Leukemia - Acute Lymphocytic

What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia?
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer that starts in the bone marrow lymphocytes called by the early release of white blood cells (the soft inner part of bones, are formed in the new blood cells).

Leukemia cells invade usually the blood relatively quickly. You can then spread to other parts of the body including lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and testes (in men). Other cancers can start in these organs and then spread to the bone marrow, but these cancers are not leukemia.

The term "acute" means that the leukemia progress rapidly, and if it is not treated, would probably be fatal within a few months. Lymphatic means developed by early (immature) forms of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells. This is different from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which develops in other types of blood cells in the bone marrow. For more information about AML, see document Leukemia - Acute Myeloid.

Other types of cancer that start in lymphocytes are known as lymphomas (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease). The main difference between these types of cancer is that leukemias as all mainly affects the bone marrow and the blood, and can spread to other places, while lymphoma primarily affect the lymph nodes or other organs, but can affect the bone marrow. Sometimes cancer lymphocytes are found in both the bone marrow and lymph nodes, if the cancer is diagnosed for the first time, making it hard to tell whether the cancer leukemia or lymphoma. If more than 25% of the bone marrow is replaced by cancer lymphocytes, the disease usually as leukemia. The size of the lymph nodes is also important. The bigger they are, the more likely the disease will be as a lymphoma. For more information about lymphoma, please see documents Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease.

In fact, there are many types of leukemia. They differ, what types of cells, they start in, how fast they grow, the people they affect based, and how they are treated. Leukemia to understand, it helps to know about the blood and lymph systems.

Normal bone marrow, blood and lymphatic

Bone marrow

Bone marrow is the soft inner part of some bones such as the skull, shoulder blades, ribs, pelvis and bones in the spine. The bone marrow is made up of a small number of blood stem cells, more mature blood-forming cells, fat cells and supporting tissue made to help the cells grow.

Blood stem cells go through a series of changes to make new blood cells. Here, the cells develop into 1 of the 3 types of blood cell components:

Red Blood Cells
Platelets
White blood cells (lymphocytes, granulocytes and monocytes are)
Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to all other tissues in the body and take carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be removed.

Platelets

Platelets are cell fragments called actually made by a type of bone marrow cells megakaryocytes. Platelets are in plugging holes in blood vessels caused by cuts or bruises important.

White Blood Cells

White blood cells help the body fight infections.

Lymphocytes

These are the main cells, lymph tissue, form a major part of the immune system. Lymphoid tissues in lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, tonsils and adenoids, and is scattered throughout the digestive and respiratory systems and the bone marrow.

Lymphocytes develop from cells called lymphoblasts to mature, infection-fighting cells to be. The two types of lymphocytes B lymphocytes (B cells) and T lymphocytes (T-cells).

B lymphocytes: B lymphocytes protect the body from invading germs by maturing into plasma cells which proteins to make so-called antibodies. The antibody binds to the germs (bacteria, viruses and fungi), which helps to destroy the immune system.
T-lymphocytes: There are various types of T-cells, each with a special task. Some T cells can directly destroy bacteria, while others play a role either increase or slowing the activity of other immune system cells.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia develops from early forms of lymphocytes. It can either start in early B-cells or T-cells in different stages of ripeness. This is described in the section: "How is acute lymphocytic leukemia classified?"

Granulocytes

These are white blood cells that granules in them, the spots that can be seen under the microscope, can be had. These granules contain enzymes and other substances that can destroy germs, such as bacteria. The 3 types of granulocytes - neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils - are characterized by the size and color of their granules.

Monocytes

These white blood cells, granulocytes are used, also help the body against bacteria. After typing in the bloodstream for about a day, monocytes body tissue macrophages that destroy some germs by surrounding and digesting them, can be.

Development of leukemia

Any kind of early hematopoietic cells of the bone marrow to turn into a leukemia cell. Once this change takes place, the leukemia cells do not mature normally. Could reproduce the leukemia cells quickly, and perhaps do not die when they should. Instead, they will survive and build up in the bone marrow. Over time, these cells spill into the bloodstream and other organs, where they spread keep other cells of normal functioning.

Leukemias

There are 4 types of leukemia:

Acute myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia (AML)
Chronic myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia (CML)
Acute Lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia (ALL)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Acute leukemia versus chronic leukemia

The first factor in classifying leukemia is whether most of the abnormal cells mature (look like normal white blood cells) or immature (more like stem cells) are.

Acute leukemia: In acute leukemia, the bone marrow cells can not mature properly. Immature leukemia cells continue to reproduce and build. Without treatment, most people would live with acute leukemia only a few months. Some types of acute leukemia respond well to treatment, and many patients can be cured. Other types of acute leukemia have a less favorable outlook.

Chronic leukemia: In chronic leukemia, the cells in part, but can not fully mature. These cells may look fairly normal, but they are usually not fight infection as well as do normal white blood cells. They also live longer, build up, and crowd out normal cells. Chronic leukemias are progressing normally over a longer period, and most people can live for many years. But chronic leukemias are generally harder to cure than acute leukemias.

Myeloid leukemia compared lymphocytic leukemia

The second factor in the classification of leukemias is the type of bone marrow cells that are affected.

Myeloid leukemia: leukemia, beginning in early forms of myeloid cells - the cells, the white blood cells (other than lymphocytes), red blood cells or platelets makes cells (megakaryocytes) - are myeloid leukemias (also called myelocytic, myelogenous known, or non-lymphoid leukemia).

Lymphoblastic leukemia: leukemia that will begin in immature forms of lymphocytes lymphatic leukemias (also known as lymphoid or lymphoblastic leukemia).