Statistic Information on Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancerous disease caused by abnormal activity of stem cells (immature cells that originate in the bone marrow). There are two main types of leukemia - myelogenous and lymphocytic (according to the type of cells involved), which can be further classified in two categories – acute and chronic.
Acute leukemia is characterized by the rapid multiplication of partially developed, functionless cells. These abnormal cells accumulate inside the bone marrow or in the blood stream, interfering with the activity of normal, healthy cells. People with acute leukemia also suffer from anemia, which is caused by a pronounced decrease in the number of red blood cells. Leukemia sufferers also have a deficit of healthy white cells, which have a vital role in fighting against infections. In addition, acute leukemia affects the body’s production of platelets, which have an important role in blood coagulation (they speed up the healing of open wounds).
Chronic leukemia also causes serious impairments at cellular level, triggering an overproduction of abnormal cells. However, unlike acute leukemia, chronic forms of the disease allow the affected cells to reach more advanced stages of development. Thus, chronic leukemia has a slower rate of progression.
The annual prevalence of leukemia among the population of the United States is around 31.000 new cases. Leukemia has the highest incidence in older adults, commonly affecting people with ages over 60. However, there are certain types of leukemia that predominantly affect children. For instance, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is responsible for causing more than 80 percent of overall childhood leukemia cases.
In adults, the most common types of leukemia are acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Acute myelogenous leukemia accounts for more than 10.000 new cases each year, while chronic lymphocytic leukemia is responsible for causing around 8.000 new annual cases.
Leukemia has the highest incidence in the male gender. Statistics indicate that more than 56 percent of annual leukemia cases are diagnosed in men. Although it can be seen in all ethnical groups, leukemia predominantly affects Caucasian white people. The annual incidence of leukemia is lower in African Americans, while American Indians and Hispanics rarely develop the disease. Similarly, leukemia is rarely seen in Asian people.
The most common type of leukemia among children aged 3-15 is acute lymphocytic leukemia. Due to the fact that acute lymphocytic leukemia predominantly affects children, it is referred to as childhood leukemia. Childhood leukemia rarely affects children younger than 3 or with ages over 15. Despite the fact that modern medicine doesn’t hold the cure for childhood leukemia, the medical treatments and therapies available nowadays can slow down the progression of the disease and in some cases, they can even overcome leukemia completely. The annual morbidity rate of leukemia among young patients has known a considerable decrease in the last two decades. Thanks to modern medical equipment, leukemia can be timely diagnosed, allowing prompt medical intervention. Nowadays, early diagnosis and new approaches in medical treatment can considerably extend patients’ life-expectancy, thus increasing the chances of complete recovery.
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Preventing Leukemia

Leukemia is a malignant cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects thousands of children and adults in the United States. Acute leukemia progresses quickly while chronic leukemia develops more slowly. Studies indicate that leukemia is not inherited nor is it contagious. Several factors are suspected, although scientists have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause. No specific sets of preventions are available for leukemia. However, on analyzing the factors that generally cause leukemia a rough and general idea on the prevention of the disease can be made.

Amongst newborn babies breast milk has shown properties that help in preventing occurrences of leukemia. Statistics have shown that mothers who breast-feed their babies for even one month lower their risk of leukemia by 20%. The factors that cause leukemia are numerous. Continuous exposure to high-level x-ray radiation increases susceptibility for leukemia development. As a result such exposure should be minimized. Similarly chemical irritants like the inhalation of toxic vapor such as benzol vapors cause a variety of blood disorders, including leukemia. Appropriate care should also be taken to avoid such chemicals inhalations. There may also be a genetic predisposition to leukemia. In rare cases it is observed that there are instances where people are born with chromosome damage. These people have genes that add to their chances of developing leukemia. In order to avoid such incidences, couples suffering from leukemia are advised to refrain from having children. Environmental factors such as high-dose radiation or exposure to certain toxic chemicals (atomic bombs) may also trigger the development of leukemic cells. In order to prevent this the government too ought to pass adequate laws and measures.

Sweating is a powerful way to cleanse the body from accumulated toxins that usually cause leukemia. In addition to this bowel cleansing, dental cleanup, kidney cleansing and liver cleansing also contribute to preventing leukemia. Other ways of reducing the risk are prevention of maternal smoking, paternal heavy drinking, use of anti nausea drugs during pregnancy, and exposure to solvents or absorption of contaminated water. However, it should be noted that the above-mentioned preventions are mere suggestions. Since the accurate factors that cause leukemia are unknown, prevention for the same remains a general hypothesis.

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Particularities of Different Types of Leukemia

Leukemia is a form of cancer that occurs at the level of the spinal marrow. Inside the spinal marrow there is a type of immature blood cells that are called stem cells. These cells have a neutral initial state and later develop into different types of blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets). Leukemia interferes in the normal process of cell maturation, leading to an accumulation of partially developed blood cells in the marrow, blood and later in body organs. Most of these resulted cells are inefficient inside the organism, as they can’t carry out the activity of normal blood cells.

Depending on to the rate of development, the disease can either be acute leukemia (developing very rapidly), or chronic leukemia (slow developing).

Particular to acute leukemia is the inability of stem cells (immature cells that can be found within the bone marrow) to reach the state of maturity. These immature blood cells tend to continuously divide and they accumulate in the bloodstream. Acute leukemia develops very rapidly and people who suffer from it need immediate treatment and specific therapy. If mistreated or ignored, acute leukemia causes the death of affected patients within a few months. While certain forms of acute leukemia are usually successfully treated, other forms don’t respond well to the specific treatment.

A characteristic of the chronic type of leukemia is that the diseased cells usually come from more mature cells, but in most cases they aren’t developed normally. The leukemia cells have long periods of life and they tend to accumulate within the bloodstream. Although normal people have between 5000 and 10000 white blood cells in their body, people who suffer from chronic leukemia may have more than 100000.

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. Judging by the types of cells involved in the development of leukemia and by the rate of cellular division specific to each form of the disease, the main types of leukemia are: acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

In addition to the common forms of chronic leukemia, there are also some rare types. Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), just like chronic lymphocytic leukemia, has a slow progression. The cells of hairy cell leukemia are different from other diseased cells mainly through their aspect. Hairy cell leukemia doesn’t usually respond well to treatment. Prolymphocytic leukemia is a very rare and unusual form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Some cancers, called lymphomas, are caused by abnormal blood cells that are present in the lymph nodes, liver, spleen or other organs. These particular types of cancer don’t occur at the levels of the bone marrow and have a development that is not characteristic to most forms of lymphocytic leukemia.

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Survival Rates of Patients with Leukemia

Although medical science has evolved significantly in the last decades, the treatment of leukemia is still a major issue in present. Modern medicine doesn’t hold the cure for leukemia and medical treatments available these days provide differentiated results. Survival rates depend on the promptitude of diagnosis, the type of treatment and the patients’ responsiveness to specific cancer therapies and treatments. Although leukemia can’t always be completely overcome, the progression of the disease can be slowed down and its malignant effects can be contained with the help of existent cancer treatments. Thus, the life expectancy of patients with leukemia has risen considerably in the last three decades. By contrast, the mortality rate registered among patients with leukemia has known a pronounced decrease in the last decade.

The treatment of leukemia is focused towards achieving a complete remission with minimal side-effects. Complete remission refers to absence of leukemia traces at cellular level. Patients who present no evidence of malignant cellular activity after completing the treatment of leukemia are considered to be completely cured. By contrast, relapse indicates a recurrence of leukemia specific symptoms and physiological signs.

In the case of patients with acute leukemia, a remission that lasts for more than five years after the treatment suggests a complete recovery. This five-year period is considered to be critical for leukemia sufferers, as it can make the difference between relapse and complete recovery.

In the last few decades, the five-year survival period of patients with leukemia has tripled. While in the 60’s the five-year survival rate was around 15 percent, nowadays it revolves around 50 percent. This five-year survival period is strongly influenced by patients’ age and the type of leukemia. Statistics indicate that the five-year survival rate for patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is around 60 percent, while the five-year survival rate for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is higher, reaching the value of 70 percent. By contrast, the prognosis of patients with myelogenous leukemia is less favorable. The same five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is around 14 percent, while an estimated 32 percent of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) exceed this five-year survival period.

The five-year survival rate for children diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia revolves around the value of 80 percent, while the overall survival rate of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia is less than 45 percent. This type of leukemia is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in children. Due to the fact that it predominantly affects young patients with ages between 3 and 15, the disease is referred to as childhood leukemia.

In the United States, the mortality rate for children with leukemia has decreased with 60 percent in the last three decades. In spite of this fact, leukemia is still the leading cause of death among young patients with ages under 15.

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Promyelocytic Leukemia

Promyelocytic Leukemia a growth of the bone marrow in which there is a deficit of mature blood cells in the myeloid line of cells and a surplus of immature cells called promyelocytes. Promyelocytic leukemia is due to a translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17 which is symbolized t(15;17). This translocation is not a mere indicator of promyelocytic leukemia but the main cause. Promyelocytic leukemia generally comes under the acute form leukemia. It is also termed as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).
In 1957, promyelocytic leukemia was first accepted as an individual disease entity. It accounts for 5-10% of cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The peak incidence of promyelocytic leukemia is amongst young adults. Promyelocytic leukemia is thought of as a type of AML and is classified as the M3 variant of AML.
Symptoms of promyelocytic leukemia are generally nonspecific and comprise of fatigue, minor infections, or hemorrhagic diathesis. There is usually pancytopenia with anemia, low levels of the granulocytes and monocytes, and low levels of platelets. Transfusion is thus an alternative that can be availed of.
Treatment of promyelocytic leukemia is different from that for all other forms of AML. Majority patients are now treated with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). ATRA is a form of "differentiation therapy." It activates the retinoid receptor RAR and causes the promyeloctes to mature and this deters them from proliferating.
Even though ATRA cannot eliminate the leukemic clone it can stimulate a complete diminution in most patients suffering from promyelocytic leukemia by causing the promyelocytic leukemia -blasts to mature. ATRA is therefore used in combination with chemotherapy including an anthracycline drug.
Chances of survival are better with the combination of ATRA and chemotherapy than chemotherapy alone. This is because ATRA combined with chemotherapy accounts for a slightly higher rate of complete remissions while allowing significantly fewer relapses. Maintenance cure with ATRA, and possibly with low-dose chemotherapy, further reduces the occurrence of relapse. The advent of ATRA therapy has revolutionized the treatment of promyelocytic leukemia and clearly enhanced the prognosis.
Promyelocytic leukemia is connected with a characteristic cellular picture classified as M3 in the French-American-British Classification and responds positively to treatments including retinoids, chemotherapy and, most recently, arsenicals.

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