Introduction To Leukaemia Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What is leukaemia?

A

Malignant disorders of haematopoetic stem cells characteristically associated with an increase number of white cells in bone marrow or land peripheral blood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are haematopoeitic stem cells?

A

Multipotent and self-maintaining

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What can progenitor cells divide to produce?

A

Many mature cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are examples of progenitor cells?

A

Lymphoid/myeloid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the two types of progenitor cells?

A

Undifferentiated and committed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is a clonal disease?

A

When all malignant cells derive from a single mutant cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What can you use to diagnose leukaemia?

A

Peripheral blood blast test
Bone marrow biopsy
Lumbar puncture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What does a peripheral blood blast test in the diagnosis of leukaemia?

A

To check the presence of blasts and cytopenia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Where is the bone marrow biopsy taken from?

A

Pelvic bone and results compared with peripheral blood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Why is a lumbar puncture done?

A

To determine if leukaemia has spread to the CSF

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the possible predisposing factors for leukaemia?

A

Genetic risk factors
Environmental risk factors
Lifestyle-related risk factors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What syndromes increase the likelihood of leukaemia?

A

Downs and fanconi’s anaemia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the genetic risk factors for leukaemia?

A

Gene mutations involving oncogenes and/or tumour suppressors
Chromosome aberrations
Inherited immune system problems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What types of chromosomal abberations increase the risk for leukaemia?

A

Translocations

Numerical disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the environmental risk factors for leukaemia?

A

Radiation exposure
Exposure to chemicals and chemo
Immune system suppression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What type of radiation exposure is a risk factor for leukaemia?

A

Acute radiation accidents

Atomic bomb survivors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What type of exposure to chemicals and chemo is a risk factor for leukaemia?

A

Cancer chemo with alkylating agents

Industrial exposure to benzene

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What lifestyle risk factors are there for leukaemia?

A

Smoking
Drinking
Excessive sun exposure
Overweight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are the risk factors for childhood leukaemia?

A
Exposure to EM fields
Infections early in life
Mothers age when the child is born
Nuclear power stations
Parents smoking history
Foetal exposure to hormone
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the four main types of leukaemia?

A

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
Acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML)
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
Chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CML)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are the features of acute disease (in general)?

A

Rapid onset and short but severe course

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the features of chronic disease (in general)?

A

Persisting over a long time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the features of acute leukaemia?

A

Undifferentiated cells decharacterised by uncontrolled cloning and accumulation of blast cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the characteristics of chronic leukaemia?

A

Differentiated leukaemia

Uncontrolled cloning and accumulation of mature white blood cells (-cyte cells)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is the normal age of onset of acute leukaemia?

A

Childhood

26
Q

What is the normal style of onset of acute leukaemia?

A

Sudden

27
Q

What is the normal duration of acute leukaemia?

A

Weeks to months

28
Q

What is the normal white blood cell count in acute leukaemia?

A

Variable

29
Q

What is the normal age of onset of chronic leukaemia?

A

Middle age and elderly

30
Q

What is the normal style of onset of chronic leukaemia?

A

Insidious

31
Q

What is the normal duration of chronic leukaemia?

A

Years

32
Q

What is the normal white blood cell count in chronic leukaemia?

A

High

33
Q

What is ALL characterised by?

A

Large number of lymphoblasts

34
Q

What is AML characterised by?

A

Large number of myeloblasts

35
Q

What is the overarching issue in acute leukaemia?

A

Arrest of maturation that breaks the balance of proliferation and death

36
Q

What are the typical lab symptoms of ALL/AML?

A

Thrombocytopenia
Neutropenia
Anaemia

37
Q

What are the clinical symptoms of thrombocytopenia?

A

Purpura (bruising)
Epistaxis (nosebleed)
Bleeding from gums

38
Q

What are the clinical features of neutropenia?

A

Recurrent infections and fever

39
Q

What are the clinical symptoms of anaemia?

A

Weakness
Tiredness
Shortness of breath

40
Q

What are the skin symptoms of leukaemia?

A

Night sweats
Easy bleeding and bruising
Purplish patches or spots

41
Q

What are the bone symptoms of leukaemia?

A

Pain or tenderness

42
Q

What are the resp symptoms of leukaemia?

A

Easy shortness of breath

43
Q

What are the systemic symptoms of leukaemia?

A

Weight loss
Fever
Frequent infections

44
Q

What is the most common childhood cancer?

A

ALL

45
Q

How do you treat ALL?

A

Chemo

46
Q

How is AML classified?

A

M0-M7

47
Q

How do you treat AML?

A

Chemo, immunotherapy

With/without allogenic bone marrow transplant

48
Q

What is chronic leukaemia characterised by?

A

Increased number of differentiated cells

49
Q

What is the average age of CLL onset?

A

70

50
Q

What is CLL characterised by?

A

Large number of mature lymphocytes in bone marrow and peripheral blood

51
Q

What are the symptoms of CLL?

A
Recurrent infections
Anaemia
Thrombocytopenia
Lymph node enlargement
Hepatosplenomegaly
52
Q

What is the treatment of CLL?

A

Regular chemo to reduce cell numbers

53
Q

What is the average age of CML onset?

A

85-89

54
Q

How is CML usually discovered?

A

Routine blood tests

55
Q

What are the hallmarks of CML in the blood?

A

Neutrophilia in blood and bone marrow and the presence of the philadelphia chromosome

56
Q

What is CML treated by?

A

Imatinib

57
Q

What does the BCR gene encode?

A

A protein that needs to be continually active

58
Q

What does the ABL gene encode?

A

tyrosine kinase

59
Q

What does unregulated BCR-ABL cause?

A

Proliferation of progenitor cells in the absence of growth factors
Decreased apoptosis
Decreased adhesion to bone marrow

60
Q

What is imatinib?

A

A small molecular inhibitor that targets specifically ABL-CML treatment