Leukemia is a malignant disease that originates at the level of the bone marrow. The disease is characterized by an impaired production of blood cells. Leukemia refers to incomplete development of white blood cells, which accumulate at the level of the marrow and inside the bloodstream. The dysfunctional cells multiply at abnormally fast rates, eventually outnumbering their normal, healthy counterparts. Unlike normal cells, replica cells are incomplete and they can’t fulfill their role inside the organism. Furthermore, they affect the body’s production of normal cells, triggering a decrease in the number of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.
There are various types of leukemia, each of them following different patterns of progression. Leukemia is also categorized according to the type of blood cells involved in causing the disease. Judging by the type of cells responsible for causing the cancer, leukemia can be myelogenous or lymphocytic. According to the pattern and the rate of evolution of the cancer, leukemia can be either acute or chronic. Acute leukemia has a rapid rate of progression, while chronic leukemia evolves slowly.
The treatment for leukemia involves a series of cancer therapies and prolonged courses of cancer medications. Considering the fact that there is no cure for leukemia in present, the results of the available treatments are fluctuant. Patients’ responsiveness to leukemia treatments and therapies are strongly influenced by age, sex, the type of leukemia, and the promptitude of medical intervention. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment considerably increase the chances of complete recovery.
An interesting aspect of leukemia is that it predominantly affects Caucasian people. Although the disease can occur among people belonging to any ethnical group, leukemia is more common in white people. Furthermore, the complete remission of leukemia is strongly influenced by race. Although leukemia is less likely to occur in non-Caucasians, this category of people is by far less responsive to cancer treatment. Recent studies in the field indicate that non-whites are six times less likely to recover completely after the treatment of leukemia.
These facts suggest that genetic factors have a great contribution to the occurrence and the progression of leukemia. In addition, genetic factors strongly influence patients’ responsiveness to treatment. In order to detect the exact genetic factors responsible for generating differentiated reactions to the treatment of leukemia, medical scientists have conducted various elaborate studies in the last decade.
Medical scientists have discovered that patients with acute myelogenous leukemia who present cytogenic abnormalities tend to respond a lot better to treatment than patients who don’t have these genetic abnormalities. The category of patients with certain cytogenic abnormalities is more likely to achieve complete remission after completing the treatment of leukemia. These abnormalities are very common in white people, thus explaining the racial-differentiated results of cancer treatments and therapies. Medical scientists have linked low responsiveness to leukemia treatments with the presence of 8-21 cytogenic translocation in patients or the absence of any genetic abnormalities. Patients who present the so called inverse 16 cytogenic translocation generally respond a lot better to the treatment of leukemia.
Medical scientists sustain that these findings will not determine pronounced changes in the treatment of leukemia. However, they explain that people with low-responsiveness to common forms of treatment should receive combination treatments in order to achieve complete remission. Scientists believe that in future people diagnosed with leukemia will receive personalized treatments, according to their age, sex and ethnicity.
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