less oxygen being carried by your blood, you need more blood pumping around to give you a chance of extracting enough oxygen as you go about your daily life. This in turn can lead to heart problems (and a surprisingly large percentage of chronic kidney failure patients have heart problems). One of the four heart chambers enlarges and chronic kidney failure patients suffer often suffer from left ventricular hypertrophy, also known as LVH.

So if you have several of the symptoms of anemia listed above, it is important to see your doctor and have anemia blood tests carried out. Your doctor will probably also recommend that you have some tests for kidney failure carried out as well, just to be on the safe side.

Fortunately anemia can be treated. This usually involves for kidney failure patients injections of EPO and iron supplements. (Iron supplements, because if the iron content of your body is too low, EPO can’t do its job properly – red blood cells have iron as an important constituent, present in haemoglobin as the part of the molecule that carries the oxygen around.)

As your diet can affect the amount of iron in your body, and hence your ability to produce red blood cells, you may also wish to consult your renal dietary consultant – it isn’t simply a case of eating any food that contains iron. Some foods increase your ability to excrete iron, and some combinations of foods are not suitable for kidney dialysis patients.

As kidney failure patients have a hard enough time as it is, reducing problems due to anemia makes life a little bit more bearable for them. One last word – if you see a charity or hospital asking for help to buy dialysis machines – give generously.

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The Basics of Chemotherapy

Comments: 0February 25th, 2011 by admin



Before we go through the basics of Chemotherapy, let’s first give a quick explanation of what cancer is. Cancer is caused by an uncontrolled growth of cells that may spread from its original location. When a cancer spreads or invades adjacent tissues, the cancer is considered malignant. Benign tumors are those that do not grow uncontrollably and do not invade and spread to other tissues. It should be noted that benign tumors may still become malignant.

How does chemo work?

Let’s keep in mind that Chemotherapy is an area of treatment that is always changing and evolving. Chemo interrupts the way cancer cells multiply themselves. The drugs travel the blood stream, which allows them to reach the cancer cells. At the same time, this process also produces side effects. If the therapy is successful, the cancer cells should completely disappear permanently and any damage done to healthy cells should become a thing of the past.

What Side effects are there?

The side effects can be different depending on the individual and on the exact therapy given. Some of the most common side effects include: Hair loss, Tiredness, skin sensitivity, sore mouth and mouth ulcers. There could also be some effects on your blood, bone marrow, kidneys and liver. The good news is that the side effects are not long term and should completely disappear when the chemo therapy ends.

How is chemo administered?

Depending on the type of therapy given, chemo can be administered orally, intravenously (through the veins) or some times through the spine. When administer orally, it could be given via a pill or in liquid form. When given intravenously, it could be injected with a needle or syringe through the skin and into the veins. When administered through the spine, a needle carrying the chemo drugs is inserted into a space in the spinal cord.

Does chemo hurt?

Besides the sensation of needles going through the skin or the spine, chemotherapy in itself should not hurt. When people refer to how bad chemo feels, they mostly refer to the side effects of the procedure and not the actual moment when the drugs are administered.

What is the success rate?

The chances of survival cannot be given with an accurate number. Some studies point to a success rate of as low as 1% to as high as 50%. The reason for this is because there are many variables to take into consideration. Some of the variables include the type of cancer, how far is the cancer, a person’s age and a person’s current health. It’s best to speak to your doctor about your particular case.

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Risks Linked to Leukemia

Comments: 0October 30th, 2010 by admin



While all the causes of leukemia are still not known, there are risks that have been linked to the development of various types of leukemia. There have been both environmental as well as genetic factors that have shown up as links to leukemia.

The type of leukemia a person has usually depends on the type of abnormal white blood cells that are being produced in the body. Leukemia produces abnormal or immature white blood cells in the bone marrow. At an early development of white blood cells, a blast is the immature form of white blood cells. This is the stage between the stem cell in the bone marrow and the mature blood. Blasts (immature blood cells) are found in limited numbers in the bone marrow of healthy people and not at all in the blood stream. People with leukemia may have high numbers of blasts in the bone marrow and even circulating throughout the circulatory system.

The different types of leukemia are grouped as acute or chronic. An acute leukemia usually produces immature white blood cells that are non-functioning. These cells rapidly reproduce and crowd out the healthy cells. A chronic leukemia produces abnormal blood cells that don’t function as well as normal blood cells. These forms of leukemia are slower acting on the body than the acute forms of leukemia.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is most common in adults and causes the rapid development of immature white blood cells in the bone marrow crowding out normal cells and spreading these no-functioning cells throughout the body. This interferes in usual work of the normal blood cells. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) causes an increased unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and an elevated amount of white blood cells in the blood. Severe anemia is a result of this overabundance of white cells.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is most common among children under the age of fifteen. In this leukemia the rapid multiplying of malignant immature white blood cells crowds out normal white cells. This type of leukemia responds well to treatment if it is diagnosed in time. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) a defective white blood cell is produced in overabundance. This cell does not fight infection and crowds out the healthy cells. Often the chronic lymphocytic leukemia is only discovered after a blood test when the elevated white blood cell count is found.

Some of the risk factors that researchers have identified include high doses of radiation, long-term chemical exposure in the work place, cigarette smoking, and agricultural chemicals. High doses of radiation such as around the failed nuclear reactor at Chernobyl or military exposure during the nuclear detonations in the 1950′s show a strong link to leukemia. Exposure to benzene, herbicides and pesticides have been linked to acute leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia has been linked to exposure to agricultural chemicals as has exposure to Agent Orange. Cigarette smoking seems to have an important link to acute leukemia. This is probably due to the chemicals such as benzene, polonium-210 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Certain chemotherapy drugs especially alkylating agents combined with ionizing radiation may produce leukemia. Some diseases caused by abnormal chromosomes may increase the risk of leukemia. Philadelphia chromosome is a specific chromosomal abnormality in which parts of two chromosomes swap places. This can lead to acute myelogenous leukemia.

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Why Should You Monitor Your Blood Levels

Comments: 0June 3rd, 2010 by admin



You need to be vigilant about low as well as high white blood cell count. A low count may be brought on by treatments for cancer. If you have cancer, your oncologist and your hematologist will monitor your white cell counts very closely. Low white cell counts can bring along with them the risk of complications.

What is your physician looking for when he does blood work? When he checks your complete blood count, he is looking for:

Platelets – these help your blood to clot. A low count in platelets may mean your body’s blood won’t be able to clot itself.

Red Blood Cells – these carry oxygen through all the parts of your body. Their ability to do this depends on your body’s level of hemoglobin. If your hemoglobin count is low, it makes your system work harder to take oxygen to all the parts of your body, and results in anemia. You may feel short of breath and overly tired, if you are anemic.

White Blood Cells – these help your body to cast off infection and disease. A low white count means your body is more susceptible to disease. A high white blood cell count means that your body is probably already fighting an infection somewhere. Your doctor will determine where the infection is, so it can be treated.

At times, your physician may want to run what’s called a CBC on your blood. This is called a complete blood count, and is useful in telling your physician what is happening in your body.

In addition to a high white blood cell count, your health care provider will also check your blood for low white blood cell counts. Sometimes this is caused by some chemotherapy drugs, which can cause damage to your bone marrow. Bone marrow is responsible for making blood cells, and chemotherapy kills cells within your bone marrow. Your physician will be able to tell you if the treatment plan that he is putting you on could result in a low white blood count.

If your white count is high, that will tell your health care provider that your body is most likely fighting an infection somewhere, and he will then isolate it and treat it with medications, where possible, so that your body does not need to produce the excess of white blood cells.

If you have a low red count in addition to a high white count, you may be suffering from anemia. If you are often short of breath and fatigued, anemia may be the cause. Ask your physician to test for anemia if you are experiencing these symptoms. In some cases, your fatigue will be so severe that you may need to adjust treatments you receive for cancer or other diseases, in order to allow your body to produce more red cells. The white cell count may increase if infection is present.

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The Fastest Cancer Killer

Comments: 0May 19th, 2010 by admin



“Multiple Myeloma” is a Cancer in the bone marrow. It is part of a broad group of diseases called Hematological malignancies. It is a malignancy of the plasma cells. These are the cells that bring out antibodies for the immune system.

It’s called “Multiple Myeloma” because the cells gather in many places in the body and then it grows out of control. “MM” brings extreme pain in the bones and deterioration of the bones. It brings pain in the spine and ribs which usually gets worse with activity. Plus it can and it does cause kidney problems. Persistent localized pain may indicate a pathological bone fracture. It may also be spinal cord compression. The breakdown of bone also leads to release of calcium into the blood, leading to” Hypercalcemia”.

It increases infection, what is then followed by Death! 40,000 Americans suffer from this disease, with close to 14,000 new cases last year. It’s the fastest growing type of cancer, in the USA. It’s most common in the aged person, and gaining in the younger persons. There is NO cure, not yet. Though it is regarded as incurable, remissions can be induced with steroids. Chemo therapy, Stem Cell transplants, and Thalidomide.

“Multiple Myeloma” is not called a “Bone Cancer,” because it begins in the blood cells, and then goes on to effect the bones.

There is no exact known cause, but it does appear to have something to do with the overall environment. Studies are of course ongoing today with the this kind of Cancer. This is known as the Fastest Killer!

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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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Normocytic Anemia

Comments: 0February 6th, 2010 by admin



Anemia in its various forms is the most common blood condition in the United States, affecting anywhere between 2 and 10-percent of Americans. Anemia is considered a symptom of disease, rather than a disease in itself.

The body’s ability to sustain the correct number of red blood cells requires cooperation of the bone marrow, kidneys, and nutrients circulating within the blood. If one of these systems is not working properly, the body may develop a form of anemia.

Normocytic anemia is a condition in which the body does not maintain an adequate amount of healthy red blood cells. This reduces the blood’s ability to transfer a sufficient amount of oxygen to the tissues.

There are two forms of Normocytic Anemia. Congenital normocytic anemia, caused by the breaking up of red blood cells, is a condition a person is born with. Acquired normocytic anemia, the more common form, is most often the result of chronic illness or disease. Rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, kidney disease, and autoimmune diseases are some of the diseases that may lead to normocytic anemia.

Normally normocytic anemia will progress slowly. Initially the person may have no symptoms. Eventually the person may become pale, overly tired. As the condition progresses, the person may experience any array of symptoms, including shortness of breath, low blood pressure, a fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, and/or general weakness.

Normocyctic anemia is diagnosed through a complete medical history, a physical exam, and a routine blood test called a CBC (Complete Blood Count). Among other things, this blood test measures the levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood. A portion of the blood will likely be examined under a microscope. This will reveal the number of blood cells, as well as the size, shape, and color. Normocytic anemia is the diagnosis given when the patient is found to have a low number of normal-sized red blood cells.

Once diagnosed, the doctor may wish to order further testing to determine the cause of the anemia. Treatment of normocytic anemia preferably targets the root cause. Occasionally, in severe cases, the doctor may recommend a transfusion of red blood cells or shots of erythropoietin. Erythropoietin is a hormone normally produced by the kidneys. Manufactured under various brand names, this medication induces the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.

A person diagnosed with anemia will need to have follow-up visits with his or her doctor in order to determine the response to treatment. Repeat blood tests will be ordered to monitor the number of red blood cells.

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