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Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

5/4/2019

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Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the lymph system. The lymph system is part of the immune system.  In this type of lymphoma, tumors start for a cell type called lymphocytes. They are a form of white blood cell.
In 2018, the estimated number of new Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cases was 74,680 in the US. In the US, 71.4% of patients survive after 5 years or more of being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This means out of 100 patients with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, about 71 patients have survived the disease for 5 years or more.
Risk factors
There are certain factors that increase the chances of having Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
  • Drugs that muffle the immune system. These drugs are typically used in patients that have received organs by transplant.  These medications increase the risk of having lymphoma because they have suppressed the patient’s natural ability to fight off disease.   
  • Infection. Infection with the bacteria Helicobacter pylori has been connected to a higher chance of having this type of cancer. The HIV and Epstein-Barr viruses have been associated with higher rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • Chemicals. Chemicals like herbicides and pesticides have potentially been associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. There is ongoing research into the connection between these chemicals and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • Older age. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common in people over 60 compared to younger people.
Symptoms
There are certain symptoms and signs associated with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These include painless enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin, belly discomfort/swelling, pain in a patient’s trunk, shortness of breath, coughing, feeling tired all the time, higher body temperature, sweating at night, unplanned loss of weight.
Diagnosis
There are certain tests that a doctor might use to see if a patient has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • A physical checkup. A doctor will look for swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin. The doctor will also look for an enlarged liver or spleen.
  • Blood and urine tests. Tests looking at a patient’s bodily fluids will aid in excluding other causes or diseases.
  • Diagnostic imaging. A doctor will use machines/techniques to see what is going on inside a patient’s body.  These techniques include X-ray, CT and positron emission tomography.
  • Lymph node biopsy. A piece of lymph node will be removed from the body to help find out information about the disease.
  • Bone marrow biopsy.  A sample of bone marrow is collected from the hip bone. The sample is used to find cancer cells.
Depending on the severity of the disease a doctor and patient may decide to wait to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This is called a wait-and-see tactic. The doctor will monitor the patient every few months to watch the cancer. They will make sure that the cancer is not advancing.  If the disease is hard-hitting or causes the signs and symptoms of the disease described above, treatment may be advocated by the doctor.
Treatment options
The treatment options for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma include the following:
  • Chemotherapy. These are medications that are used to kill the cancer cells. They can be injected or taken by mouth. Chemotherapy can be taken alone, with other medications or with radiation therapy.
  • Radiation therapy. This is a release of energy in the form of waves or particles. This energy injures cancer cells and prevents them from growing. Examples of this therapy this include X-rays and protons.
  • Bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant/ stem cell transplant.  This is when abnormal or unhealthy bone marrow is replaced by hardy and healthy cells.
Before a transplant there are a few steps that are taken.  Progenitor or stem blood cells are collected. Chemotherapy or radiation is then used to kill off the sickly cells. The healthy stem cells are then injected back into the body and help to recreate healthy bone marrow cells.      
  • Additional drug therapy.
    • Biologic therapy helps the body’s natural defenses fight cancer. Examples of biologic therapy are rituximab (Rituxan) and ibrutinib (Imbruvica).
    • Radioimmunotherapy drugs directly attach to cancer cells and deliver precise radiation to kill the cancer cells. An example of this drug is ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin).
 
References:
“Cancer Stat Facts: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/nhl.html
“Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2019.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375680
‌
Web links about Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/blood-disorders/lymphomas/non-hodgkin-lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma  https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000581.htm


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Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

5/4/2019

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Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a disease of the lymph system.  The lymph system is a part of the immune system. This disease is caused by irregular cells in the lymph system.  The irregular cells do not grow like normal lymph cells.
In 2018, the estimated number of new Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cases was 8,500 in the US. In the US, 86.6% of patients survive after 5 years or more of being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This means out of 100 patients with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, about 87 patients have survived the disease for 5 years or more.
Risk Factors
The things that raise the chances of having Hodgkin's lymphoma include:
  • Age. Hodgkin's lymphoma happens more in patients between the ages of 15 and 30 years. It also occurs more frequently in those over 55 years old.
  • Family history of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Those with blood relatives who have Hodgkin's have an increased risk of having the disease.
  • Gender. Male patients have a somewhat higher chance of having Hodgkin's lymphoma compared to women.
  • Previous illness from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Patients who have a history of the virus have an increased risk of having Hodgkin’s lymphoma compared to people with no history of the virus.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma include: swelling lymph nodes in the neck-groin or underarm, constant feeling of tiredness, increases in temperature, sweating at night, unplanned loss of weight, irritated and scratchy skin, effects of alcohol are more pronounced, and pain after alcohol consumption near lymph nodes.
 
Diagnosis
Based on a patient’s personal/familial medical history, a doctor may conduct tests to establish if there is a diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • A physical checkup. A doctor will look for swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin. The doctor will also look for an enlarged liver or spleen.
  • Lab tests.  A small vial of blood may be taken. A laboratory will look at a patient’s blood and look for signs of cancer.
  • Diagnostic imaging. A doctor will use machines/techniques to see what is going on inside a patient’s body.  These techniques include X-ray, CT and positron emission tomography.
  • Lymph node biopsy. A piece of lymph node will be removed from the body to help find out information about the disease.  
  • Bone marrow biopsy.  A sample of bone marrow is collected from the hip bone. The sample is used to find Hodgkin’s lymphoma cells.
Treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  • Chemotherapy. These are drugs that reach most parts of the body. They are used to kill the lymphoma cells. These drugs can be used in combination with radiation or by itself. The drugs are taken as pills or injections.
  • Radiation therapy. This is a release of energy in the form of waves or particles. This energy injures cancer cells and prevents them from growing. Examples of this therapy this include X-rays and protons.
  • Bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant/ stem cell transplant.  This is when abnormal or unhealthy bone marrow is substituted by hardy and healthy cells. This is a possible treatment if the lymphoma returns after chemotherapy/radiation therapy.
Before a transplant there are a few steps that are taken.  Progenitor or stem blood cells are collected. Chemotherapy or radiation is then used to kill off the sickly cells. The healthy stem cells are then injected back into the body and help to recreate healthy bone marrow cells.      
  • Additional drug treatment (targeted therapy and immunotherapy). Targeted therapy concentrates on distinctive weakness in the lymphoma cells. Immunotherapy uses the patient’s own immune system to destroy the cancer cells. If other treatments do not work there may be lab testing to look for genetic mutations or weakness in the cancer cells. This will help the doctor pick out the right targeted therapy or immunotherapy.
References:
“Cancer Stat Facts: Hodgkin Lymphoma.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/hodg.html .
“Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease).” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education
and Research, 2019.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20352646.

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myeloma

3/26/2019

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Myeloma
Myeloma is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells. Specifically, it affects the plasma cells. Plasma cells create antibodies. These antibodies help a patient’s body find germs and fight off infection.
Myeloma occurs when unhealthy or cancer cells gather in bone marrow. These cancer cells overcrowd the normal blood cells. The cancer cells cannot make normal antibodies, instead they make irregular proteins. These irregular proteins can cause problems in the body.


In 2018, the estimated number of new myeloma cases of 30,770 in the US. In the US, 50.7% of patients survive after 5 Years or more of being diagnosed with myeloma. This means out of 100 patients with myeloma, about 50 patients have survived the disease for 5 years or more.


Risk Factors  
Factors that can increase your chances of having myeloma include:
  • Older age.  Most patients diagnosed with this disease are in their sixties.
  • Male gender.  Men have a higher risk of having myeloma compared to women.
  • Race.  A black patient’s chances of having myeloma are doubled when compared white patients.
  • Family history.  Patients with a family history have a higher chance of getting the disease.


Signs & Symptoms  
The signs and symptoms myeloma can be different for every person. There may not be signs early on for patients with myeloma.  When and if there are symptoms, a patient might experience bone aches, nausea, constipation, a loss of appetite/hunger, foggy thoughts or confusion, fatigue, repeated infections, patients may feel more thirsty than usual, patients may lose weight, legs may feel weak or numb.  


Diagnosis
There are several tests that can help diagnosis myeloma. Some of these tests may be conducted by your provider if they suspect Myeloma. Your doctor may find myeloma by coincidence with some routine tests.  These tests include:
  • Blood tests and urine tests, which look for abnormal proteins made by myeloma.
  • Inspection of your bone marrow. Your doctor may take a small amount of bone marrow and look at the myeloma cells to find specific genetic irregularities.
  • Imaging like X-ray, MRI, CT or positron emission tomography (PET). Imaging can show bone abnormalities that can happen with myeloma.

Treatment Options
  • Targeted therapy.   This is a type of drug therapy with injections or pills.  Targeted therapy focuses on a particular characteristic unique to a patient’s cancer cells that allow them to persist and thrive in the body.  This therapy obstructs essential substance/proteins in the cancer cells. This makes the myeloma cells die. Examples of targeted drugs are: Bortezomib (Velcade), carfilzomib (Kyprolis) and ixazomib (Ninlaro)
  • Biologic therapy.   This is a type of drug therapy with pills. It improves your own immune cells ability to combat myeloma. Examples of these drugs are drugs thalidomide (Thalomid), lenalidomide (Revlimid) and pomalidomide (Pomalyst)
  • Chemotherapy. This is a type of treatment with drugs that come as pills or in an injection.  This type of treatment targets and eliminates cells, like myeloma cells, that grow quickly and haphazardly.  
  • Corticosteroids/steroids. This treatment can come as a pill or as an injection. They help control inflammation in the body and works against myeloma cells.
  • Bone marrow transplant/ stem cell transplant.  This is when abnormal or unhealthy bone marrow is substituted by hardy and healthy cells.

Before a transplant there are a few steps that are taken.  Progenitor or Stem blood cells are collected. Chemotherapy is then used to kill off the sickly bone marrow cells. The healthy stem cells are then injected back into the body and help to recreate healthy bone marrow cells.      
  • Radiation therapy. This is a release of energy in the form of waves or particles. This energy injures myeloma cells and prevents them from growing. This therapy is used to rapidly damage myeloma cells and can be used to target particular parts of the body. Examples of this therapy this include X-rays and protons

​References:
“Cancer Stat Facts: Myeloma.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html
“Multiple-Myeloma.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-myeloma/symptoms-causes/syc-20353378 .
 
Web links about Myleloma:
Patient education: Multiple myeloma symptoms, diagnosis, and staging (Beyond the Basics)
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/multiple-myeloma-symptoms-diagnosis-and-staging-beyond-the-basics
 
Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma)—Patient Version
https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloma
 
Multiple Myeloma
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/blood-disorders/plasma-cell-disorders/multiple-myeloma
 
Multiple Myeloma
https://medlineplus.gov/multiplemyeloma.html
 
What Is Multiple Myeloma?
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/what-is-multiple-myeloma.html
 

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About MPD (Myeloproliferative Disease)

2/12/2018

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Myeloproliferative diseases is a term used for a cluster of illnesses. These diseases are when the bone marrow creates more red/white blood cells or platelets then the body needs. Polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis together comprise the majority of myeloproliferative diseases.
 
The total number of people living with myeloproliferative diseases (prevalence rate) in the US is estimated to be 29,5709. This estimation is based on 2010 information.  
In the US Medicare population, 53.2% of patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) survive after 5 Years. This means out of 100 patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), about 53 patients have survived the disease for 5 years.  In the US Medicare population, 53.1% of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) survive after 5 Years. This means out of 100 patients with polycythemia vera (PV), about 53 patients have survived the disease for 5 years. In the US Medicare population, 18.2% of patients with myelofibrosis (MF) survive after 5 years. This means out of 100 patients with myelofibrosis (MF), about 53 patients have survived the disease for 5 years.
 
Risk Factors
There are certain risk factors that can increase the chances of having Myeloproliferative Diseases.
  • Genomic causes. Myeloproliferative Diseases are not thought to be heritable. However, there is some data to show that some people may be inclined to develop myeloproliferative diseases based on their own personal genetic codes.
  • Factors present in the environment.  Exposure to radiation and petrochemicals (like benzene and toluene) have been linked with the development of myeloproliferative diseases.

Diagnosis
  • Blood tests.  If your doctor thinks that you have a myeloproliferative disease, s/he may order blood tests that will take a small amount of blood to look at your cells. Your doctor may order more test if they see abnormal initial blood test results.
  • Bone marrow biopsy. A small amount of bone marrow is taken from the bone, typically from the hip bone, with a needle. The sample taken from the bone is called a biopsy. In a laboratory, the biopsy is examined for malformations in the cells
Symptoms
There are certain symptoms and signs showing that a patient may have myeloproliferative disease. Patients may have anemia, shortness of breath with activity, loss of strength or tiredness, paleness, reduction in hunger, prolonged bleeding from minor cuts due to low platelet counts, purpura-black/blue pinpoint marks on the skin where bleeding has occurred under the skin, sinus-skin/urinary infections owing to a reduced number of low white blood cells that fight infection.
Treatment Options
Myeloproliferative disease typically cannot be cured. Treatment typically tries to fix the irregular blood tests.  If a patient has no symptoms, with a doctor’s consultation, the patient may decide to take the watchful waiting approach.  This means the patient will not be on treatment but they will get frequent evaluations and undergo diagnostic checks to monitor the progress of their disease.
  • Phlebotomy. This technique is used to decrease the number of red blood cells from the body. A large volume of blood is removed to accomplish this.  It can help with the symptoms connected to having a high number of red blood cells.
  • Cell-Reducing Medications. Patients who are at higher risk for clotting and who have higher red blood cell counts may require these drugs. The drugs reduce the number of red blood cells that the body makes or limit their release from the bone marrow. Examples include hydroxyurea (Hydrea), Interferon-alpha and Anagrelide (Agrylin).
  • Supportive Care. In the advanced stages of the disease or when the bone marrow is not making normal blood cells treatment may include drugs and transfusion. There are several examples of drugs used for supportive care. For example growth factor erythropoietin (EPO) expands the number of red blood cells, growth factor granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) expands the number of white blood cells. Also transfusions can increase the number of red blood cells/platelets.
  • Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be presented by injection, by oral delivery, or by injection into the spinal fluid.  The drugs help manage irregular blood cells.
  • Transplantation. Those with severe/advanced myeloproliferative disease can be treated with a transplant of bone marrow.
  • Drugs targeting certain gene aberration.  The drugs stop abnormal proteins linked to those certain gene mutations. Examples of these drugs include imatinib (Gleevec) and ruxolitinib (Jakafi).
 
References:
“Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019. https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloproliferative/patient/chronic-treatment-pdq.
“Prevalence.” MPN Research Foundation, 2019. https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloproliferative/patient/chronic-treatment-pdq.
“Survival Patterns in United States (US) Medicare Enrollees with Non-CML Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN).”  Price et al. 2019.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0090299.
“Myeloproliferative Neoplasms” Cancer Network-Oncology, 2019  
https://www.cancernetwork.com/cancer-management/myeloproliferative-neoplasms/page/0/2
“Myeloproliferative Disorders Signs and Symptoms” University of California San
Francisco, 2019  
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/myeloproliferative_disorders/signs_and_symptoms.html.
“Treatment Options” Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 2019.  
https://www.seattlecca.org/diseases/myeloproliferative-neoplasms-mpn/treatment-options.

‌Web links about Myeloproliferative Disorders
Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version
https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloproliferative/patient/chronic-treatment-pdq
 
Overview of Myeloproliferative Disorders
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/blood-disorders/myeloproliferative-disorders/overview-of-myeloproliferative-disorders
 
Drugs Approved for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/myeloproliferative-neoplasms

Chronic myeloproliferative disorders
https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/9319/chronic-myeloproliferative-disorders


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About MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome)

2/12/2018

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Myelodysplastic syndromes are a cluster of diseases produced by dysfunctional or irregular blood cells. Myelodysplastic syndromes arise when there are irregularities in the spongy areas of the bones where blood cells are created, known as the bone marrow.  Myelodysplastic syndromes are found in about 10,000 people per year in the US.
Based on the risk group (revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) risk groups) of a patient’s specific disease, the median survival period for patients can range from 8.8 years (very low risk) to less than a year (very high risk). A patient should discuss their risk group with their provider to get a median survival period specific to them.
Median survival is a way to determine the potential results of a disease.  It is the time after diagnosis in which 50% of patients are still alive and 50% have passed. It is a middle value. Fifty percent of the patients will live longer than the median survival period, and 50% of the patients will not live past the median survival period.
 
Risk Factors
There are factors that increase the chances of having Myelodysplastic Syndrome.
  • Older age. Patients older than 60 have a higher risk of having the disease compared to younger patients.
  • Previous cancer treatment. Chemotherapy/radiation therapy, which are generally used to treat cancer, can lead to a higher rates of myelodysplastic syndromes.
  • Exposure to chemicals. Some substances have been associated with myelodysplastic syndromes. These substances include cigarette smoke, chemicals used to kill insects and manufacturing compounds, such as benzene.
  • Exposure to heavy metals. Those with a history of contact with heavy metals like lead and mercury have a higher risk of having Myelodysplastic Syndromes.
Symptoms
The symptoms associated with Myelodysplastic Syndromes include the following: feelings of tiredness, shortness of breath, uncharacteristic pastiness/paleness due to anemia (low blood cell count), uncommon bruising/bleeding due to low platelet counts in the blood, petechiae (tiny spots on the skin caused by bleeding under the skin), repeated infections due to leukopenia (a low number of white blood cells in the blood).
Diagnosis
If a doctor thinks a patient has myelodysplastic syndrome, s/he may conduct tests to confirm a diagnosis. The tests could include several things.
  • Blood tests. A doctor might collect a small amount of blood. They will look at how many red/white cells and platelets a patient has. They will also look for irregularities in blood cells to try and detect disease.   
  • Bone marrow biopsy. A small amount of bone marrow is taken from the bone, typically from the hip bone, with a needle. The sample taken from the bone is called a biopsy. In a laboratory, the biopsy is examined for malformations in the cells.
Treatment Options
If a patient has no symptoms, with a doctor’s consultation, the patient may decide to take the watchful waiting approach.  This means the patient will not be on treatment but they will get frequent evaluations and undergo diagnostic checks to monitor the progress of their disease.  
  • Blood transfusions. This procedure can be used to replenish red/white blood cells or platelets.
  • Growth factors. These drugs can help build up more blood cells in the body. They are artificial components that mimic of the body’s natural bone marrow factors.
Examples of growth factors that add to the number of red blood cells are epoetin alfa (Epogen, Procrit) or darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp). They can help reduce the number of transfusions a patient may need.  Examples of growth factors that add to the number of white blood cells are filgrastim (Neupogen, Zarxio). White blood cells help the body fight off infections.
  • Medications that stimulate blood cells. These medications help promote the maturation of blood cells. These drugs can lead to a better quality of life for patients with certain myelodysplastic syndromes and they lower the chances of getting certain types of leukemia (acute myelogenous leukemia). Examples of these medications include azacitidine (Vidaza) and decitabine (Dacogen)
  • Drugs that stifle the immune system. Certain medications can muffle the immune system. These medications can potentially reduce the number of blood transfusions that are needed for certain myelodysplastic syndromes.
  • Drugs that focus on a particular genetic abnormality. There are drugs that target a specific gene aberration called isolated del(5q). A drug that targets this specific mutation is called lenalidomide (Revlimid).
  • Bone marrow/stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy drugs destroy the aberrant blood cells in the bone marrow. The aberrant cells are then swapped with healthy transplanted cells from a donor.
  •  
References:
“Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version.” National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute, 2019. https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloproliferative/hp/myelodysplastic-treatment-pdq#_1 .
“Survival Statistics for Myelodysplastic Syndromes.” American Cancer Society, 2019. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/myelodysplastic-syndrome/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival.html .
“Myelodysplastic syndromes.” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2019.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/myelodysplastic-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20366977  
 
‌Web links about Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Patient education: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in adults (Beyond the Basics)
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/myelodysplastic-syndromes-mds-in-adults-beyond-the-basics
 
Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version
https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloproliferative/patient/myelodysplastic-treatment-pdq
 
Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/blood-disorders/leukemias/myelodysplastic-syndrome-mds
 
Myelodysplastic syndrome
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007716.htm  
 
What Are Myelodysplastic Syndromes?
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/myelodysplastic-syndrome/about/what-is-mds.html
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About CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia)

2/12/2018

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CML is a type of cancer that starts in the blood forming cells of the bone marrow and invades the blood. Leukemia cells tend to build up over time but many people don’t have symptoms for at least a few years. During that time, the cells can invade other parts of the body, including the spleen. CML can also change into the fast growing acute leukemia. Most cases occur in adults, and it rarely occurs in children.

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About CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia)

2/12/2018

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CLL is one of the most common forms of leukemia in adults. One kind of CLL [early stage low and intermediate risk (described later)] grows very slowly and rarely needs to be treated. People with this type of CLL survive an average of 15 years or more. The other kind of CLL (high risk) grows faster and is more serious. People with this kind of CLL live an average of about 8 years. 

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About AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia)

2/12/2018

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AML is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates are about 13,780 new cases in the US, mostly in adults. About 10,200 deaths will be from AML for the year 2012.   The average age of a patient is about 67 and it affects more men than women. Although AML is a relatively rare disease, accounting for about 1.2% of cancer deaths in the US, its incidence is expected to increase as the population ages. AML progresses rapidly and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.

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About ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia)

2/12/2018

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ALL is the most common type of cancer in children occurring between the ages of 2 and 5 years and adults over the age of 65. It is the most successfully treated childhood leukemia.  In ALL, the DNA in the diseased cells is damaged and the cells cannot mature beyond the early stage in their life cycle. These immature (blast) cells reproduce very rapidly and take over the bone marrow so it cannot produce healthy blood cells and platelets. These low counts of disease fighting white cells can lead to infection, and bruising or bleeding from the low levels of platelets. Immediate treatment is required because of the rapid progression and accumulation of the malignant cells, which then spill over into the bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body.

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Support Resource Links

2/12/2018

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Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
List of frequently asked questions from patients and families.

National Cancer Institute
Information about aftercare, including link to a booklet "Life After Cancer Treatment."

Be The Match (National Marrow Donor Program)
"Role of the transplant caregiver" describes what a caregiver should expect in his/her role, how the role changes over time, and what the caregiver can do to advocate for the patient. 

A Guide for Caregivers
Published by staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Finding financial assistance
Links to organizations that have a financial assistance program for  patients and families.

Cancer Support Community
Ten tips for cancer caregivers that will help them take care of themselves while caring for someone with cancer.

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