leukaemia

Introduction

usually present by causing anaemia, bleeding from thrombocytopenia, or infections or mouth ulcers from impaired immunity from inadequate mature, functional white cells
chronic forms may be detected incidentally on blood films, or by finding hepatosplenomegaly, or Ix of anorexia, night sweats or LOW
90% occur in adults but only accounts for 3% of adult cancers
accounts for a third of all childhood cancers and is the 2nd most common cause of cancer in children under 12 months age, and the most common cancer in children over 12 months of age
two main categories based upon temporal course:
- acute leukaemias are those with a rapid increase in the numbers of immature blood cells. Most childhood leukaemias are acute.
- chronic leukaemias have a slow (months-years) build up of relatively mature blood cells
two main categories based upon blood cell type:
- lymphoblastic or lymphocytic
- myeloid or myelogenous
hence 4 main types based upon the above combinations plus some less common types
it seems all leukaemias have a common histopathology of special droplets (“C-bodies”) inside their nuclei which coordinate the leukaemic phenotype - interfering with these stop the leukaemia cell from dividing and they then mature into normal cells. ¹⁾

mainly in men but also occurs in children and women
accounts for 20% of childhood leukaemia (~50 children per year in Australia develop AML)
- 19% of childhood AML is linked to rare genetic changes that may be inherited through family bloodlines²⁾
5yr survival 40%

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