Introduction
Leukemia refers to malignant neoplasm of blood forming tissues characterized by abnormal proliferation of leukocytes. The common term for leukemia is cancer of the blood (Kearns, 2011). Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a blood cancer that develops due to excess production of lymph cells in the body. Lymph cells are granulocytic leukocytes that normally make up a quarter of the white blood cells count but increase in presence of infection. The bone marrow produces blood cells and houses the lymph cells. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the cancer of the blood and the bone marrow. Leukemia cells are quite fast in attacking blood, and the disease spreads to other body parts rapidly (Kearns, 2011). Examples of body parts that are highly susceptible to attack by leukemia cells include testicles in men, spleen, lymph nodes, liver, as well as the brain and the spinal cord. Lack of hurried treatment for this type of leukemia upon diagnosis is very dangerous, as it spreads quickly to these body parts and turn incurable within a very short period. During the diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia, cancerous lymph cells are easily identifiable in lymph nodes and the bone marrow, where both red and white blood cells are produced. When the bone marrow reduces by 25%, and the size of lymph nodes increases due to invasion of cancerous lymph cells, then an individual has leukemia (Kearns, 2011).
Discussion
There are various types of leukemia depending on location of body cells attacked, the speed of its growth, as well as strategies applied in treatment and management. Acute lymphocytic leukemia often attacks children and adults (Kenderian and Litzow, 2013). Effective treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia in children produces better results compared to adults. In understanding acute lymphocytic leukemia, it is important to know how lymph and blood systems in the body work. The bone marrow produces immature blood cells that grow into mature blood cells. These cells can develop into lymphoid stems, and bone marrow stems that produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Platelets are tiny bits of protoplasm found in vertebrate blood, and are essential for blood clotting. White blood cells develop out of lymphoid stems (Advani and Lazarus, 2010).
Three types of lymph cells exist, and play different roles. B lymph cells are responsible for production of antibodies essential in helping the body to deal with infections. T lymph cells assist the B lymph cells in production of antibodies. The final type of lymph cells is natural killer cells whose role in the body is to nullify the effect of cancerous cells and germs in the body (Kenderian and Litzow, 2013). The three types of cells apply as leukemia cells. When the bone marrow produces too many immature cells that later fail to mature, the body becomes highly susceptible to acute lymphocytic leukemia. High number of leukemia cells in the bone marrow and blood limits the ability of the body to produce white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells, which are essential in providing immunity against body infections (Advani and Lazarus, 2010).
Diagnosis and Symptoms of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia entails identifying the nature, cause and predisposing factors to the condition. Some of the medically recognized factors that can predispose someone to this type of leukemia include past cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, exposure to radioactive substances, genetic disorders, as well as individual characteristics such as gender or race (Kenderian and Litzow, 2013). Age is also a risk factor, as the efficiency and reliability of body functions often decrease with age. Diagnosing acute lymphocytic leukemia considers an individual’s medical history, establishes the individual’s physical condition, as well as his or her blood count. If prediction on the course of the disease establishes a high white blood cells count, then there is a reason for concern (Larson, 2012). Blood smears also apply during diagnosis, as they help in identifying the presence of immature blood cells. Immature blood cells increase the susceptibility of an individual to attacks by this type of leukemia. Blood smears also apply in establishing the number of platelets in the blood, as well as how the cancerous lymph cells could have altered the normal shapes of blood cells.
Another important activity during diagnosis is examination of tissues and fluids from the bone marrow to determine existence or cause of the disease. If the lumbar vertebrate has physical faults such as punctures, the there is an invasion on the brain and spinal column (Larson, 2012). Acute lymphocytic leukemia also attacks other parts of the body apart from the bone marrow, and processes such as medical scanning apply in establishing their conditions during a diagnosis. There are certain factors that can influence the effectiveness of a prognosis conducted on an individual. These factors include an individual’s age, availability of cancerous lymph cells in the brain or spinal cord, changes in a patient’s genes, as well as the possibility of the condition having recurred following past treatment. These factors have potential to negatively influence treatment options available for a patient, and the chances of the patient recovering after treatment (Larson, 2012).
Numerous symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia apply and show among adults diagnosed with this type of leukemia. Signs can take long to show, up to a point where someone feels the need to see a doctor. Signs and symptoms show when white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets stop to function normally within the body (Advani and Lazarus, 2010). Common signs and symptoms of someone diagnosed with this type of leukemia include fever, general body weakness, sweating during the night, loss of body weight, lack of appetite, shortness of breath, as well as numerous and consistent body infections. Other symptoms, which might force an individual to see a doctor include bruises, painful bones, painless lumps, as well as an unsettled stomach (Advani and Lazarus, 2010).
Treatment of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia applies various options depending on the development stage of the cancer, and its location in the body. Efficiency of treatment depends on the time of diagnosis, as early stages of development have higher success rates (Rowe and Goldstone, 2007). The aim of treating acute lymphocytic leukemia is to eliminate all types of cancer cells from the body. Some of the treatment options available to patients of this type of leukemia include radiotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, and steroids among others. The primary option applied in treating leukemia is chemotherapy, which is the use of cancer fighting drugs. This type of treatment involves three phases namely reduction generation, consolidation, and management therapy. These phases aim to eliminate immature cells, reduce the burden of developing tumors, and eliminate remnant cells in the body after treatment (Rowe and Goldstone, 2007).
Radiotherapy entails use of radioactive substances to kill all detectable cancerous cells in the body. It applies in eliminating cancerous cells in hard body parts such as bones and other sensitive parts such as the brain or the spinal cord (Rowe and Goldstone, 2007). Radiotherapy applies as a preparation for bone marrow transplant, which is another treatment option. Bone marrow transplant entails replacing cancerous cells in a patient with cancer free stem cells acquired from a donor. Another treatment option is targeted therapy that uses drugs to eliminate specific cancerous cells within the body. This treatment option is more effective and reliable compared to chemotherapy because it has fewer side effects (Rowe and Goldstone, 2007).
Conclusion
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a type of blood cancer, caused by excessive production of lymph cells within the bone marrow that is responsible for production of blood cells. Leukemia cells are quite fast in attacking blood, and the disease spreads to other body parts rapidly. Numerous factors such as exposure to radioactive materials, and past chemotherapy treatment predispose an adult to attack by acute lymphocytic leukemia. Some of the common symptoms of this type of leukemia in adults include development of bruises, breathlessness, fever, lack of appetite, a feeling of tiredness, and loss of weight among others. Diagnosis of this type of leukemia involves examination of blood and bone marrow for presence of cancerous cells. Diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia entails identifying the nature, cause and predisposing factors to the condition.
References
Advani, A., & Lazarus, H. (2010). Adult Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia: Biology and Treatment. New York: Springer.
Kenderian, S., & Litzow, M. (2013). Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adolescents and Young Adults- from Genomics to the Clinics.
Kearns, P. (2011). New Agents for the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. New York: Springer.
Larson, R. (2012). Patient Information: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment in Adults.
Rowe, J., & Goldstone, A. (2007). How I Treat Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Adults.