Leukemia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leukemia - Research Paper Example Different types of blood cells have their own respective tasks. Different types of the white blood cells serve the purpose of fighting infection whereas the red blood cells are the fundamental source of oxygen to all tissues in the body. Platelets are another kind of blood cells that help control bleeding by forming blood clots. Stem cells form all three kinds of blood cells as per the requirement of body. Older cells get damaged with time and expire to make room for new cells. Bone marrow in the bones of an individual who suffers from leukemia produces abnormal white blood cells which are termed as the leukemia cells. Leukemia cells continue to live far beyond the time that normal blood cells expire. As a result of that, they grow larger in number as compared to the usual white blood cells, platelets and the red blood cells which does not allow the normal blood cells to function as they normally do. Types of Leukemia: Leukemia can be classified into different types depending upon th e speed of development of the disease and its aggravation. There are two basic types of leukemia, namely the chronic leukemia and the acute leukemia. Chronic leukemia is the type of leukemia that takes some time to get worse whereas the acute leukemia is that sort of leukemia that worsens quite quickly. 1. Chronic Leukemia: When the disease is in the initial stages, leukemia cells are able to do considerable amount of work of the normal white blood cells. As a result of this, the victims of disease may not discover any symptoms in the start. In a vast majority of cases, chronic leukemia gets diagnosed by the doctor in a routine checkup without the indication of any symptoms. As some time passes, leukemia gets worse. This happens as the blood contains an increased number of leukemia cells. This is the time when symptoms start to show up. The patient develops infections or swollen lymph nodes. These symptoms are mild in the start and with time, get worse. 2. Acute Leukemia: Acute leuk emia cells are not able to function as the normal white blood cells. In this type of disease, the leukemia cells quickly increase in number. Accordingly, the acute leukemia rapidly aggravates. Prognosis of Leukemia: A disease’s prognosis is an overview of its development and life expectancy. This is estimated considering the historic medical data. Prognosis for the different kinds of leukemia is discussed below: 1. Prognosis for chronic leukemia: Symptoms of chronic leukemia take quite some time to show up. In the initial stages of the disease, the patient may experience night sweats, swollen spleen, fatigue, and lack of energy (Pilgrim). More middle aged adults are affected by this kind of leukemia as compared to children. Prognosis of chronic leukemia depends upon the level of aggravation of the disease. Bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy are commonly employed as the methods of treatment for the chronic leukemia. In the early stages of the disease, patients can expect to live for 98 months. Patients who have been suffering from this disease for quite some time should expect a life of 65 months more, whereas the ones who are in the last stage of the disease can expect a life of 42 months (Pilgrim). 2. Prognosis of acute leukemia: Acute leukemia is a more severe type of leukemia because the disease aggravates faster. This type of leukemia commonly occurs in adults. 20 to 40 per cent of the patients of acute leukemia continue to live up to a minimum of 60 months if the disease gets