Leukemia and Lymphoma

Leukemia and lymphoma are two forms of cancer that originate in bone marrow or lymphatic tissues of the human body. They are often described under the umbrella term of "blood cancers."

Leukemia and lymphoma are related to a number of other types of cancers, including Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes.

In the United States, someone is diagnosed with a form of blood cancer every four minutes. More than 50,000 individuals die each year from leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. This translates into nearly ten percent of cancer-related deaths annually.

Causes and Symptoms of Leukemia and Lymphoma

Blood cancers begin when there is a genetic injury to a single cell. The cell becomes abnormal and begins replicating itself through division. As these cells grow, they interfere with normal, healthy cell production.

Following symptoms could be signs of either leukemia or lymphoma:

• aching arms, legs, back,
• bruises that appear with no clear cause,
• enlarged lymph nodes,
• enlarged spleen which causes a "dragging" feeling n the upper left abdominal area,
• fever without obvious cause,
• headaches,
• loss of appetite,
• inability to tolerate warm temperatures,
• night sweats,
• pale skin,
• persistent fatigue,
• pinhead-size red spots under the skin,
• prolonged bleeding from minor cuts,
• skin rashes,
• shortness of breath doing normal day-to-day activities,
• slow healing of cuts,
• swollen gums,
• unexplained weight loss,
• unusual number of infections,
• vomiting.

A variety of tests are available for diagnosing leukemia and lymphoma. One of the first clues that either disease may be present is an abnormal blood cell count. But it's important to remember that approximately 5 percent of healthy people get results that are outside the normal range. Also, a number of non-cancerous conditions may trigger abnormal results.

Treatment

In the last several decades great strides have been made in treating leukemia and lymphoma.

Certain types of lymphoma which used to be considered terminal can now be brought into complete remission. Chemotherapy is the preferred treatment method. Chemotherapy can be now administered through injections or sometimes through pills given orally.

There are a number of different types of leukemia, and therefore a number of treatment options exist;

• chemotherapy to kill leukemia cells using strong anti-cancer drugs;
• interferon therapy which diminishes cancerous cell reproduction and strengthens immune system capabilities;
• cancer radiation treatment;
• stem cell transplantation or SCT. This treatment removes cancerous cells through chemotherapy and radiation and replaces them with healthy cells from a matching donor.

Conclusion

This has been strictly an overview of leukemia and lymphoma, meant to introduce readers to basic information about these two diseases.