White Blood Cells

Question 1

What is Leukemia?

Answer 1

Leukemia refers to a group of cancers (malignant conditions) of WBCs. It is related to excessive proliferation of particular hematopoietic blast cells which may remain undifferentiated or are not fully mature/functional.
Blast cells start to accumulate in the bone marrow causing decrease in production of full mature RBCs, platelets, WBCs - leads to various cytopenias (cell less) & anaemia

Question 2

What are the different cancerous hematopoietic blast cells?

Answer 2

• Lymphoid (B&T cells)
• Myeloid

Question 3

Common places for cancer to move to through your body?

Answer 3

Liver, spleen, lymph nodes, thymus

Question 4

What are the two major types of acute Leukemia and characteristics?

Answer 4

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
* rapid proliferation of lymphoblasts
* affects lymphoid cells
* more common in children

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
* rapid profliferation of myeloblast/monoplast
* affects myeloid cells
* in children and adults

start of the lineage line cells

Question 5

What are the two major types of chronic Leukemia and characteristics?

Answer 5

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
* Slower onset of proliferation of further differentiated lymphoid blast cells
* Commonly precursor cells to B-lymphocytes
* affects lymphoid cells
* common in older adults

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
* Slower onset of proliferation of further differentiated myeloid blast cells
* Commonly precursor cells to the granulocytes (cells ending in “phil”)
* affects myeloid cells
* mainly in adults

Question 6

What are some signs and symptoms of Leukemia?

Answer 6

• Anaemia
• Easy bruising and bleeding
• Decreased immunity
• hepatosplenomegaly - enlarged liver & spleen
• lymphadenopathy - enlarged lymph nodes

Question 7

What is Lymphoma?

Answer 7

• Neoplasms: Uncontrolled proliferation of lymphocytes within the lymphatic system (B, T & NK cells) leads to tumour development in the lymph nodes which causes disruption of lymph node function
• Decreased immune response
• Decreased lymph filtration (toxins etc)
• 2 main types - Hodgkins (HL) & Non-Hodgkin (NHL)

Question 8

What are the two major kinds of Lymphoma & their characteristics?

Answer 8

Hodgkin (HL):
* spreads in a pattern
* younger age group
* lots of subtypes
* prescence of REED STERNBURG cells (multinucleated, enlarged, pre-apoptic B cells)

Non-Hodgkin (NHL):
* readily spreads to other sites (sporadic)
* effects more middle age
* fast or slow growing
* B or T cells - more commonly B cells

Question 9

What are the signs and symptoms of Lymphoma?

Answer 9

• Lympphadenopathy (enlarged nodes)
• B symptoms = fever, weight loss, night sweats (3 particular symptoms)
• fatigue
• pruritis (itchy)

Question 10

Outline the pathophysiology of leukemia associated with cytopenia and therefore anemia, bleeding & infections

Answer 10

Malignancy within blast cells, or further differentiated cells of hemotopoiesis, leads to a build up of malignant cells within bone marrow which reduces the number of healthy blood cells produced; RBCs, WBCs & platelets= cytopenia and anemia

Question 11

Which of the following are signs/symptoms used in the diagnosis of myeloma?

Answer 11

• hypercalcemia - high calcium levels in blood
• Renal failure
• anemia
• osteolytic bone lesions - spots in bone marrow from malignant plasma cell build up

Question 12

What is Myleoma?

Answer 12

Myeloma is a cancer of plasma B-cells. The malignant plasma cells grow into tumours within bone marrow- most commonly at multiple sites (multiple myeloma). It is more common after the age of 40. These myeloma cells also produce abnormal antibodies (paraproteins).