week 3 discussion

There are many different types of cancer out in the world, and each one develops in their own areas of our body. In 2021, leukemia accounted for approximately 3.2% of new cancers as there were 61,090 estimated new cases (Chennamadhavuni et al., 2023). Leukemia is known as a hematologic malignancy that develops within a person’s myeloid cells or leukocytes- white blood cells (Chennamadhavuni et al., 2023). Depending on where the leukemia and how quickly it develops, leukemia will be given a specific name. According to Chennamadhavuni et al., the name given to one’s leukemia is based on how the production of abnormal leukocytes with it being primary or secondary, how rapid it develops leading to acute or chronic, and whether it occurs within the myeloid or lymphoid (2023). There are four main types of leukemia that are often diagnosed (Chennamadhavuni et al., 2023):  Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will also be sudden with the onset and severe. With this one, it will attack the lymphoid cells, white blood cells, that should become white blood cells within one’s bone marrow. This attacks the B and T cells, this is also the most common type of leukemia diagnosed within children.  Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) also involves the monoclonal lymphoid cells and is generally one that develops slowly to the point that treatment will not occur until someone is showing symptoms. This is most commonly seen in people who are between 60 and 70 years old.  Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one where there are more than 20% blast within the myeloid and is most common within adults also. This one is seen as the most aggressive cancer.  Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is the one that has the Philadelphia chromosome as it’s identifier-this will be discussed more later. As a result of this chromosome occurring, the population of granulocytes including neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils, are the ones that are affected. The Philadelphia chromosome is most associated with CML, and is the first neoplastic disease that has this well-defined genotypic anomaly (Sampaio et al., 2021). When this chromosome is present, there is a “ fusion of the Abelson murine leukemia ( ABL ) gene on chromosome 9 with the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) gene on chromosome 22 results in the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene, which encodes the BCR-ABL oncoprotein,” (Johnson, 2021). With both chromosomes 9 and 22, a portion of them break apart and swap places, each of them are shortened and identified in 1960 within the city of Philadelphia which is where it got its name from (Kang, et al., 2016). There are multiple genetic and environmental risk factors that have been identified with leukemia. These include the following according to Chennamadhavuni et al. (2023):  Many subtypes of leukemia can be the result of being exposed to ionizing radiation.  With AML, benzene exposure is a risk factor.  Acute leukemia being developed later in life can be the result of alkylating agents and topoisomerase II inhibitors being used in previous chemotherapy.  Having a previous hematologic malignancy history can cause a development of another leukemia.  Human T-cell leukemia virus, Epstein Barr viruses are viral infections that are associated with ALL.