What is Leukaemia, blood related cancers & Bone Marrow?
Leukaemia is a cancer of the bone marrow. It affects the cells in the bone marrow that produce white blood cells.
The four main types of leukaemia are:
Each type has its own characteristics and treatment. Chronic myeloid leukaemia may also be called chronic granulocytic leukaemia or chronic myelogenous leukaemia. It is most common between the ages of 40 and 60 and is slightly more common in men than in women.
What is Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia?
Chronic myeloid leukaemia is a rare type of cancer affecting approximately 700 people (mostly adults) in the UK each year. Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Normally, white blood cells grow and divide in an orderly and controlled way, but in leukaemia the process gets out of control and the cells divide too quickly, and do not mature. In CML, too many myeloid cells (one of the main types of white blood cells) are produced. The myeloid cells are released into the blood when they are immature and unable to work properly. These immature white blood cells are known as blasts.
The immature cells fill up the bone marrow and prevent it from making blood cells properly. As the leukaemia cells do not mature, they can't do the work of normal white blood cells, which leads to an increased risk of infection. Because the bone marrow is overcrowded with immature white cells it also can't make enough healthy red cells and platelets.
CML usually develops very slowly, which is why it is called ‘chronic’ myeloid leukaemia. Chronic myeloid leukaemia can occur at any age, but it more commonly affects middle-aged and older people. It is rare in children.
What is Acute Myeloblastic Leukaemia?
Normally, blood cells are made in the bone marrow in an orderly and controlled way. In acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), this process gets out of control and many abnormal leukaemia cells are made. These cells are immature and aren’t able to develop into normal functioning blood cells. They are sometimes called blast cells. AML is an overproduction of an early myeloid cell. In most types of AML the leukaemia cells are immature white cells. But, in some less common types of AML, too many immature platelets or immature red blood cells are made. The immature cells fill up the bone marrow, taking up space that is needed to make normal blood cells. Some leukaemia cells 'spill over' into the blood and circulate around the body in the bloodstream. These leukaemia cells don’t mature, and so don’t work properly. This leads to an increased risk of infection as well as symptoms such as anaemia and bruising caused by fewer healthy red blood cells and platelets being made.
What is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia?
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a cancer of the lymphocytes. It is the most common type of leukaemia. CLL mainly affects people over 60 and is rare in people under the age of 40. CLL occurs more often in men than women, but the reason for this is not known.
Blood cells are normally produced in a controlled way, but in leukaemia the process gets out of control. The lymphocytes multiply too quickly and live too long, so there are too many of them circulating in the blood. These leukaemic lymphocytes look normal, but they are not fully developed (immature) and do not work properly. Over a period of time the abnormal cells replace the normal white cells, red cells and platelets in the bone marrow. The condition usually develops very slowly and many people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia do not need treatment for months or years. Some people need to have treatment straight away.
What is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia?
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is a rare type of cancer, affecting approximately 200 adults per year in the UK. Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Normally, white blood cells grow and divide in an orderly and controlled way but in leukaemia the process gets out of control and the cells divide too quickly, but do not mature. In acute lymphoblastic leukaemia there is an overproduction of immature lymphocytes, called lymphoblasts (sometimes referred to as blast cells). There are two different types of lymphocytes: B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes.
These immature cells fill up the bone marrow and stop it from making blood cells properly. As the leukaemia cells do not mature, they cannot do the work of normal white blood cells, which leads to an increased risk of infection. Because the bone marrow is overcrowded with immature white cells it cannot make enough healthy red cells and platelets.
ALL occurs more frequently in children (under 15 years of age) than adults. When it occurs in teenagers or adults, ALL is more common between the ages of 15–25 and in older people. It is slightly more common in males than in females.
What is Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. Lymphoma, like other cancers, is a disease of the body's cells. Cells in different parts of the body work in different ways, but they all repair and reproduce themselves in the same way. Normally, cells divide in the body in an orderly and controlled manner. However, if for some reason the process gets out of control the cells carry on dividing. In lymphoma, a lump or tumour forms in one or more groups of lymph nodes.
There are two main types of lymphoma:
The difference between Hodgkin lymphoma and NHL
There is only one way to tell the difference between Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). The difference can be seen when the cells are looked at under the microscope. Often the cells need to be stained with dyes to show their structures. Usually the cells will also be tested for the presence of particular proteins – this is known as immunohistochemistry.
In most cases of Hodgkin lymphoma, a particular cell known as the Reed-Sternberg cell is found in the tests done to see if you have the disease. This cell is not usually found in other lymphomas, so they are called non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This difference is important, because the treatment for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be very different. It is thought that Reed-Sternberg cells are a type of white blood cell – a B-lymphocyte that has become cancerous. B-lymphocytes normally make antibodies to fight infections.
What is Myeloma?
Myeloma is also known as multiple myeloma or myelomatosis.
Blood cells look and work differently, but they all repair and reproduce themselves in the same way. Normally, new cells are produced to replace old, worn-out cells in an orderly, controlled way. However, in myeloma the process gets out of control and large numbers of abnormal plasma cells – myeloma cells – are produced. These fill up the bone marrow and interfere with production of normal white cells, red cells and platelets. The myeloma cells usually produce a large amount of one type of abnormal antibody. This is known as a paraprotein or M protein. This paraprotein cannot fight infection effectively and often reduces the production of normal antibodies.
Myeloma cells have the ability to spread throughout the bone marrow and into the hard outer casing of the bone. Some, or many, areas of bone may be affected. Myeloma can cause thinning of the outer bone and bone pain. Myeloma usually occurs in middle-aged and older people. It is unusual before the age of 50 and very rare in people younger than 40.
Myeloma is one type of disorder of the plasma cells. Some other conditions of the plasma cells can develop into myeloma but may not necessarily do so. The two most common of these are monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS) and smouldering myeloma (also known as indolent or asymptomatic myeloma). If you are diagnosed with either of these conditions, you will be monitored with blood tests, but may not need to have any treatment unless the condition progresses.
What is Aplastic Anaemia?
Aplastic Anaemia is a rare disease in which the bone marrow is unable to produce adequate blood cells; leading to pancytopenia (deficiency of all types of blood cells). It may occur at any age, but there is a peak in adolescence / early adulthood, and again in old age. Slightly more males than females are diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia, also the disease is more common in the Far East. Patients successfully treated for aplastic anemia have a higher risk of developing other diseases later in life, including cancer.
What is Myeloproliferative disorders?
Myeloproliferative disorders are diseases in which too many blood cells are made by the bone marrow, there are 4 main types of myeloproliferative disorders:
chronic myelogenous, leukaemia, polycythemia vera agnogenic myeloid, metaplasia, thrombocythemia, Chronic myelogenous leukaemia is where an excess of granulocytes (immature white blood cells) are found in the blood and bone marrow. Polycythemia vera is where red blood cells become too numerous often resulting in a swelling of the spleen. Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia is a condition in which certain blood cells do not mature properly, this may result in a swelling of the spleen and anaemia. Essential thrombocythemia is a disease in which the body produces excessive numbers of platelets (cells in the blood that make it clot) which impedes the normal circulation of blood.
What is Myelodysplastic Syndrome?
Myelodysplastic syndromes, sometimes called "pre-leukaemia" are a group of diseases in which the bone marrow does not produce enough normal blood cells. Common symptoms are anaemia, bleeding, easy bruisability, and fatigue. These Myelodysplastic syndromes can occur in all age groups but are more common in people aged over 60. Myelodysplastic syndromes may develop spontaneously or be secondary to treatment with chemotherapy / radiotherapy. There is an association with Myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukaemia.
What is Bone Marrow?
Bone marrow is a spongy material that fills some of the bones and produces stem cells, which develop into the three different types of blood cells:
red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all cells in the body
white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infection
platelets, which help the blood to clot and control bleeding.
All these cells normally stay inside the bone marrow until they are mature enough to perform their functions properly. They are then released into the bloodstream so that they can move around the body in the blood.
White blood cells
There are two main types of white blood cell: myeloid cells and lymphocytes. These cells work together to fight infection. There are different types of myeloid cells that help to fight off different types of infection. The different myeloid cells are:
neutrophils
monocytes
eosinophils
basophils.
The myeloid cells, and some lymphocytes, only live for a few days, so the bone marrow is constantly making new cells to replace the old ones. The bone marrow normally makes millions of blood cells every day. When they are mature enough to leave the bone marrow, the white blood cells are released into the bloodstream to circulate around the body.
