Leukaemia - Aetiology Flashcards
What are the predisposing factors for leukaemia?
Genetic or environmental
What is the definition of leukaemia?
A malignant condition of blood and blood-forming tissue in the bone marrow and spleen.
Chronic exposure to what chemical can give rise to leukaemia?
Benzene
Bombs, nuclear power plants and treatment are types of what exposure that can give rise to leukaemia?
Radiation exposure
Give examples of diseases that require cytotoxic therapy and can cause leukaemia.
- Breast cancer
- Lung cancer
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Testicular cancer
Why is Down’s Syndrome relevant to leukaemia?
The incidence of leukaemia is 10-30x more likely in children with Down’s Syndrome than in the general population.
What types of anaemia can lead to leukaemia?
Fanconi’s anaemia and haemolytic anaemia
What are myeloid cells?
The granulocyte precursor cell in bone marrow or the spinal cord.
What two conditions of myeloid cells can give rise to leukaemia?
Myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferation
What are the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)?
They are haematological medical conditions with ineffective (or dysplastic) production of the myeloid class of haematopoietic stem cells in bown marrow.
What are myeloproliferation neoplasms?
A group of diseases of the bone marrow in which excess cells are produced.
How are myelodysplasia and myeloproliferation related?
Myeloproliferation may evolve into myelodysplastic syndrome and then onto acute myeloid leukaemia. Myeloproliferative diseases on the whole have much better prognosis than myelodysplastic or AML diseases.
What is the incidence of leukaemia?
Rare - 5 in 100,000
