The deadly and rare Leukemia

In the United States, around 27,000 adults and 2000 children each year, the diagnosis of leukemia, a cancer of white blood cells (WBCs). During the exposure to radiation, benzene, and some anticancer drugs have shown that the risk of developing leukemia, and a few cases are associated with rare genetic diseases or viral infections, the cause of most leukemias is not known.

What is it?
Leukemia is a disease of the bone marrow, which occurs when an abnormal number of white blood cells begin to continually repeat. These cells do not function normally, they do not fight infection as they should, and they do not die at the same pace as other WBCs. Because they are, they inhibit the production of other normal blood cells in the bone marrow, causing anemia, bleeding and recurrent infections. Over time, the leukemic cells, through the bloodstream, where they continue to divide, forming tumors and sometimes damaging organs such as kidneys and liver. Since the spleen is responsible for filtering blood and destroying old cells, it can be enlarged and swollen with the abnormal cells, such as the liver and lymph nodes. When the cells reach the central nervous system and build in the cerebrospinal fluid, brain and spine, it can cause headaches and seizures.

The bone marrow is located in the middle of the soft body larger bones, produces raw (unripe versions) of red blood cells, platelets, and five different types of white blood cells. Most of these immature is an explosion. Most of these mature blood cells in bone marrow before they enter the bloodstream. The WBCs are created in two main categories: lymphocytes and myelocytes (including granulocytes for the granules inside the cell). Myelocytes (the neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils and monocytes) circulate in the blood, killing and digesting bacteria. Lymphocytes in the bloodstream and the lymphatic system, coordinate the immune response and produce antibodies. Leukemia arises from one of these white blood cells. It is categorized by the type of WBC, and how quickly it progresses. Although extended classification of diseases are the main types of leukemia, can be grouped as:

* Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). This is a rapidly evolving disease that is characterized by a large number of immature lymphocytes. It is the most common form of leukemia in children, although they focus on children and adults (in general, adults 65 years and older).

* Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The disease progresses slowly and is characterized by a mixture of mature and immature lymphocytes. There is a tendency in the age of 55 or 60th

* Acute myeloid (myelocytic) leukemia (AML). People of all ages, this disease is characterized by the production of large numbers of immature granulocyte-myeloid cells (immature neutrophils - the most common, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, platelets or red blood cells), the other to replace normal cells in the bone marrow.

* Chronic myeloid (myelocytic or myeloid) leukemia (CML). Chronic myeloid leukemia is rare in children. It is a condition that the acquired begins in an immature stem cells in bone marrow, when parts of two chromosomes (9 and 22) cancel and switch places (translocation). This leads to an altered, fused gene (BCR / ABL) on chromosome 22, a protein called tyrosine kinase, cell growth regulation. This leads to an overproduction of granulocytic white blood cells, which many of the BCR / OJ translocation, and the presence of mature and immature cells in the bloodstream.

(Bukisa ID #41027)

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