Leukaemias and Lymphomas:

Question 1

What is Leukemia?

Answer 1

• Cancer (neoplasms) of the white blood cells and their precursors
• Acute or Chronic
• Affects ability to produce normal blood cells
• Bone marrow makes abnormally large number of immature white blood cells called blasts
• Clonal prolif. & accumulation of these blasts in bone marrow
  —- Results in;
  1. neoplastic cells in peripheral blood
  2. suppression of other marrow elements leading to symptoms of lack of
  RBC,WBC & platelets

Question 2

Leukemia causes:

Answer 2

• High level radiation/toxin exposure
• Viruses
• Genes
• Chemicals
• Mostly unknown
• Can’t be caught

Question 3

Acute Leukemias:

Answer 3

• Characterized by a rapid increase in the numbers of immature blood cells
• ALL is characterised by an overproduction of immature white blood cells, called lymphoblasts
• crowding makes the BM unable to produce healthy blood cells
• immediate treatment is required due to rapid progression and accumulation
  of malignant cells
  — spill over into bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body
• Most common form of leukemia in children
• Categorised by symptoms:
  anaemia, infection (increased temp), bleeding
  —–>pancytopenia
• Vitamin B12 and folate can also cause pancytopenia
• Elevated WBC does not mean Acute leukaemia
  WBC count can be high in 1/3 med in 1/3 and low in 1/3

Question 4

Chronic Leukemias:

Answer 4

• characterized by excessive build up of relatively mature, but still abnormal, white blood cells
• takes months or years to progress
• the cells are produced at a much higher rate
  than normal cells, resulting in many abnormal
  WBCs in the blood
• Whilst acute leukemia are treated immediately, chronic forms are sometimes monitored for some time before treatment to
  ensure maximum effectiveness of therapy
• Chronic leukemia mostly occurs in older people, but can theoretically occur in any age group
  Always have high white count

Question 5

Leukaemia - Sign and symptoms:

Answer 5

• Patients develop fever, malaise, anaemia, easy bruising & bleeding, mouth ulcers & infections
• Thrombocytopenia: when there are few red blood cells:
• Paleness –> Anemia
• When there are few platelets –> Excessive bleeding
• May present with bone pain hepatomegaly & splenomegaly
  enlarged lymph nodes
• Frequently infiltrates other organs (brain)

Question 6

Effects On the Body:

Answer 6

• Attacks the immune system
• Infections
• Anemia
• Weakness
• No more regular white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets
• Blasts clog blood stream and bone marrow

Treatment: 
Chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
Radiation
Bone marrow transplant