Leukemia (blood cancer):

We know that cancer means the uncontrolled production of cells.

Signs and Symptoms of Leukemia (blood cancer):

Leukemia is characterized by the appearance of a great number of immature and abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and often in the spleen and liver.

Causes of Leukemia (blood cancer):

This is caused by a cancerous mutation in bone marrow cells or the lymph tissue cells and results in the uncontrolled production of white blood cells (leukocytes). The mutated bone marrow cells may spread throughout the body, so that white blood cells are produced in many other organs. These white blood cells are not completely differentiated and so are defective.

Types of Leukemia (blood cancer):

This disease may be of different kinds depending on the type of white blood cells, which are being produced at a faster than normal rate. There may be Neutrophilic leukemia, Eosinophilic leukemia, Basophilic leukemia, Monocytic leukemia, or Lymphocytic leukemia.

Treatment of Leukemia (blood cancer):

It is a very serious disorder, and the patient needs to change the blood regularly with the normal blood, got from donors. It can be cured by bone marrow transplant, which is in most cases effective, very expensive treatment.

Thalassemia (g. thalassa = sea; haem = blood):

It is also called Cooley's anemia by the name of Thomas B. Cooley, an American pediatrician (the physician who treats children).

Causes of Thalassemia:

It is a genetic problem due to mutations in the gene of hemoglobin.

Signs and Symptoms of Thalassemia:

The hemoglobin molecule in most cases of thalassemia does not have ß-chains in it. instead, F-chain is present (F: fetal hemoglobin). This is called ß-thalassemia and the patient cannot transport oxygen properly.

Treatment of Thalassemia:

The blood of these patients is to be replaced regularly, with normal blood. It can be cured by bone marrow transplant which is very expensive and does not give a 100% cure rate.