Leukemia

Question: What happens to you after you are diagnosed with leukemia? I am writing a story about a young girl who is diagnosed with leukemia. I need to know the effects of leukemia and what it is. Give me all the detail you can. Don't include all the scientific crap.

Answer: My little girl had Leukemia. First, a description from faqs.org: Leukemia is caused by the overproduction of white blood cells. This has two effects on the body. First, the white blood cells may not mature properly as they develop. They may lack the ability to kill foreign bodies in the bloodstream. This defect seriously damages the immune system and the body loses its ability to fight off infections. Second, so many white blood cells may form that they pack the bone marrow until there is not enough room for red blood cells and platelets to develop. Without red blood cells, the body's cells do not get enough oxygen, and the condition known as anemia develops. Anemia is characterized by general weakness, headache, pale skin, and dizziness. It can become a life-threatening disorder. Without platelets, blood cannot clot properly and simple injuries can lead to serious blood loss. My daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia (specifically, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia) when she was 6 years old. Her symptoms were: lowgrade fever x 2 months, severe nosebleeds, bruising easily (like just from touching her arm), extreme fatigue and anemia. They diagnosed her via a blood test - a "CBC with Manual Differential" which showed "BLASTS" in her bloodstream (the immature cells explained above). They then proceeded with a bone marrow biopsy, which both confirms the diagnosis, and tells them which kind of Leukemia they are dealing with. (There are different kinds: acute & chronic, & whether it affects granulocytes, lymphocytes, or monocytes cells.) They then put together a chemotherapy regimen for that specific type of Leukemia. There are 3 phases, the first is the "Induction" phase in which they try to kill all the leukemia cells in the bloodstream. This phase usually lasts a month. They do blood tests and once no more leukemia cells show up in the blood, they have achieved "remission" and they proceed to phase 2, the "intensive" phase. This phase is to irradicate the leukemia cells still in the bone marrow and brain/spinal fluid. She received chemotherapy every other week, for 3 days in a row, for 6 months, via IV. She also received regular spinal taps, and injections of chemotherapy directly into the spinal fluid, (because cancer cells can hide out in the brain tissue, and the brain has natural barriers that prevent the IV chemo from entering the brain via the bloodstream.) After 6 months, the spinal fluid is tested again, and another bone marrow aspiration is done. If no leukemia cells are found, they proceed into the 3rd Phase "Maintenance". In maintenance, they receive outpatient, lower doses of chemo by both injection and pill. This goes on for 2 years. Spinal taps and bone marrow aspirations are done regularly to make sure the leukemia cells aren't multiplying again. If they are found, they stop "maintenance" and begin all over again. My daughter went through all three phases without a recurrence, and after that, she had to see the oncologist every other week for a blood test. After a month, we went every other week, then every month, then every 3 months for a year, and then every 6 months for another year, and then yearly until she reached age 19. Throughout her treatment, she also received phsychological testing and we answered survey after survery about her milestones (did she get her period on time, how did it affect her learning/schoolwork, how did it affect her mentally?). These surveys help to pinpoint possible problems with chemo effects, which I am happy to say she had no long-term affects. She is doing well and is 23 years old now. I hope this helps!

Question: How does Leukemia positive cats react during their lives? I just adopted a cat from the street. When I took him to the vet for his vaccines he was diagnozed with Leukemia, so he only took the rest of the vaccines but not the Leukemia one. Lately he's been looking weak, he doesn't play anymore and he even lost apetite. He's a very joung cat and I don't know if is the Leukemia that is causing him this or is other problem...

Answer: The only way to be sure is to take him to the vet. However feline leukemia is a pretty nasty virus, and it could well be causing his problems. I've been told by my vet that it's much more likely to cause problems for cats under 2 as well, because they don't have mature immune systems, so him being young is a factor. I hope things turn out well, but I think you should prepare for some difficult decisions. I certainly hope you will have him for a long time yet, but if it is the FeLV, then don't 'do everything' just for the sake of 'doing everything'. Some cats cope well with a lot of treatment, some don't. Make decisions based on whether YOUR CAT wil have a good quality of life (and remember he won't have a good quality of life if you are not...). Do your best for him, including taking the hardest decision when the time comes. Ask the vet lots of questions.

Question: What happens in the blood in a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia? I understand the basics of leukemia. I know it happens in the bone marrow and it affects the genes and cell structures of red or white blood cells and/or platelets. But how exactly does a person die from leukemia? Is it safe to assume that the body runs out of oxygen because the red blood cells become too abnormal to carry oxygen around the body?

Answer: Most patients with leukemia die of infection, because the excess white cells do not do what they are supposed to do, fight infection. I don't know about the red cells being abnormal, it is the white cells that grow to large numbers but they are ineffective in killing germs. Leukemia patients are very prone to bleeding and bruising, and like I say infections. There can be various reasons for death, it is something like patients with AIDS (of course not contracted the same way), but the body just can not fight off infections, very minor infections can become life threatening. Also patients can have strokes because their can be bleeding into the brain among other things.

Question: How long can a persian cat live with leukemia? I just found out my 5 month old persian has leukemia. How long can he live, and will he get very sick and suffer a lot?

Answer: Hi, I have a cat that has leukemia for the past 11yrs.. The vet said to put him down so he won't suffer. We refused to do it. He's still kicking good.. other than a few eye infections, runny eyes and bad teeth, he's doing well. Keep him inside so he won't infect other cats, and keep an eye on any infections that need to be taken care of. I give him garlic capsules and raw liver to keep his blood count up. Smokie will probably live as long as any other cat, as long as you make sure his infections are taken care of.

Question: How long can leukemia go untreated and still be curable? I'm writing a story in which one of the main characters will develop cancer. I was thinking of going with leukemia. How early on can you see symptoms and let it go untreated but still be curable? What are the most common symptoms? Any details would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Depends whether your character is a child or adult. There are many different types of leukemia, not just 4 by the way. The most common type in childhood is Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and this is probably the most easily treatable so if you want your character to live this might be the best bet. However acute leukemias progress much more quickly than chronic types, so if you want a good delay before symptoms appear and treatment is sought then you might want to go with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. The problem though is that CLL and CML affect mainly adults, it is quite rare in children so may appear less believable if your character is a child. If your main character is an adult then the chronic leukemias are the most common, Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for example. There can often be delays in recognising symptoms and seeking treatment, and this disease may go on for years but often it changes into an acute leukemia and the patient suddenly declines and often dies. Symptoms are many and varied but may include night sweats, fatigue, recurrent infections, headache, easy bruising, joint pains, swollen lymph nodes, unexpected weight loss and swelling of the abdomen from an enlarged spleen. There's so much information, but I hope that helps. You can google these diseases yourself to find out more info. Good luck with your story.

Question: What gifts can I give a child who has leukemia and is in the hopital? My friend's 3 year old child was just diagnosed with Leukemia and is in the hospital undergoing kemotherapy. The parents are both sleeping at the hospital every night and will be there for the next several nights. I'm not sure how sterile things need to be in order for her to play with them and i don't know what the parents need. Does anyone have some suggestions for me?

Answer: Give the parents a gift certificate to a restuarant along with a hand written one saying you will offer to babysit for the child once she is out of the hospital so they can go out. For the child a nice stuffed animal would be nice or a special pillow or blanket. Coloring books and crayons is another idea.

Question: What is the best way to find information on leukemia? My 7 year old cousin may have leukemia. I know there are a lot of different types and I'm sure a lot of web sites. If you know of any please let me know! Also if you have any hands on experience with the disease that would be helpful as well. My grandmother died of it this past April.

Answer: The best way to find information for leukemia is by doing a google search. Here is a specific page on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society website which explains leukemia and the various types: http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page?item_id=7026 My niece was diagnosed with high risk pre b A.L.L. (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) at the age of 2. She has the 'good type' of leukemia if there is such a thing. Her treatment plan consisted of 2 1/2 to 3 years of chemo,steroids and an option for radiation to the brain. The treatment plans vary greatly depending on the type and subtype of leukemia, the risk factor and individual patient circumstances. It was really rough for her the first 1 1/2 years of treatment but she is doing really well now. She was admitted to the hospital for various complications including infections, pneumonia and kidney stones. She is on 'maintenance chemo' now which is much easier on her body and she is doing great and hasn't been admitted to the hospital for a number of months. Pretty soon she will be done with chemo :-)

Question: Would cats with Feline Leukemia pass the virus to a dog? I am trying to do a favor to a friend who has a kitten tested out to have feline leukemia. I offered to board the kitten for a few months so that she is seperated from the other kittens. However, I have a small dog, Shih Tzu, and I want to make sure the virus would not pass to my dog in any way before I take the kitten.

Answer: Feline Leukemia cannot be passed onto dogs. It is strictly a feline disease, as the name implies :-) ADD: Your dog will be perfectly safe, although you should let your friend know that her cat may not last very long and could possibly pass away while in your care.

Question: How do I know whether i have leukemia or what i was diagnosed with? I recently went to the doc and was told i had mono/ebv. I was online and noticed that my symptoms also line up with leukemia. Would the doc be able to tell if i had leukemia when he took a blood test to test for mono or would he have to be looking for it?

Answer: I recently went through a similar scenario and my doctor ran multiple tests including white, red and platelet counts to rule out other causes of illness. You should call your doctor and ask what tests he ran. If it was the rapid, five minute mono test then no, other things would not show up.

Question: Can a vaccinated cat still catch feline leukemia? I have 2 cats that are vaccinated against feline leukemia. If I adopt a feline leukemia positive cat, can my current cats still catch it?

Answer: Yes, they can. The FeLV vaccine is estimated to be at best 80% effective. That means that your cats would have a fairly good chance of catching it, as it's very easily transmitted through normal contact. Sharing of food dishes, grooming - those are just two ways that the virus can be spread.

Question: leukemia?? so, today during health class i was told that if you are eating as much as you are supposed to and still not getting energy, or sleeping the normal 7-8 hours of sleep every day, or even beyond that, and are still extremely tired during the day and have to take naps, you might have leukemia. i dont really know what leukemia is, and i havent looked it up, but i have both of these very badly. i also constantly feel sick. i have never felt 100% good in years, really. not ONE day (no exaggeration). so do you think i might have leukemia? i have not been to a doctor for about 4 years so i have no memory or information about any of this.

Answer: hopefully you dont have leukemia. here's the news!! i do. i was detected with acute tlymphoblastic leukemia last year. my symptoms were that of anemia. easy fatigability, pale, on and off fever. then i had my blood count checked and the doctor said it was anemia so i took iron drugs. but the symptoms were still present and i was getting worse. i was being given blood transfusion almost weekly. so i went to a hematologist (they are specialists in blood disorders and theyre rare) and the moment they saw my blood results the doctor said i had leukemia. there are two main kind the lymphoblastic and myelocytic. the lymphoblastic gives very high count of lymphoblast and vice versa. during the sickness i had so many petechiae (tiny purplish red spots) all over my skin. the doctor said this was caused by release of blood from the capillaries to the surface of the body. i underwent bone marrow aspiration to determine how sick i was and to know what medication treatment is possible. bone marrow transplant is the best treatment but i cant afford it so i underwent chemotherapy wherein there is a schedule of intravenous therapy where the drugs are incorporatedand introduced to the bodythrough the vein. i also take daily oral meds. treatment takes a long time and still there is a risk of repeating itself and getting worse even if you are being treated. the brain is the worst arget of the disease. there is no assurance of being cured until after 5 years or more says the doctor. so i hope youre just anemic and not leukemic. coz anemia is easy to treat just give iron tablets, get many rests and do not be stressed. but leukemia is very hard and costly. especially if your white blood cells have gone wild.

Question: What are the signs of Leukemia in a cat? And if my cat had it's Leukemia shots since before I got him, could he ever catch it? Nothing is visibly wrong with him, I'm just paranoid because I'm in the process of adopting a new kitten from the shelter and I want to take all precautions.

Answer: The three forms of feline leukemia are chest, abdominal, and multicentric. The signs that the cat shows depend on the lymph nodes and organs involved. Your vets will be able to tell you which, if any, are applicable here. Chest symptoms include enlarged chest lymph nodes, compressed windpipe and esophagus, fluid accumulation in the chest, breathing difficulties, coughing, and gagging. In abdominal leukemia, malignant cells may be present in the intestine, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, or kidney. There may be a decrease in appetite, depression, weight loss, dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, anemia, and jaundice. Multicentric leukemia causes greatly enlarged lymph nodes under the skin and tumor formation in many organs. The cat may or may not have a fever. PROGRESSION OF DISEASE: Feline leukemia begins with infection of the mouth tissues. It spreads from the mouth by blood cells and infects the lymph glands. At this stage, most cats are able to block the infection. If it invades the bone marrow, the cat is infected for life. It then spreads through the blood through the circulation. Tissues such as the tear glands, salivary glands, and urinary bladder become infected. The cat is now shedding the virus, and becomes infectious to other cats. FeLV-RELATED CONDITIONS: Other conditions that may be caused by FeLV include: blood in the stool, decreased stamina, immune suppression, bleeding disorders, excessive drinking and urination, abortion, infertility, "infant mortality complex" (the unexplained deaths of newborn kittens), arthritis, ulcers at body openings (i.e., mouth, anus, vagina, and eyes), immune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, cystitis, cloudy eyes, and neurologic abnormalities.

Question: What foods are good for leukemia patient? i have a neighbor whose son has leukemia, she is asking a help to search for foods or drink good for her son, please help. thank you!

Answer: She should let her son eat what he likes. The importance is that he eats enough to not lose weight. I would recommend avoiding his favorite foods because he will eventually hate them, associating them with cancer and not feeling well. Bland foods are good when he is not feeling well from treatment.

Question: What jobs a person with leukemia could do? I really needs answer for this. Especially about jobs that can be done alone by a person who has leukemia. Thanks a lot people! A person with this disease of course has certain disabilities and limitations. That's hat I meant. What kind of job can he or she do with his or her disabilities?

Answer: That's not enough information... A person with leukemia is a person with unique abilities and limitations. I'd guess they can do anything that they feel like doing and that they are qualified to do.

Question: How many types of childhood leukemia are there? My friend's 3 yr old son, Jacob, was just diagnosed with Leukemia. I haven't been able to talk to her as she is with him in the hospital - he is starting chemo today. I just wondered how many types are there and which ones are most likely curable? Thank you!

Answer: ALL is the most common in children and most cureable in them. AML is less common in children, and harder to get rid of in them. There are several varieties of both, but those are the two general categories. CML is very rare in children. See the leukemia/lymphoma society website for excellent information about them all.

Question: How often do bleeding gums mean leukemia? My boyfriend says that every time he brushes lately he bleeds a lot from his gums. They don't hurt at all and he has not switched toothbrushes or anything like that. It came on suddenly a few days ago. About a month ago he had pain in his arm as well. How likely is it that he may have leukemia?

Answer: I had similar thing to my gum and it end up to be that I needed cleaning for my teeth badly. after doing it, just a week or two, it has gone... also mouth smell became much better... so I suggest to see a dentist before jumping into conclusions