Types of Leukemia and Treatments

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow which involves an unusual increase in the development of those white blood cells, which are immature, in the body. These abnormal white blood cells are known as ‘blasts’ and their development happens in diverse ways which often result in a broad spectrum of related diseases. Leukemia represents a one of a large group of diseases which have a direct effect on the blood and it is because of this that plenty of research has been dedicated to its treatment. This cancer is a treatable condition and treatment often involves chemotherapy, the use of medical radiation therapy, bone marrow transplants and many others. The ability of a patient to become cured of the disease is highly dependent on the variety of leukemia that he or she is suffering from as well as their age. It has been found that in most circumstances, it is easy for children to be permanently cured when compared to adult patients. However, while in some circumstances a complete sure of the disease is unlikely, the methods of treatment have ensured that patients receive treatment for many years, thus ensuring that they live for as long as possible with the disease. There are certain circumstances where leukemia develops as a result of an effect from another cancer and this tends to be quote difficult to treat. Leukemia is not a single disease as some may think, but consists of a range of cancers which affect the blood, each being named after the specific part of the blood that it affects. However, there are normally four categorizations of these diseases which are classified according to the way in which they develop.

The first of these is acute leukemia whose main characteristic is the rapid development in the quantity of immature blood cells which tends to lead to crowding (Sedlackova, Spacek, Holler, Imryskova & Hromadnikova, 2011). The crowding that results from the development of these numerous cells makes it impossible for the bone marrow to be able to produce blood cells that are healthy. This type of leukemia is considered to be quite dangerous due to the rapid development of malignant cells which end up spilling into the blood stream. It is therefore recommended by specialists that immediate treatment for it begins to ensure that the accumulation and progression of malignant cells does not spread into the blood stream and from there into vital organs in the body. This form of leukemia is among the most common that affect children and it is therefore important to ensure that whenever any signs and symptoms are detected, the individuals affected are put into immediate treatment in order to stop any further spread of the disease.

Another form of this disease is chronic leukemia which is typified by the disproportionate increase of white blood cells which, while being comparatively mature are still unusual (Jan & Majeti, 2013). These blood cells tend to take many years to produce and they often result in their production at a higher rate than normal, and this leads for there to be a higher number of abnormal cells that normal ones in the blood. Unlike acute leukemia which requires immediate treatment, chronic leukemia is never treated immediately, and in fact, it has to be observed for a certain period of time before progressing with treatment. The monitoring of chronic leukemia is done to ensure that the method of treatment that is selected is the best in ensuring that there is maximum effectiveness. While this form of leukemia can occur in any age group, it has a high prevalence rate among older people and it is therefore advisable for these individuals to have frequent checks so that there can be early detection and treatment.

In addition, the diseases which make up leukemia are often named according to the type of blood cells that they affect. These divisions are generally subdivided into two categories, lymphoblastic and myelogenous leukemias (Yamasaki, Miyazaki, Nagamachi, Koller, Oda, Miyazaki, Honda, 2010). In lymphoblastic leukemias, the progressions of the cancer often affect the bone marrow cells which go on to form lymphocytes, which are predominantly those cells that are involved in fighting infections. The myeloid leukemias tend to affect the bone marrow cells which form red blood cells as well as some forms of white blood cells and platelets. Each of the four categories of leukemia that have been named above have a number of subcategories which are classified according to their specific effects as well as the areas that they affect. Apart from the categories named above, there are other forms of rarer leukemias which are considered to be outside the above scheme of categorization.

All forms of leukemia results in damage to the bone marrow since normal bone marrow cells are normally displaced by malignant ones which are produced in excess. The malignant cells, which are normally made up of immature cells, lead to a deficiency in blood platelets, which play an important part in blood clotting (Vinceti, Rothman, Crespi, Sterni, Cherubini, Guerra, Malagoli, 2012). As a result of this deficiency, one will find that those individuals diagnosed with leukemia often suffer from excessive bleeding and in many instances, they get bruised easily. This condition also makes it difficult for white blood cells, which are designed to fight pathogens, to perform their functions. It might result in the inability of a patient’s immune system to fight off even the simplest infections, and instead, the white blood cells might begin attacking other cells of the body. Because leukemia thwarts the functions of the immune system, there are instances where some patients end up experiencing frequent infections which range from sores in the mouth to diarrhea to other opportunistic infections.

It is recommended that when an individual is diagnosed with leukemia, it is always best for the individual to talk openly about their concerns with their families, as well as their doctors. This will ensure that these people are made aware of the patient’s concerns and are, therefore, able to know how to help this individual live his or her life as normally as possible. Since most of those individuals who are diagnosed with leukemia tend to suffer from anger, depression, and anxiety, it is advisable for them to talk about these feelings so that they can be better able to cope with their situation (Rivera, Pinkel, Simone, Hancock & Crist, 1993). While some patients find comfort with their own families and friends, there are others who prefer being in the company of those people who are going through the same problems. This makes support groups extremely beneficial for these individuals because they come to learn that they are not the only ones who are undergoing this situation. Moreover, such groups help individuals to learn from each other how to cope with this disease as they do their best to live their lives as normally as possible. In the matter of support groups, it is essential for the doctors treating the patients to ensure that these patients are connected to others with the same condition, so that they can all share their experiences and help each other get through changes in their lives as they undergo treatment. Doctors, family, and support groups have the responsibility of helping patients undergo treatment because some of treatments for leukemia can be immensely trying for the patients.

The treatment for leukemia is a highly individual process because the doctors conducting such treatment have to consider the needs of their patient before deciding on how best to tackle the disease. The plan for treatment is normally created by the physician who takes a wide range of factors into consideration before deciding what the best treatment scheme is for their patient. Among the factors that a doctor would consider before making a treatment plan are the following: they type of leukemia that is to be treated, the part of the body which has been affected, the age of the patient, and lastly, the overall health status of their patient (Rivera, Pinkel, Simone, Hancock & Crist, 1993). While it is the responsibility of the doctor to make a treatment plan for their patients, the patients also have a say in it. The doctor has to put into consideration the wishes of their patients concerning the treatment they would like to have. It is, therefore, essential for doctors and their patients to discuss the treatment options open for the latter so that a clear plan of treatment can be created.

Among the most prominent methods of healing for leukemia that are available are surgical treatment, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. These can be used to treat all the main types of leukemia and, in fact, most of treatment plans formulated by specialists tend to rely on a combination of these three treatments to work. When surgical therapy is applied, it is done with the intention of removing all the infected areas in the bone marrow with the intention of removing all the malignant cells within it. In some circumstances, however, there tends to be a bone marrow transplant, which, if successful, helps patients fight leukemia more effectively (Metayer, Milne, Clavel, Infante-Rivard, Petridou, Taylor, Buffler, 2013). On the other hand, radio therapy is applied when high energy radiation is used to destroy the malignant cells in the affected areas. When this radiation is focused on the cancerous cells, it is done to ensure that the ability of these malignant cells to continue working and to multiply is terminated. In relation to radiation therapy, there is radio surgery whose main purpose is to convey an elevated dose of targeted radiation using gamma ray beams that come together in areas of the body where cancerous cells have been found (Metayer, Milne, Clavel, Infante-Rivard, Petridou, Taylor, Buffler, 2013). This method is normally used when there is a need to protect the healthy blood cells from harm caused by radiation. There are various types of equipment, which are used in radio surgery and these tend to have specific functions. Among these are those that are used when leukemia has spread to the brain, such as the gamma knife, which uses focused gamma rays, the linear accelerator which makes use of photons, and lastly, the heavy charged particle radio surgery which makes use of a proton beam.

The use of chemotherapy in the treatment of malignant cells, in the blood, is done with the intention of destroying these cells. These cells are destroyed using drugs which have been designed to terminate certain types of cancer cells. There is a wide variety of drugs which are used for the purpose of destroying cancer cells, and each has been designed to destroy a certain kind of blood cancer cells. When selecting the drug to use, it is usually done with the condition of the patient being put in mind, hence this treatment in highly individualized. There are several ways through which the drugs used for chemotherapy can be administered, especially in those situations where acute leukemia has attacked the brain and spinal cord and the first of these is through the injection of these drugs into the spinal canal (Ma, Chong, Li, Khan, Walker & Khan, 2010). Other ways include administering the drug intravenously, or through the use of polymers that are chemically impregnated and are biodegradable. All the above mentioned methods of treating brain cancer are designed to ensure that the healthy cells of the brain are not degraded.

When a specialist and the patient are making a treatment plan, they should also consider other possible treatments for the condition. Among these are hyperthermia, which includes treatments using heat, immunotherapy, which include the use of immune cells that are directed to kill certain malignant cells in the blood, and lastly, the use of steroids whose purpose is to reduce inflammation if the brain has been infected. There are times when the only option left for specialists is to design a treatment plan which include the trial of new drugs or treatment methods for their patients. Such options tend to come about especially in situations where other treatments have failed to work. While these new treatments are designed to help the patients involved, they also help in the assessment of how different drugs work on them (Chang, Hsu, Lin, Lee & Wang, 2012). This helps in future research, which comes up with even better treatments for the different types of leukemia. However, when it comes to choosing the treatment plan to combat leukemia, the best way of approaching it is by considering the wishes of the patient as well as the recommendations made by specialists in cancer.

In conclusion, leukemia is a type of cancer which has had a long history in the modern world and as a result, has been studied extensively. It has been found that it can affect anyone, no matter how young or old they are and it is therefore the responsibility of all individuals to make sure that they undergo frequent tests, just in case. Because of this, it is essential to ensure that enough funding is provided so that research in the treatment of all the types of leukemia can be advanced. In almost every instance that one develops this disease, it comes to affect everyone who is close to them. Not only is it a trying time for such people and their families, it is also a time of uncertainty because of the fact that the most effective choice of treatment for the individual is difficult to make. It is, therefore, essential that the specialist involved in the treatment of the disease to provide the patient with all the treatment options available for them. After doing this, it is the duty of the specialist to advice the patient on what the best treatment options for them are available. When this has been presented, the patient and the doctor have to create a treatment plan that is best suited for the patient.