LEUKEMIA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LEUKEMIA - Research Paper Example Leukemia, being a blood disorder, affects all systems of the body especially the respiratory, renal and digestive system. As a result of the less white blood cell count, the immune system deteriorates leaving the lungs, the kidney and the digestive tract less resistant to infectious diseases. On the other hand, the decrease of functional red blood cell results to decrease oxygen transport which leads to breathing problems, less effective body waste delivery and filtering in the kidneys and a protracted decrease in appetite due to bleeding in gums. Inflammation, damage and cancerous tumors in the lungs and kidneys have also been attributed to accumulation of leukemic cells. Leukemia is a disorder not yet well understood but the prevailing thought is that the production of abnormal cells in the bone marrow is due to mutations in DNA. Researchers believes that the risk for Leukemia is higher when the patient have one or a combination of the following: Leukemia detection can be definitive only through a routine blood test as there have been cases where chronic leukemia has been found with no prior physical indications. Nonetheless, individuals with leukemia usually suffer from the following: Patient presentation - Always feeling weak or tired, easy bruising and bleeding (dark skin patches or tiny red spots on skin), swollen lymph nodes especially in the neck, fever and night sweats and bone or joint pains. Cytogenetics- involves checking abnormalities in cell chromosomes to determine abnormality. For example, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is due to the Philadelphia chromosome, an abnormality in the cell’s chromosomes. Chemotherapy – is a drugs-based approach normally administered by vein or by mouth. Those with leukemia in their cerebrospinal fluid receive intrathecal chemotherapy which involves administering drugs in their spinal canal.