Cancer is a type of illness that includes diseases that involve abnormal cell tumor which can spread all over the body. According to Peacock et al. (2005), cancerous diseases are characterized by a prolonged cough, abnormal bleeding, and unexplained weight loss. However, these symptoms can exist due to other factors. The risk of cancerous diseases increases mostly with age. Teicher (2011) claims that cancer is common in developing countries since people are trying to adapt to changing lifestyles. There are several types of cancers. This paper deals with the type of cancer known as leukemia.
Leukemia is a cancerous disease that affects blood-forming tissue of the body like the lymphatic system and bone marrow. There are several types of leukemia. Children and adults are affected by specific forms of leukemia. Leukemia cancer involves body’s white blood cells. White blood cells help fight
...diseases (Waldmann, 2007).
When the body needs them, they typically increase and divide in an organized manner. In people suffering from leukemia cancer, abnormal white blood cells are produced by bone marrow. The produced white blood cells usually do not function well hence the cancerous disease. Leukemia symptoms include fever, fatigue, weight loss, easy bleeding and other related characteristics.
The disease symptoms relate symptoms of other illnesses like the flu. To differentiate it, blood test in done to check on the distribution of cells. The presence of immature blood cells confirms the presence of leukemia (Peacock et al., 2005). Bone marrow and blood cells show genetic changes and expressions of particular cell surface signs made by the cancer cells. The leukemia cells grow quickly and continuously unlike the normal cells. These characteristics distinguish leukemia cancer cell
from other normal body cells.
The disease starts in the bone marrow leading to an immature production of blood cells then spreads to other parts of the body. After a period, the leukemia cells overtake the other blood cells including red blood cells and platelets. This results in problems like anemia, infections, and bleeding. Lymph nodes and other parts of the body swell or experience pain as leukemia cells spread to them. The cells spread causing growth of small tumors in the other parts of the body.
It then damages the affected organs (Teicher, 2011). Leukemia has on several homeostasis aspects. First, it hinders the ability of the body to fight infections. Also, blood clotting and oxygen distribution are affected by the disease. This makes the body not to function as expected.
The common treatments for leukemia are chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy and biological therapy. Chemotherapy kills leukemia cells by use of chemicals. Biological therapy helps boost the immune system for it to be able to recognize and fight leukemia cells.
Radiation therapy makes use of x-rays to damage and stop the growth of leukemia cells. Targeted therapy involves drugs that attack certain weaknesses within the cancer cells. Waldmann (2007) states that the treatment used depends on several factors which are based on overall health and age of a patient.
Most types of leukemia do not have known prevention methods. However, avoiding extreme doses of radiation, smoking and tobacco use and exposure to benzene chemical can help prevent some forms of leukemia (Waldmann, 2007). Also, people should avoid chemotherapy made for other types of cancer as it leads to leukemia. Exposure to such risk factors increases the chances of
cancer.
In conclusion, cancerous diseases have adverse effects on the body. The growth of tumors is a common symptom of cancer. Leukemia affects mostly components of the blood in the body like white blood cells. The spread of disease leads to malfunction of other parts of human body like liver and lungs. In summary, cancer is a dangerous disease that needs adequate attention before it spreads to other regions of the body.
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