Skeletal diseases aren’t really a common topic of chatter. Many people are not well educated on the subject, including myself. I have heard of a couple of diseases like osteoporosis, bone cancer, and arthritis. I don’t have much depth into these disorders or the others. I would like to know what exactly they do in the body, what parts of the body they target, and how they are caused. I would also like to know the known variety of treatments for each disease.
The disease that I am going to dive into is Leukemia because I knew it had to do with blood, but I had absolutely no idea that it was inside the bone as well. Leukemia is a tragic form of cancer that is very common in younger people. I chose leukemia because I have had three very close family members lose their lives because of this disease. Two were my little cousins, one was nine and the other four. My cousins were some of my best friends and they were so much fun to be around. I’m not sure if leukemia is somewhat genetic, but they were brother and sister.
I know that our great grandmother died because of leukemia as well. My family seems to have leukemia running through the ranches of our tree. I know a little bit about leukemia due to these circumstances, but what I do know doesn’t even scratch the surface. To start my search, I Googled leukemia. I knew I was a broad term to search, but I just needed general information for me to grasp the basics. After I learn this basic information, I then search the more specific types of the cancer, finding more and more results.
I tried to find credible sources like college research sites, or encyclopedia sites. The internet is a vast sea of opinions, facts, and false information, so I tried to pick my sites very carefully. If I found good information, I went to other websites to check to see if it was true or false. Leukemia being a very popular research subject among many people, including doctors, there were many sites to sift through and I managed to get some very useful information. Leukemia is, of course, a type of cancer.
It originates in the bone marrow, targeting the lymphatic system, resulting in abnormal white blood cells. White blood cells enable our bodies to fight off infection, and if they are malfunctioning, our bodies can’t fight off the foreign elements. There are actually four types of leukemia: acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia. These types are based on how quickly the disease develops and the type of white blood cell that is affected.
In the acute forms of leukemia, blood cells are very abnormal, increase rapidly and worsen quickly. In the chronic forms of leukemia the abnormal blood cells can still do their work early in the disease but slowly get worse. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) most often occurs in those older than 55 and almost never in children. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) affects mainly adults. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of leukemia in young children but also may affect adults. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) occurs in both adults and children.
The exact cause of leukemia has not been pinpointed yet, but researchers have found a couple of risk factors that increase your chances of contracting the disease. Studies have shown that people that are exposed to very high levels of radiation are more likely to develop leukemia. These high levels of radiation can be from atomic bomb explosions, nuclear power plant accidents, or medical treatments using radiation. More risk factors include: exposure to chemicals, smoking, drugs, and genetic disorders. Treatment for leukemia is very difficult because leukemia cells are found throughout the body.
Surgery alone can’t be used to remove this cancer because it targets white blood cells. The most effective method of treatment is chemotherapy. A number of anticancer drugs are used, usually in combination, to fight the disease. Treatment for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia uses higher doses of chemotherapy over a shorter period of time. Treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia involves lower doses of chemotherapy over a longer period of time. Researchers have found the exact genetic change for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia.
Knowing this, they have produced a “leukemia pill” that has revolutionized CML treatment. Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia has seen advances. Many patients with CLL may not have to have surgery, while others may have to have mild treatment.
Unfortunately, a few still have more aggressive disease and need more therapy. http://www. livestrong. com/article/65887-list-skeletal-system-diseases/ http://www. idph. state. il. us/cancer/factsheets/leukemia. htm http://www. fccc. edu/cancer/types/hematologic/leukemia. html#sthash. tX5sLmnj. dpuf.