History of Leukemia

Posted by admin on September 4, 2009

Leukemia is derived from the Greek word “Leukos” and “Heima” which is the white blood and it really means the extra white blood cells in the body of a person. It is a type of blood cancer or cancer of bone surrounding an extensive range of health problems. The white blood cells are produced abundantly and profusely later causing leukemia.

Bone Marrow aids in production of blood and blood known as the body works. In bone marrow, the blood cells to divide to form new blood cells. The old cells are restored by new blood cells, implying the old cells are depleted. However, as the old cells do not die at a faster rate and thereby causing overproduction of blood cells divide, leading to this deadly disease called Cancer.

And person suffering from leukemia experience large production of white blood cells in the bone marrow called leukemia cells or leukocytes. This further leads to poor immune system and low resistance power and the person’s body is incapable to fight infections easily.

Greeks were the first people to discover this blood disease in the 14th or 15th century. But John Hughes Benett was the first person to officially discovered leukemia in 1845 in Edinburgh. Then in the 19th century when most of the European scientists discovered that there were several patients who were suffering from excess white blood cells in their bodies, which were produced excessively and over-abundantly. They termed it as “weisses blut” which means white blood.

Soon in the year 1913, leukemia was grouped into 4 main groups:
1. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
2. Chronic myelogenous leukemia
3. Acute lymphocytic leukemia
4. (Erythroleukemia)-Acute myelogenous leukemia

Then in the year 1970, it was found out that leukemia can be cured. In 1970s and 1980s, 70% of the people suffering from leukemia were cured which was a new ray of hope for leukemia patients. Till date, people are fighting against cancer, but they are not yet sure against which disease are they fighting with.

Now-a-days several kids are seen suffering from leukemia and this is continuously increasing quickly. The major reason for this problem is that these children are not breastfed enough so they have weak immune system. Their resistance against several health disorders is very low and hence they are prone to this deadly cancer. Breastfeeding helps your child develop a strong immune system thereby helping them to fight against various infections during childhood.

Individuals in developing countries and industrialized nations have higher chances of getting leukemia. Usually exposed to such people in developing countries, often with harmful chemicals and fumes. Inhale harmful gases such as benzene and formaldehyde, or come in contact with the gases and atomic radiation, and consumption of preserved and processed food, including artificial flavors that are harmful to the development of leukemia.

Today, leukemia can be as there are several effective treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy, along with the aminopterin, 6-mercaptopurine, 6-mercaptopurine treated successfully. The discovery of DNA helped to know the factors that cause cancer with deep details. Marrow transplantation is highly – effective treatment that has helped several leukemia patients. Genetic analysis is considered the finest future treatment for leukemia.

source article : JamieHanson