which leukemia is it when it is only found in the blood and bone morrow,?

Question

my mother who is 73 has been told that she has this, but she not sure of the spefic name of the type she has, the test so far shows that the lymph system is not involved or major organ. the two blood test she has had first showed to be 7100 over normal white cell count, two weeks later it was 18,000 over. what is the normal course for this type and is this considered to be an aggresive form of the leukemia. any further info would be greatly appreciated..............greg shafer

Answer 1

Hi Greg,

I am sorry to hear that your mom is ill. The questions you raise are good and are they questions your mother may also have? If so then she should contact her doctor's office again and ask the nurse to explain it to her and or to you for further clarification.

There is more than one type of leukemia, and the one that is most common in older adults is called AML Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. This type does not involve the lymph nodes. Remission of the disease can happen but you should speak to your mother's doctor for the answers to your questions as it will involve chemotherapy over many weeks to months all depending on your mother's state of health.

I can't help much more than that as my practice is in women's health. This must be a difficult time for you, your mother and all your loved ones. Best wishes, you will be in my prayers.

Sharon

Answer 2

Now - I have never seen your grandmother, nor have I seen her blood slides, but from your description, and my experience with leukemias, one possible kind of leukemia that happens in the elderly (and does not cause very many symptoms early on) is called "chronic lymphocytic leukemia" - this is a leukemia that over-produces a cell called the "lymphocyte". In its early stages, it does not have a major effect on the other normal blood cell lines, and it does not seem to grow very fast. It often occurs in the elderly, and its only symptoms earlier on are a high white count and possibly some enlarged lymph nodes.
Since chronic lymphocytic leukemia is often seen in the elderly who may have other medical problems, the patient may not die of the disease itself, as this particular leukemia can be very slowly progressive.
Sometimes in some patients, no treatment is needed in the early stages - which may last for years. If the lymphocyte count starts to affect the other red blood cells, or if enlarged lymph nodes start to affect other organs, treatment can be used to shrink the lymph nodes and alleviate the effect on the other blood cells..
I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Primary bone cancers are called sarcomas. There are several types of sarcoma. Each type begins in a different kind of bone tissue. The most common are osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer in young people. It usually occurs between ages 10 and 25. Males are affected more often than females. Osteosarcoma often starts in the ends of bones, where new bone tissue forms as a young person grows. It usually affects the long bones of the arms or legs.

Ewing's sarcoma usually is found in people between 10 and 25 years old; teenagers are most often affected. This cancer forms in the middle part (shaft) of large bones. It most often affects the hip bones and the long bones in the thigh and upper arm. It also occurs in the ribs.

Chondrosarcoma is found mainly in adults. This type of tumor forms in cartilage, the rubbery tissue around joints.

Other types of bone cancer include fibrosarcoma, malignant giant cell tumor, and chordoma. These rare cancers most often affect people over 30.

Cancers that begin in the bone are quite rare. On the other hand, it is not unusual for cancer to spread to the bone from other parts of the body. When this happens, the disease is not called bone cancer. Each type of cancer is named for the organ or the tissue in which it begins. Cancer that spreads is the same disease and has the same name as the original, or primary, cancer. Treatment for cancer that has spread to the bones depends on where the cancer started and the extent of the spread.

Cancers that begin in the muscles, fat, nerves, blood vessels, and other types of connective or supporting tissues in the body are called soft tissue sarcomas. They can affect both children and adults. They are not discussed in this article.

Leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma are cancers that arise in cells produced in the bone marrow. These are different diseases and are not types of bone cancer.

Answer 4

leukemia= bone, lymphoma=blood

Answer 5

don't knw. sorry about the family though