Oncology: Leukemia

Leukemia

Definition

  • Definition: Cancer of Leukocytes
    • Often Considered a Cancer of Bone Marrow

Lymphoid Leukemias

  • Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
    • Most Common in Peds
    • Associated with Down Syndrome
    • TDT+
  • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
    • Most Common in Elderly
    • Smudge Cells
  • Hairy Cell Leukemia
    • B-Cell Type
    • Filamentous Projections & TRAP+
    • Increased Risk of: Thyroid CA & Lymphoma
      • Decreased Risk of: Lung CA

Myeloid Leukemias

  • Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
    • Auer Rods
  • Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
    • Basophilia
    • Philadelphia Chromosome t(9,22)

Treatment

  • Generally Treated with Chemotherapy
    • Bone Marrow Transplant May Be Considered in Select Circumstances
  • CML is Treated with Imatinib (Gleevec) – Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
  • May Consider Splenectomy in Select Cases
  • Generally Not a Surgical Disease

Smudge Cell 1

Hairy Cell Leukemia 2

Auer Rod 2

References

  1. Haggstrom M. Wikimedia Commons. (License: Public Domain)
  2. Mourao P. Wikimedia Commons. (License: CC BY-SA-3.0)