Tag: Leukemia

What is Acute Myeloid Leukemia?

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is cancer affecting blood cells. When the myeloid cells become abnormal, these cells then grow uncontrollably. White blood cells are often affected, but red blood cells and platelets can also be affected. As these abnormal cells grow, they crowd out the bone marrow. This prevents healthy cells from having room to grow.

AML is adults’ most common type of acute (fast-growing) leukemia. In addition to affecting the bone marrow, leukemia can invade other body areas.

Risk factors associated with developing AML can include:

  • Being of the male sex
  • Increasing age
  • Tobacco use
  • History of radiation exposure
  • History of having chemotherapy previously

Symptoms

Symptoms of AML can vary for each person, but some of the common symptoms of this cancer include:

  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Fevers
  • Chills
  • Night sweats
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Easy bleeding or bruising
  • Feeling very fatigued
  • Frequent or recurrent infections

Diagnosis

When someone presents to their healthcare provider with their concerning symptoms, lab work may be done to help find the cause of the symptoms. One of the commonly ordered lab tests is a complete blood count or CBC. This gives the provider the number of all of the different types of blood cells that the bone marrow makes. In AML, these counts may be significantly out of range, and some levels can be significantly high or low.

Other blood tests can be drawn to help get a diagnosis. One test is called flow cytometry, which looks at the blood cells in a unique way to find characteristics that may be present in leukemia.

Another diagnostic test is a bone marrow biopsy, during which a sample of bone marrow and bone is removed to be tested for the presence of leukemia cells.

Imaging studies such as CT scan may be done to see if the internal organs appear normal or if there has been an invasion of cancer cells into any area outside of the bone marrow.

Treatment

The exact treatment for AML will be determined once the diagnosis is made and all testing is complete. Other lab tests will often be evaluated to assess chromosomes and other leukemia characteristics that may influence treatment decisions.

Chemotherapy is often used to treat AML and is given in different phases, the first to kill the cancer cells in the bone marrow and the next phase to keep the cells from growing back. Radiation therapy may also be used with high-energy beams targeted at cancerous areas.

A stem cell transplant may be done in some individuals with AML. During this procedure, high doses of chemotherapy are given to kill the cells of the bone marrow. Stem cells are then transfused to help the body make blood cells again.

If you’ve been diagnosed with AML, talk to your cancer team about the specifics of your cancer. They can help you understand your diagnosis and how best to treat it.

 

In summary, acute myeloid leukemia is a blood and bone marrow cancer. The overproduction of abnormal white blood cells characterizes it. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for the best possible outcome.

What is a bone marrow transplant?

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

Why a Bone marrow transplant may be recommended for certain cancer patients?

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is cancer affecting blood cells. When the myeloid cells become abnormal, these cells then grow uncontrollably. White blood cells are often affected, but red blood cells and platelets can also be affected. As these abnormal cells grow, they crowd out the bone marrow. This prevents healthy cells from having room to grow.

A treatment that may be recommended for AML can include a bone marrow transplant. This may also be referred to as a stem cell transplant.

AML is often treated with chemotherapy. Although chemotherapy can kill cancerous cells, healthy cells can be killed by the chemotherapy as well. When trying to cure AML, high doses of chemotherapy may need to be given, which puts the patient at risk for complications from the effects of the chemotherapy on the bone marrow.

The procedure for a bone marrow transplant may differ at each treatment center but generally follows a similar path.

  • Blood is removed from either the patient who needs the transplant or from a donor.

○ Autologous transplant uses cells from the patient

○ Allogeneic transplant uses cells from a donor

  • The stem cells (cells that will help the bone marrow make more blood cells) are removed from the blood that was taken, and is frozen and stored until needed.
  • High doses of chemotherapy are given to the patient to kill the cancer and cells in the bone marrow.
  • Whole body radiation may be used to kill these cells as well.
  • The frozen cells are then thawed and infused into the patient.

If cells from a donor are needed, the transplant center will try to find the closest possible match, to help the transplant be successful and decrease the risk of transplant failure. If the match isn’t close, the patient’s immune system can recognize that they are foreign and destroy the healthy cells.

The transplant process may require the patient to stay in the hospital for weeks, for the high dose therapy and then following the transplant for close evaluation of any complications that may develop after transplant.

It may take a few weeks for the new stem cells to “engraft”, or begin working to produce blood cells. Until that happens, transfusions of blood and platelets may be needed frequently to maintain acceptable levels.

If you’ve been diagnosed with AML, talk to your cancer team about the specifics of your cancer. They can help you understand your diagnosis and how best to treat it .  If you or someone you know is considering a bone marrow transplant, it’s important to learn as much as possible about the risks and benefits of the procedure.

We hope this article has helped provide some basic information about bone marrow transplants. For more detailed information, please consult your doctor.

The different types of leukemia

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells in the body. There are multiple types of leukemia, classified as either acute (which can grow quickly) or chronic (slower growing). They are also further divided into the types of cells they start in. The main types of leukemia are:

  • Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
  • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
  • Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
  • Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML)

Signs and Symptoms

The exact signs and symptoms that are associated with leukemia can differ based on the type of leukemia someone has. People with acute, quickly-growing leukemia, they may develop symptoms quickly and severely. For those who have chronic leukemia, they may not have any symptoms, and if they do, they may be mild. Generalized symptoms of leukemia include:

  • Unexplained fevers
  • Chills
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Being very tired or feeling weak
  • Bruising without any injury to the skin
  • Bleeding, such as nosebleeds or gum bleeding
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • Night sweats
  • Pale skin
  • Enlarged lymph nodes

Diagnosis

When someone presents with the above symptoms, the healthcare team may order testing to help determine the cause of what they’re experiencing. One of the most commonly ordered blood tests is a complete blood count (CBC). This blood test evaluates the numbers of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. These levels can be significantly abnormal (both higher and lower than normal) in someone with leukemia. 

Along with CBC, a blood smear may also be done. This test allows the pathologist to look at how the different blood cells look under the microscope, to check for the presence of early white blood cells, called blasts, which can signify leukemia. 

Additional blood tests, such as flow cytometry, can be done to evaluate the white blood cells in a specific way. This test looks to see if leukemia cells are present in the sample. 

A bone marrow biopsy is often done when leukemia is suspected. This test takes a sample of bone and bone marrow (where blood cells are made) from the hip bone to evaluate for the presence of leukemia cells in the bone marrow. 

Once a diagnosis of leukemia is made, further testing is often done evaluating chromosomes of the cells to help further clarify the diagnosis. Exactly what tests are done can be a bit different for each type of leukemia. 

Imaging Tests

A CT scan may be done to check out the organs of the body, such as the lungs, liver, and spleen, to see if they look normal. A PET scan may also be done to look for the presence of leukemia cells outside of the bone marrow or bloodstream. 

Treatment

How leukemia is treated depends upon the type of leukemia someone has. Treatments can vary from no treatment needed except observation to intensive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. 

 

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