Leukaemia

Question 1

what are the different types of origin of leukaemia?

Answer 1

• myeloid origin

- lymphoid origin

Question 2

what type of cell makes for a more aggressive cancer?

Answer 2

the less differentiated the cell, the more aggressive the cancer (e.g origin undifferentiated stem cells would be very aggressive)

Question 3

what are typical characteristics of cancer cells?

Answer 3

• uncontrolled proliferation
• loss of apoptosis
• loss of normal functions/products

Question 4

how does haematological malignancy typically come about?

Answer 4

• DNA mutation
• this can switch off a tumour suppressor gene or switch on an oncogene
• leading to clonal proliferation

Question 5

what type of leukaemia is typically seen in elderly patients?

Answer 5

chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Question 6

in terms of the different types of leukaemia, what determines the clinical behaviour?

Answer 6

whether the leukaemia is ACUTE or CHRONIC

Question 7

what are the different points in the cell lines that cells can become faulty?

Answer 7

• lymphocytic
• lymphoblastic
• myeloid

Question 8

what type of leukaemia is serious and life-threatening?

Answer 8

acute leukaemia

Question 9

what is leukaemia?

Answer 9

describes a group of cancers of the bone marrow which prevent normal manufacture of the blood & therefor result in:

• anaemia
• infection (neutropenia)
• bleeding (thrombocytopenia)

Question 10

what are the clinical presentations associated with leukaemia?

Answer 10

• anaemia
• neutropenia
• thrombocytopenia
• lymphadenopathy
• spleen omega lymph/hepatomegaly
• bone pain (especially in children)

Question 11

why does splenomegaly/hepatomegaly occur in patient with leukaemia?

Answer 11

due to rapid reprocessing of cells at a higher rate

Question 12

what are the clinical symptoms associated with anaemia?

Answer 12

• breathlessness
• tiredness
• easily fatigued
• chest pain/angina

Question 13

what are the clinical signs of anaemia?

Answer 13

• pallor
• signs of cardiac failure (ankle swelling and breathlessness)
• nail changes (brittle nails)

Question 14

what are the clinical signs that a patient is suffering with neutropenia?

Answer 14

• unusual patterns of infection & rapid spread
• responds to treatment but infection recurs
• signs of systemic involvement (fever, rigors, chills)

Question 15

what are the clinical symptoms of neutropenia?

Answer 15

• recurrent infection

- unusual severity of infection

Question 16

what is neutropenia associated with?

Answer 16

• infections associated with portals of entry
• reactivation of latent infections (herpes)
• increased severity, frequency & rapidly leads to systemic infection

Question 17

what are the clinical symptoms of bleeding problems due to leukaemia in a patient?

Answer 17

• bruises easily or spontaneously
• minor cuts fail to clot
• gingival bleeding or nose bleeds
• menorrhagia

Question 18

what are the clinical presentations of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia?

Answer 18

• fever, sweats, malaise
• lymphadenopathy is common
• tissue infiltration is common

Question 19

at what ages is acute lymphoblastic leukaemia most common?

Answer 19

in younger patients

- peaks at age 4

Question 20

at what age does acute myeloid leukaemia typically occur?

Answer 20

occurs at any age but more common in the elderly

Question 21

what is the most common type of leukaemia?

Answer 21

chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Question 22

who is more likely to be diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia?

Answer 22

• older adults

- more common in males than females

Question 23

what are the symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia?

Answer 23

• mostly asymptomatic

- slow progression

Question 24

what are the clinical presentations of chronic myeloid leukaemia?

Answer 24

• fatigue
• weight loss
• sweating
• anaemia & splenomegaly