Team+Leukemia

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 * “Sign” ** and **“Symptom”** are both medical terms with different medical meanings. **Symptoms** are problems that a patient notices or feels. **Signs** are whatever a health care provider can //objectively // detect or measure.


 * Signs **


 * Enlarged liver and/or spleen
 * Infected tonsils
 * Mouth sores
 * Diarrhea
 * Opportunistic infections
 * Deficiency in red blood cells, which leads to anemia
 * Anemia can cause you dyspnea (shortness of breath).


 * Symptoms **

Leukemia symptoms are often vague and not specific to the disease. Leukemia symptoms resemble symptoms of the flu and other common illnesses.

Symptoms include


 * Feeling sick
 * Fever and Chills
 * Night sweats
 * Flu-like symptoms
 * Persistent Fatigue, Weakness
 * Frequent Infections
 * Losing weight without trying
 * Easy bleeding or bruising
 * Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)

Treatments for Leukemia
Treating people with leukemia is very challenging. Because these are blood cells, leukemia cells are found throughout the body. Therefore, surgery alone cannot be used to treat this disease. Both blood and bone marrow tests allow doctors to diagnose leukemia. Chemotherapy is the most effective method of leukemia cancer treatment. Various anticancer drugs are used, usually in combination. In general, treatment for AML uses higher doses of chemotherapy over a shorter period of time. Treatment for ALL involves lower doses of chemotherapy over a longer period of time. CML is one of the great recent success stories in cancer therapy. Knowing the exact genetic change in CML allowed doctors to design a drug to combat it. This "leukemia pill," called Gleevec, has revolutionized CML treatment. Advances in therapy for CLL also are based on more knowledge of the disease. Many patients with CLL do not require surgery, while others require fairly mild treatment. Unfortunately, a few still have more aggressive disease and need more therapy.

Remission
The goal of treatment is complete remission. Remission occurs when there is no evidence of the leukemia and the patient returns to good health with normal blood and marrow cells. Recurrence, or relapse, means the cancer cells have returned along with other leukemia symptoms and signs. For acute leukemia, a complete remission (no disease in the blood or marrow) that lasts 5 years after treatment often means cure. Currently, leukemia treatment centers have reported an increasing number of patients with leukemia who are in complete remission at least 5 years after diagnosis of their disease.


 * Gabriela Ortiz**
 * Solid description of disease**

Leukemia is a type of cancer that originates in the bone marrow where there is an abnormal increase of white blood cells. The description of Leukemia is characterized by the type of white blood cells affected. (Found in site # 13)


 * Origin of disease (genetic, birth problem, virus, fluke?)**

Scientists believe that some causes of Leukemia could be radiation, exposure to benzene, exposure to other carcinogens in tobacco, and family history. (Found in site # 13)


 * Tests that are commonly used to diagnose**

The first thing they might look at is physical signs like pale skin which is caused by anemia. Various blood tests, bone marrow examination (bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration). Lymph node biopsy is used for diagnosing a certain type of Leukemia. (Found in site # 14, #3, #1)


 * Latest research on the disease-studies being done, treatments that are in the works**. ( #3 http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/cancer-types/leukemia/index.html)

__Treatments__


 * 1) Stem cell transplants: also known as “Bone marrow Transplant.” Stem cells are used to stimulate new bone marrow growth that had been previously damaged because of radio and chemotherapy.
 * 2) Chemotherapy: chemotherapy drugs to get blood and white blood cells back to a normal count by destroying cancer cells.
 * 3) Radiation therapy: Uses high-energy rays to stop cancer cells from growing by dealing some heavy damage to them; May be used along with chemotherapy.
 * 4) Biological therapy: growth factors, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies etc.
 * 5) Surgery: removal of the spleen in chronic leukemia, which helps to reduce the amount of leukemia cells stored, making it easier for chemotherapy to reduce the quantity of diseased cells.

__**Kate Heinrich**__

[] [] (#9 in our list of websites)
 * __Morbidity __**

Men are more likely to die from Leukemia than women and Caucasians are most likely out of all races.
 * **Race/Ethnicity ** || **Men ** || **Women ** ||
 * All races || 10.2 per 100,000 men || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">5.8 per 100,000 women ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Caucasian || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">10.4 per 100,000 men || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">6.0 per 100,000 women ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">African American || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">8.9 per 100,000 men || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">5.4 per 100,000 women ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Asian/Pacific Islander || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">5.3 per 100,000 men || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.2 per 100,000 women ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">American Indian/Alaska Native || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">5.1 per 100,000 men || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.0 per 100,000 women ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hispanic || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">6.6 per 100,000 men || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">4.3 per 100,000 women ||

Leukemia attacks all ages, races, and genders. Even though it attacks them all, some are slightly more likely to die from Leukemia. Men are about twice as likely to die, and Caucasians are the most likely to die of all races. American Indians and Alaska Natives are the least likely to die from Leukemia.
 * In 2010, 21,840 people died from leukemia.
 * Leukemia cause about 1/3 of childhood deaths that are cancerous.
 * Leukemia causes the most disease related deaths in people under 20.
 * According to the //Leukemia Research Foundation//, 60 people die a day from Leukemia.
 * Leukemia survival rates have doubled since 1975.

Gabriela Ortiz (Article) Leukemia, like most cancers, has been one of the main goals for medical researchers when it comes to finding some type of cure. A recent study done by doctors at the University of Pennsylvania have published reasearch that may once again bring some hope into finding a cure for Leukemia. The targeted cancer is Chroniclymphocytic Leukemia, which until now has been kepts at bay via chemotherapy, and the only cure has been a bone marrow transplant, which not only requires a suitable match, but only causes sever side effects such as pain and infection. In this new research, an experiment was conducted on modified white blood cells, a harmless version of HIV, and the virus that causes AIDS. These cells were inserted in a series of genes which they were encouraged to make cells target and kill cancer cells. After growing such genetically engineered cells, they were put into the patients via a shot. The "white cells killed the cancer cells, the patients experienced fevers and aches, and pains like that of an infection," giving positive results in eradicating the cancer from the patient's body. Over the past years there has been many attempts at fighting such cancer with initial sucess and have, unfourtunately, ended in subsequent failure. Though this is just a small start in the research, it is still a closer step into figuring out the workings of a future cure.

Kate Heinrich(Article) Leukemia has a few alternative treatments that have shown some improvement over the year. These additional or alternative treatments include Vitamin A, graviola (an Amazonian herb known for its ability to kill cancer cells) and licorice root. These alternative treatments have shown about 40% improvements in leukemia patients who have not had any chemotherapy according to a research study done by the University of Texas Cancer Center. Other natural treatments include exercising and eating more healthily, such as eating more fruits, vegetables, and just drinking water. Exercising is said to be very helpful, even if only for about 20 minutes a day. Yoga, swimming, biking, or even just going for a walk is very healthy for you. Other treatments for just dealing with the side effects of your Leukemia include ginger tea for nausea, a variety of vitamins for fatigue, and fiber supplements for constipation.