Leukemia

Leukemia


        Leukemia is a cancer that has had a  significant effect on our society and

with the developments of new drugs it may become treatable.  Leukemia originates in

the blood-forming organs which may include the lymph tissue and bone cells.  In

a person with leukemia the rate and the number of cells produced is altered.

This altering can become fatal, or with proper treatment it can be subdued.

        There are two main types of leukemia which include "total" and

"differential."  These are mainly characterized by the appearance of white blood

cells.  When leukemia attacks the blood cells, the bone marrow (where blood

cells are made), the spleen, and the lymph nodes are extremely weakened (Reagan

90).  The classification of leukemia is based on what organ it is attacking.

Leukemia can be in acute or chronic form, which means it can happen rapidly, or

be prolonged and severe (Bourne 996).  To diagnose leukemia doctors have to

insert a needle into the bone marrow to extract it and then then view it under a

microscope to see if it has any abnormalities that relate to that of leukemia.

Some of the symptoms that are involved with leukemia include:  lack of energy,

fever, susceptibility to infection (because of lack of white blood cells),

excessive or repetitive bleeding, easy bruising, and also enlargement of the

liver, spleen and lymph nodes (997).

        This disease has been known to cause about "10% of all cancer deaths,

about 50% of all cancer deaths in children and adults less than 30 years old,

and at least 4 million people now living are expected to die from these forms of

cancer (Reagan 1)."  Over half of every type of leukemia occurs in people over

the age of 60.  Even though so many people have been getting different types of

leukemia, the causes are not totally known.  There is evidence that exposure to

radiation can reduce the development of leukemia.  Also, a genetic inheritance

has been shown to be a factor in the incidences of leukemia and sometimes it is
This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!









Subscribe to Academic Library
When you subscribe to the Academic Library, you get 24-hour access to the online database containing full-text articles written by thousands of scholarly students. For only $8.95 per month, you receive unlimited monthly access to view and download all of our 40,000 articles available online. That is less than the price of one textbook!
This price includes:

24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week unlimited access on any computer with Internet access
Complete access to all 40,000 articles, essays, and research papers
Ability to view and download virtually unlimited number of documents
Ability to browse through perfectly arranged catalog of articles
Superior search and relevancy ranking techniques using Google SiteSearch and our local search engine
Instant access to the online database after registration


You can pay by credit card, checking account. You get instant access after registration:


You will be billed $ 8.95 every 30 days (recurring billing) starting on the day you subscribe.

Your credit card will automatically be renewed for your convenience until you cancel.




If you are already registered, please click here to login.