thalassemia vs. leukemia?

Question

i know i have thalassemia minor and i know it has to do with me not having enough hemoglobin in my red blood cells, also causing me anemia. but what else does it do? also i know leukemia is to do with the shortness of white blood cells, isnt it kinda like the opposite of thalassemia? i cant belive i didnt question this till now xD someone help?

alot of ppl have never heard of thalassemia so i always explain that it is kinda like the opposite of leukemia, at least thats what hae always thought. lol even my science teacher never heard of it.

Answer 1

Thalassemia is a group of genetic blood disorders that affect approximately 1,000 individuals in the United States. The most severe of these disorders is Cooley's Anemia.


People with thalassemia have a genetic defect of their red blood cells that affects the cells' ability to produce normal hemoglobin. Red blood cells use hemoglobin to carry oxygen to tissues. As a result of the defect, most forms of thalassemia produce a chronic, lifelong anemia that begins in early childhood and often must be treated with frequent transfusions.



Thalassemia minor or thalassemia trait - only a small lack of beta protein, so generally there are no health problems except possibly mild anemia


Leukemias (pronounced: loo-kee-mee-uhz) are cancers of the cells that produce white blood cells. These cancers include acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The most common types of leukemia affecting kids are ALL and AML. Scientists have made great advances in treating several types of childhood leukemia, most notably certain types of ALL.

You'll find the disease Thalassemia under Blood disorder disease. go to the site below for more info on this rare inherited genetic blood disease.:



http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/thalassemia/a/062102.htm

or :
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hbd/thalassemia.htm


Thalassemia is the name of a group of inherited blood disorders. Hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen, is made up of two different proteins, called alpha and beta. If the body has an imbalance in the two proteins the red blood cells cannot carry enough oxygen.


Alpha thalassemia
Not enough alpha protein in the hemoglobin results in alpha thalassemia. It is commonly found in people from Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, southern China, and sometimes from the Mediterranean. There are several different types of alpha thalassemia, ranging from mild to severe:

Silent carrier state - only a small lack of alpha protein, so generally there are no health problems
Alpha thalassemia trait or mild alpha thalassemia - lacking enough alpha protein to sometimes cause mild symptoms which are similar to iron deficiency anemia
Hemoglobin H disease - enough alpha protein lacking to cause severe anemia and significant health problems such as bone deformities, enlarged spleen, and fatigue
Alpha thalassemia major - no alpha protein is created by the body, so newborns with this thalassemia don't usually survive (they develop a disorder called fetal hydrops).
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Thalassemia Answers
Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment For Thalassemia
www.healthline.com

Thalassemia trait
Relax. Take a deep breath. We have the answers you seek.
www.RightHealth.com/thalassemia

Iron deficiency symptoms?
Learn about a unique therapy Ask your doctor about Repliva 21/7™
www.repliva.com
Beta thalassemia
Not enough beta protein in the hemoglobin results in beta thalassemia. It is commonly found in people from Italy, Greece, Iran, Africa, Southeast Asia, and southern China. There are three main types of beta thalassemia, ranging from mild to severe:

Thalassemia minor or thalassemia trait - only a small lack of beta protein, so generally there are no health problems except possibly mild anemia

Thalassemia intermedia - enough beta protein lacking to cause moderately severe anemia and significant health problems such as bone deformities and enlarged spleen

Thalassemia major or Cooley's anemia - no beta protein is created by the body, so regular blood transfusions and medical care are necessary.
Other forms of thalassemia

E beta thalassemia - abnormal hemoglobin E combines with beta thalassemia to produce symptoms similar to beta thalassemia intermedia
Sickle beta thalassemia - abnormal hemoglobin S combines with beta thalassemia. In its severe form it is like sickle cell disease.
Treatments and procedures

Blood transfusions - most common treatment for all thalassemias; provides healthy red blood cells
Chelation therapy - frequent blood transfusions cause iron to build up in the body. It has to be removed by medication before it causes damage to the heart and other organs.
Splenectomy - if the spleen is enlarged or contributing to the thalassemia it may be removed
Diet - Food rich in iron should be avoided. Vitamins C and E and folic acid are added as supplements
.
Bone marrow transplant - provides the only cure for thalassemia. However, there are many risks involved, so it is usually reserved for severe cases.

New Research
Research is looking at a number of ways to treat different types of thalassemia.

In utero blood transfusion - Doctors give a baby a blood transfusion before birth to treat alpha thalassemia major.
Gene therapy - Researchers are trying to figure out how to correct or modify flawed genes to decrease or cure different types of thalassemia.
Hemoglobin F therapy - researchers have tried increasing the level of this type of hemoglobin but it has not had much effect on thalassemia.
Protein therapy - A protein (AHSP) has been discovered that helps regulate the amount of alpha protein in red blood cells. Researchers are now looking at using AHSP as a thalassemia treatment.

-Thalassemia Answers
Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment For Thalassemia
www.healthline.com

Thalassemia trait
Relax. Take a deep breath. We have the answers you seek.
www.RightHealth.com/thalassemia

Iron deficiency symptoms?
Learn about a unique therapy Ask your doctor about Repliva 21/7™
www.repliva.com

Answer 2

Thalassemia is an inherited genetic defect that results in reduced levels of hemoglobin in red cells.

Leukemia is a type of cancer that is caused by acquired genetic defects in white blood cells.

There is no cure for thalassemia. But thalassemia minor is not that serious of a disease. You can live a reasonably good life with thalassemia minor. And you have an advantage over people who don't have thalassemia minor when it comes to malaria infections. Your thalassemia minor protects you to some extent from malaria infections.

Leukemia can be cured in many cases. But without any medical treatment, leukemia often is fatal. And there is no health benefit from having leukemia.

Answer 3

there's a case of Sickle B Thalassemia with acute myeloid leukemia interior the dep. of scientific Oncology, Nizams Institute of scientific Sciences, Hyderbad, India. This affiliation has no longer been stated in literature so some distance.

Answer 4

Wow, I found your question fasinating because I have Beta Thalassemia which runs on my fathers side of the family.

One of my dad's brothers died of Leukemia when he was very young. I never met him. Also, one of my cousins died at a young age of Leukemia. She was my dad's sister's daughter.

I never thought there could be a link between leukemia and beta thalassemia, but since you shined a light on it, it does make sense why my family has been plagued by the disease.

Answer 5

Leukemia is a cancer that varieties within the bone marrow and leads to malformed blood cells which can be produced there. Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) is a tumor that types in the bone itself.

Answer 6

okay