Leukaemia

Question 1

What is leukaemia?

Answer 1

Any of a group of malignant diseases in which the bone marrow and other blood forming organs produce increased numbers of leucocytes.

Question 2

What is the consequence of over production of leucocytes?

Answer 2

This suppresses the production of RBC, normal white cells and platelets.
This leads to increase susceptibility to infection, bleeding and anaemia.

Question 3

What are the four different types of leukaemia?

Answer 3

Acute Lymphoblastic (ALL)
Chronic Lymphocytic (CLL)
Acute Myeloid (AML)
Chronic Myeloid (CML)

Question 4

What is the difference between lymphoid and myeloid?

Answer 4

Lymphoid is the line of cells that result in T cells, B cells and NK cells.

Myeloid is the line of cells tat results in neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes/macrophages and thrombocytes.

Question 5

What is ALL?

Answer 5

Malignancy of B/T lymphocyte lineages which results in immature blast cell proliferation with marrow failure and tissue infiltration

Question 6

How is ALL classified?

Answer 6

Morphologically: L1, L2, L3
Immunologically: precursor B-cell, T-cell, B-cell
Cytogenetically: chromosomal analysis e.g. Philadelphia chromosome