ACUTE LEUKEMIA

In Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), The original Acute Leukemia Cell goes on to form about a trillion more Leukemia Cells. These cells are described as "nonfunctional" because they do not work like normal cells. They also crowd out the normal cells in the marrow; in turn, this causes a decrease in the number of new normal cells made in the marrow. This further results in low red cell count (Anemia). The lack of normal white cells impairs the body's ability to fight infection. A shortage in Platelets result in brusing and easy bleeding.

HOW DOES LEUKEMIA DEVELOP?

The four types of Leukemia each begin in a cell in the bone Marrow. The cell undergoes a Leukemic change and it multiplies into many cells. The Leukemia cells grow, and surive better than normal cells and, over time, they crowd out normal cells.
     Normal Stem Cells in the marrow form three main cell-types: red cells, platelets, and white cells. There are two major types of white cells: germ-injesting cells (Neutrophils) and (Monocytes) and Lymphocytes, which are part of the body's Immune System and help to fight infection.
     The rate at which Leukemia progresses and how the cells replace the normal blood and marrow cells are different with each type of Leukemia.

What is Leukemia?

     Leukemia is the general term used to describe four different disease-types called:

• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

     The term Lymphocytic or Lymphoblastic indicates that the cancerous change takes place in a type of marrow cell that forms Lymphocytes. The term Myelogenous or Myelooid indicate that the cell change takes place in a type of marrow cell that normally goes on to form red cells, some types of white cells, and platelets.

     Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia are each composed of Blast Cells, known as Lymphoblasts, or Myeloblasts. Acute Leukemia progresses rapidly without treatment.
     Chronic Leukemias have few or no Blast Cells. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia usally progress slowly compared to Acute Leukemias.