The Dreaded Disease Called Leukemia

Cancer regardless of the type is a terrible disease feared and dreaded by the human race, more so because there is still no cure for it. And leukemia is the type of cancer that affects the blood cells, it is basically cancer of the blood or the bone marrow. It is generally typified by the unusual increase in the number of white blood cells. There are different types of leukemia and they are categorized according to how soon the disease progresses and become worse. There are two main forms of the disease, acute and chronic leukemia.

Acute leukemia is typified by the speedy increase of white cells that prevents the bone marrow from generating healthy blood cells. In the case of this form of the disease the patient needs immediate treatment due to the collection and increase of malignant cells. These sick cells flow over into the blood stream and extend to the different organs inside the body. This is more commonly found in children.

The chronic form of the disease is the accumulation of considerably mature, but all the same abnormal white cells that take months or even years to develop. However these white cells are generated faster than the normal cells, so eventually there is an excess of them in the blood. While acute form of the illness requires immediate treatment, the chronic cases are often monitored for a while before administering treatment to make certain that the treatment gives the best results.

Leukemia patients are generally treated only in medical centers that have the requisite equipment to treat cancer patients. Their treatment will depend largely on the type of the disease, age, overall health conditions etc. By and large treatments are divided into two, the treatment to battle the disease and the treatment to give the patient relief from the symptoms and relief from the side effects thereof. The most commonly and widely accepted treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy which is the utilization of extremely strong drugs that will kill the malignant cells.

The exact causes of the disease is not known, but it is believed that smoking can contribute as a factor and long term exposure to chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde and extended exposure to radiation can also be considered causes.

The author is a blogger and she write regularly on health related topics.

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Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia - A Very Scarce Disease

Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia is a cancer that is named for Jan Waldenstrom, the Scandinavian Doctor who first discovered and learnt about the disease in the early 1940's. The type of cancer is non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and it is a very rare disease with some papers stating numbers of between 1000 & 1600 diagnosed cases of Waldenstrom's occurring in America every year.

what causes Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia like many other cancers is unknown although it is believed that a change in DNA could be a cause. In spite of this lack of certainty on the causes of Waldenstrom's there are thought to be factors which increase the likelihood of developing the disease. the majority of cases of waldenstroms macroglobulinemia occur in those over the age of 50 and the average age of occurence is 61. Incidence of the disease is almost twice as much in men than women. The condition is also inherited which means that those with family who have Waldenstrom's or a type of lymphatic cancer are more likely to contract the condition.

An first diagnosis of Waldenstrom's is complex because there is usually an absence of symptoms early on. Usually the first indication of Waldenstrom's comes from routine examinations showing atypical results. These irregular results could be a high level of Igm within the blood stream or hyper viscosity which is another indication of the illness. Diagnosis could also be made if swollen lymph nodes are found. This is the same as if a Bigger than usual Spleen or liver is discovered. A bone marrow biopsy can also be used to diagnose Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom's forecast is very diverse between victims. Because the disease is very unfrequent there has not been a huge amount of research to estimate the correct survival rates of victims with the ailment. The International Prognostic Scoring System for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia aims to assess the long term impact of Waldenstrom's. Five to nine years is the generally accepted survival period of those that have been diagnosed with Waldenstrom's although owing to that there are very few initial symptoms, some sufferers can live with the disease for a number of years before getting diagnosed.

The sign of illness or problem of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia start in the white blood cells. They cause these blood cells to become abnormal and they enlarge within the organs or bone marrow like the spleen/liver. These abnormal white blood cells compound and therefore reduce the amount of other blood cells such as the red blood cells. When people have a low level of red blood cells they suffer from anaemia which causes them to feel drained and weak. Waldenstrom's also reduces the amount of healthy white blood cells which reduces the bodies ability to fight off flu, germs and other infection. These symptoms are often not seen in the early stages of Waldenstrom's with most symptoms not becoming apparent until the illness is reasonably advanced.

In the advanced stages of the illness, symptoms are varied between sufferers. Alot of the symptoms are the same as those of other non-Hodgkin lymphomas which include, swollen lymph nodes, fever, tiredness and weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, fevers, fatigue and weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, fevers, tiredness and loss of weight and swollen lymph nodes, fevers, fatigue and weight loss, tiredness, weight loss and enlarged lymph nodes, fevers, tiredness and weight loss lymph nodes lymph nodes.

Another symptom is hyper-viscosity or clotting of the blood which occurs because Waldenstrom's causes an overproduction of Igm. This thickening of the blood causes issues with both circulation and the nervous system. If circulation to the brain is affected which may cause symptoms similar to a stroke. Circulation problems can also lead to Raynaud's phenomenon which causes a tightening of blood vessels which delays the movement of blood throughout the body. This can cause circulation to the extremities of the human being, the hands and feet, to get cut off.

For more advice on this rare disease please click one of the links below or in 'about the author.'

For more information on Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia or for cures, prognosis, diagnosis and other details on treatment for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, click the links in this sentence.

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