ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA
IMPRIMERGLOSSAIRE
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, One Type of Blood Cancer
acute leukemia
myeloid leukemia and What is acute myeloid leukemia?
cml (Chronic myelogenous leukemia)
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
A cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
Rapid evolution in the absence of treatment.
 |
| leukemia |
May be difficult to treat. New therapeutic approaches are being studied in clinical trials.
Click here to access AML statistics.
What there is to know
It is important to be treated and treated as soon as possible.
In some patients, AML can be cured by current treatments.
New therapeutic approaches are being studied in clinical trials.
The hematologist and oncologist are specialists who treat people with AML and other types of blood cancers.
What has to be done
It is important to receive medical care in a center where doctors are experienced in the treatment of AML.
Each patient should discuss with his doctor:
diagnostic tests and what their results mean;
all of their treatment options and results that can be expected.
How is the LMA developing?
AML occurs as a result of changes in the DNA (genetic material) of a growing stem cell of the bone marrow. This is called an "acquired mutation".
Stem cells form blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets).
The damaged cell is transformed into a leukemic cell and multiplies to billions of copies, resulting in an accumulation of cells called "lymphoblasts" or "leukaemic blasts".
Leukaemic blasts:
do not work like normal blood cells;
block the production of normal cells;
grow and survive better than normal cells.
The multiplication of these leukemic cells ensures that the number of healthy blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) is generally lower than normal.
Anemia is a disease characterized by decreased levels of red blood cells, resulting in fatigue and shortness of breath.
Neutropenia is a disease characterized by a low level of white blood cells leading to a lack of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell), which hinders the effectiveness of the immune system to protect the body from infections.
Thrombocytopenia is a condition characterized by a lower than normal platelet count, which can cause bleeding and bruising with no apparent cause.
Pancytopenia is the reduction of these three cellular elements (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets).
Risk factors
In most people with AML, there is no apparent reason for the development of the disease. It should be noted that you can not contract someone else's LMA.
The researchers identified potential risk factors, including:
repeated exposure to benzene, which damages the DNA of normal bone marrow cells. According to the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, half of the national personal exposure to benzene comes from cigarette smoke, even though petroleum products contribute the most much of the benzene in the atmosphere. Benzene is also found in some industrial environments. However, stringent regulation of its use has reduced exposure to benzene in the workplace;
certain genetic diseases such as Down syndrome, Fanconi anemia, Shwachman syndrome and Diamond-Blackfan syndrome;
prior chemotherapies or radiotherapies received to treat other cancers;
the progression of other cancers or blood diseases such as Vaquez's disease, myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
IMPRIMERGLOSSAIRE
The signs and symptoms of AML are associated with other, less serious diseases. If you are concerned about any of the following symptoms, do not hesitate to consult your doctor. The list of symptoms includes:
a pale complexion;
inexplicable bruising;
red dots under the skin the size of a pinpoint (petechia);
prolonged bleeding following a minor cut
a slowing of the healing time of the cuts;
fatigue or lack of energy
shortness of breath during normal physical activity;
mild fever or night sweats
swollen gums;
frequent benign infections, for example perianal lesions (around the anus);
loss of appetite and weight loss
pain or discomfort in the bones or joints, for example knees, hips or shoulders.
The doctor may first notice some signs such as enlarged spleen or liver during a routine examination. A hypertrophic spleen causes discomfort in the upper left of the abdomen.
In addition to the signs and symptoms mentioned above, the doctor will also check the following conditions, which can become dangerous if they are not treated:
bleeding in the brain or lungs
an infection, especially if the body produces too few white blood cells called "neutrophils";
Myeloid sarcoma, while a mass of leukemic cells form a tumor outside the marrow.
DIAGNOSTIC
IMPRIMERGLOSSAIRE
It is important to make an accurate diagnosis of the type of leukemia. To diagnose acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its subtypes, various tests are used.
Exams usually performed to diagnose AML
Blood analyse
The doctor will need a blood test to make a diagnosis. A sample of the patient's blood will be examined in the laboratory for the following purposes:
count the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the blood (complete blood count or complete blood count);
perform a peripheral blood smear to check for too many immature white blood cells (leukemic blasts) in the blood.
Bone marrow analysis
The doctor or oncologist (cancer specialist) will analyze the patient's bone marrow. This analysis usually involves two steps performed at the same time in the doctor's office or at the hospital:
aspiration of the bone marrow, to take a sample of the liquid marrow;
a bone marrow biopsy, to take a tiny amount of bone containing bone marrow cells.
These analyzes are intended to confirm the diagnosis of AML and serve:
to check the number of leukemia cells in the bone marrow;
examining AML cells for abnormal characteristics and changes;
to determine the AML subtype by examining chromosomes and genes;
to develop a treatment plan.
Diagnose the AML
Once the doctor has taken blood and bone marrow samples, a hematopathologist will confirm the diagnosis and identify the AML subtype. A hematopathologist is a specialist who studies blood cell diseases by examining samples of blood cells, bone marrow cells and other tissues.
Examination of blood cells and bone marrow allows the hematopathologist to diagnose AML by examining:
the percentage of leukemic blasts present;
the specific chemical activity of blast cells;
characteristic markers (antigens) present on the surface of blast cells;
cells, depending on the type of markers (antigens) present on their surface.
In general, the marrow of adults has about 1 to 5% of blasts. AML is diagnosed if more than 20% of blasts are present in bone marrow or blood. However, a subtype of AML, LMA M2 (myeloblastic with maturation), can be diagnosed even if the percentage of blasts is less than 20% based on the appearance of the cells.
Diagnostic tests
To examine your cells, the hematopathologist will use one or more laboratory tests such as these:
cytogenetic analysis and karyotype determination can detect certain gene and chromosome abnormalities;
immunophenotyping looks for antigens on blast cells to identify the AML subtype. Flow cytometry is a type of test used in immunophenotyping;
Polymerase Chain Reaction, a genetic test that analyzes certain genes such as FLT3 and NPM1, to detect abnormalities of structure or function.
Chromosomal and genetic abnormalities
About 60% of people with AML have abnormal chromosomes (in number or structure) that can affect the patient's response to treatment. Some chromosomal and genetic alterations may provide important information for planning treatment.
Patients with AML with normal chromosomes may have genetic mutations. The doctor will perform a molecular analysis on the cells to identify the genetic changes.
The Acute Myeloid Leukemia Booklet provides a complete list of chromosomal and genetic abnormalities.
Patients who have been diagnosed with AML may need additional blood and bone marrow tests during or after treatment to see if the treatment is successful in destroying leukemia cells.
For further
Blood tests
Understanding the blood count
Bone marrow tests
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar