Mbak Ratna,
Saya ikut prihatin dengan kondisi Andre, ini ada
artikel tentang leukemia untuk anak, seperti harapan
hidup masih lebih tinggi dibanding dengan dewasa,
semoga bisa disembuhkan ya.
Mamanya Dafi
What is it?
The leukemias are cancers that affect the
blood-forming system of the body,including the
lymphatic system and the bone marrow. Leukemias are
classified as either acute or chronic, with subtypes
identified according to the microscopic appearance of
leukemia cells and their behavior. In general acute
leukemias tend to affect children, while chronic
leukemias are more common in adults.
Acute Leukemia
In the acute leukemias, under-developed (immature)
blood cells reproduce quickly in the bone marrow,
eventually crowding out healthy cells. These
abnormal cells may also spread to other organs,
ultimately leading to disruption of organ function.
The main types of acute leukemias are differentiated
based on the specific types of blood cells that fail
to mature:
Acute lymphoid leukemias (ALL) - These occur when
primitive blood-forming cells called lymphoblasts
("blasts") proliferate without developing into normal
blood cells. These lymphoblasts crowd out healthy
blood cells, and frequently collect in the lymph nodes
to cause swelling. ALL is the most common kind of
childhood cancer, accounting for 80% of leukemia cases
in children under 15 years old. Although adults may
sometimes develop ALL, the illness is rare in persons
over age 50.
Acute myeloid leukemias (AML) - These occur when
primitive blood-forming cells called myeloblasts
("blasts") proliferate without developing into normal
blood cells. Immature blast cells crowd the bone
marrow and interfere with the production of sufficient
numbers of healthy normal cells. The result is anemia
(due to low levels of red blood cells) and frequent
infections (due to low levels of protective white
blood cells). AML accounts for 50% of leukemia
diagnosed in teenagers and persons in their 20s, and
80% of all acute leukemia
cases in adults.
Chronic Leukemia
The chronic leukemias involve overproduction of blood
cells that appear to be mature, but that actually lack
the normal functions of mature blood cells. There are
two main groups of chronic leukemia:
Chronic lymphoid leukemias (CLL) - These are
characterized by the production of too many apparently
"mature" lymphocytes in the bone marrow. These
abnormal cells appear to be fully-developed
lymphocytes, but they cannot fight infection as well
as normal lymphocytes can. In CLL, cancerous cells are
found in the bone marrow, blood, and lymph nodes
(where they produce the swelling which appears as
"swollen glands"). CLL accounts for about 30% of all
leukemias. It is rare in persons under 30, but its
frequency increases with age, so that the greatest
number of CLL cases occur in those between the ages of
60 and 70.
Chronic myeloid leukemias (CML) - These are
characterized by the overproduction of
mature-appearing but defective myeloid cells (white
blood cells that have granules inside them), to the
point where almost no healthy cells remain. Persons
with CML often develop a chromosomal abnormality
called the "Philadelphia chromosome." CML accounts for
20% to 30% of all adult leukemias and most frequently
affects persons aged 25 to 60. As a group, the
leukemias currently account for about 2% of all
cancers, and they strike 9 out of every 100,000
Americans annually. Males are more likely
to develop leukemia than females, and whites more than
other racial or ethnic groups. Adults are 10 times
more likely to be diagnosed with leukemia than
children, with the greatest risk in the elderly. Among
children, the incidence is greatest in those under age
4.
There is evidence that at least part of the risk for
leukemia may be inherited, since some forms of
leukemia (especially CLL) tend to strike close
relatives in
the same family. Certain genetic abnormalities (such
as Down syndrome ) have also been linked to the
development of specific forms of leukemia. However, as
research stands today, the possibility of a definite
inherited risk for leukemia is still being
investigated. In cases of myeloid leukemia, an
increased risk for the illness has been linked to
excessive exposure to ionizing radiation and to heavy
exposure to the chemical benzene (found in unleaded
gasoline).
Symptoms
Early symptoms of leukemia are often overlooked, since
they may resemble symptoms of the flu or other common
diseases. Symptoms include:
Fever
Fatigue
Aches in bones or joints
Headaches
Skin rashes
Swollen lymph nodes ("swollen glands")
Frequent infections
Unexplained weight loss
Bleeding of gums or nose
An enlarged spleen or liver, or a feeling of abdominal
fullness
Slow-healing cuts or frequent bruises
What your doctor looks for
Your doctor may ask about any of the symptoms listed
above, especially frequent infections, abnormal
bruising or bleeding, and swollen lymph nodes.
Diagnosis
Even your doctor may not initially suspect
