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A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
  

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Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a term for cancers of the blood cells. Leukemia starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow. Your bone marrow makes the cells which will develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each type of cell has a different job:

When you have leukemia, your bone marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells. This problem most often happens with white blood cells. These abnormal cells build up in your bone marrow and blood. They crowd out the healthy blood cells and make it hard for your cells and blood to do their work.

What is acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)?

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a type of acute leukemia. It's also called ALL and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. "Acute" means that it usually gets worse quickly if it's not treated. ALL is the most common type of cancer in children. It can also affect adults.

In ALL, the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. These cells normally help your body fight infection. But in ALL, they are abnormal and cannot fight infection very well. They also crowd out the healthy cells, which can lead to infection, anemia, and easy bleeding. These abnormal cells can also spread to other parts of the body, including the brain and spinal cord.

What causes acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)?

ALL happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown. However, there are certain factors that raise your risk of ALL.

Who is at risk for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)?

The factors that raise your risk of ALL include:

What are the symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)?

The signs and symptoms of ALL include:

How is acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose ALL and figure out which subtype you have:

If you are diagnosed with ALL, you may have additional tests to see whether the cancer has spread. These include imaging tests and a lumbar puncture, which is a procedure to collect and test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

What are the treatments for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)?

Treatments for ALL include:

Treatment is usually done in two phases:

Treatment during both phases also usually includes central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis therapy. This therapy helps prevent the spread of leukemia cells to the brain and spinal cord. It may be high dose chemotherapy or chemotherapy injected into the spinal cord. It also sometimes includes radiation therapy.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Acute Myeloid Leukemia

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a term for cancers of the blood cells. Leukemia starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow. Your bone marrow makes the cells which will develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each type of cell has a different job:

When you have leukemia, your bone marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells. This problem most often happens with white blood cells. These abnormal cells build up in your bone marrow and blood. They crowd out the healthy blood cells and make it hard for your cells and blood to do their work.

What is acute myeloid leukemia (AML)?

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of acute leukemia. "Acute" means that the leukemia usually gets worse quickly if it's not treated. In AML, the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets. When the abnormal cells crowd out the healthy cells, it can lead to infection, anemia, and easy bleeding. The abnormal cells can also spread outside the blood to other parts of the body.

There are several different subtypes of AML. The subtypes are based on how developed the cancer cells are when you get your diagnosis and how different they are from normal cells.

What causes acute myeloid leukemia (AML)?

AML happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown. However, there are certain factors that raise your risk of AML.

Who is at risk for acute myeloid leukemia (AML)?

The factors that raise your risk of AML include:

What are the symptoms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)?

The signs and symptoms of AML include:

How is acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose AML and figure out which subtype you have:

If you are diagnosed with AML, you may have additional tests to see whether the cancer has spread. These include imaging tests and a lumbar puncture, which is a procedure to collect and test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

What are the treatments for acute myeloid leukemia (AML)?

Treatments for AML include:

Which treatment you get often depends on which subtype of AML you have. Treatment is usually done in two phases:

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Childhood Leukemia

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a term for cancers of the blood cells. Leukemia starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow. Your bone marrow makes the cells which will develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each type of cell has a different job:

When you have leukemia, your bone marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells. This problem most often happens with white blood cells. These abnormal cells build up in your bone marrow and blood. They crowd out the healthy blood cells and make it hard for your cells and blood to do their work.

What are the types of leukemia in children?

There are different types of leukemia. Some types are acute (fast growing). They usually get worse quickly if they are not treated. Most childhood leukemias are acute:

Other types of leukemia are chronic (slow growing). They usually get worse over a longer period of time. They are rare in children:

There are some other rare types of leukemia in children, including juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML).

What causes leukemia in children?

Leukemia happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown. However, there are certain factors that raise the risk of childhood leukemia.

Who is at risk for leukemia in children?

The factors that raise the risk of childhood leukemia include:

There are other factors that may raise the risk of getting one or more of the specific types of childhood leukemia.

What are the symptoms of leukemia in children?

Some of the symptoms of leukemia may include:

Other leukemia symptoms can be different from type to type. Chronic leukemia may not cause symptoms at first.

How is leukemia in children diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose leukemia:

Once there is a diagnosis of leukemia, other tests may be done to see whether the cancer has spread. These include imaging tests and a lumbar puncture, which is a procedure to collect and test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

What are the treatments for leukemia in children?

The treatments for leukemia depend on which type it is, how severe the leukemia is, the child's age, and other factors. Possible treatments might include:

Treatment for childhood leukemia is often successful. But the treatments can cause complications right away or later in life. Children who survived leukemia will need follow-up care the rest of their lives to watch for and treat any complications they may have.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a term for cancers of the blood cells. Leukemia starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow. Your bone marrow makes the cells which will develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each type of cell has a different job:

When you have leukemia, your bone marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells. This problem most often happens with white blood cells. These abnormal cells build up in your bone marrow and blood. They crowd out the healthy blood cells and make it hard for your cells and blood to do their work.

What is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)?

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of chronic leukemia. "Chronic" means that the leukemia usually gets worse slowly. In CLL, the bone marrow makes abnormal lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). When the abnormal cells crowd out the healthy cells, it can lead to infection, anemia, and easy bleeding. The abnormal cells can also spread outside the blood to other parts of the body. CLL is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. It often occurs during or after middle age. It is rare in children.

What causes chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)?

CLL happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown, so it's hard to predict who might get CLL. There are a few factors that might raise your risk.

Who is at risk for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)?

It is hard to predict who will get CLL. There are a few factors that could raise your risk:

What are the symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)?

In the beginning, CLL does not cause any symptoms. Later, you can have symptoms such as:

How is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose CLL:

If you are diagnosed with CLL, you may have additional tests to see whether the cancer has spread. These include imaging tests and bone marrow tests.

What are the treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)?

Treatments for CLL include:

The goals of treatment are to slow the growth of the leukemia cells and to give you long periods of remission. Remission means that the signs and symptoms of cancer are reduced or have disappeared. The CLL may come back after remission, and you may need more treatment.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a term for cancers of the blood cells. Leukemia starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow. Your bone marrow makes the cells which will develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each type of cell has a different job:

When you have leukemia, your bone marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells. This problem most often happens with white blood cells. These abnormal cells build up in your bone marrow and blood. They crowd out the healthy blood cells and make it hard for your cells and blood to do their work.

What is chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)?

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a type of chronic leukemia. "Chronic" means that the leukemia usually gets worse slowly. In CML, the bone marrow makes abnormal granulocytes (a type of white blood cell). These abnormal cells are also called blasts. When the abnormal cells crowd out the healthy cells, it can lead to infection, anemia, and easy bleeding. The abnormal cells can also spread outside the blood to other parts of the body.

CML usually occurs in adults during or after middle age. It is rare in children.

What causes chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)?

Most people with CML have a genetic change called the Philadelphia chromosome. It's called that because researchers in Philadelphia discovered it. People normally have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell. These chromosomes contain your DNA (genetic material). In CML, part of the DNA from one chromosome moves to another chromosome. It combines with some DNA there, which creates a new gene called BCR-ABL. This gene causes your bone marrow to make an abnormal protein. This protein allows the leukemia cells to grow out of control.

The Philadelphia chromosome isn't passed from parent to child. It happens during your lifetime. The cause is unknown.

Who is at risk for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)?

It is hard to predict who will get CML. There are a few factors that could raise your risk:

What are the symptoms of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)?

Sometimes CML does not cause symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they can include:

How is chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose CML:

If you are diagnosed with CML, you may have additional tests such as imaging tests to see whether the cancer has spread.

What are the phases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)?

CML has three phases. The phases are based on how much the CML has grown or spread:

What are the treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)?

There are several different treatments for CML:

Which treatments you get will depend on which phase you are in, your age, your overall health, and other factors. When the signs and symptoms of CML are reduced or have disappeared, it is called remission. The CML may come back after remission, and you may need more treatment.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Hepatitis C

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is swelling that happens when tissues of the body are injured or infected. Inflammation can damage organs.

There are different types of hepatitis. One type, hepatitis C, is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

Hepatitis C can be acute or chronic:

How is hepatitis C spread?

Hepatitis C spreads through contact with the blood of someone who has HCV. This contact may be through:

Before 1992, hepatitis C was also commonly spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants. Since then, there has been routine testing of the U.S. blood supply for HCV. It is now very rare for someone to get HCV this way.

Who is more likely to get hepatitis C?

You are more likely to get hepatitis C if you:

If you are at high risk for hepatitis C, your health care provider will likely recommend that you get tested for it.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?

Most people with hepatitis C have no symptoms. Some people with acute hepatitis C do have symptoms within 1 to 3 months after they are exposed to the virus. These symptoms may include:

If you have chronic hepatitis C, you probably will not have symptoms until it causes complications. This can happen decades after you were infected. For this reason, hepatitis C screening is important, even if you have no symptoms.

What other problems can hepatitis C cause?

Without treatment, hepatitis C may lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C can prevent these complications.

How is hepatitis C diagnosed?

Providers diagnose hepatitis C based on your medical history, a physical exam, and blood tests.

If you do have hepatitis C, you may need additional tests to check for liver damage. These tests may include other blood tests, an ultrasound of the liver, and a liver biopsy.

What are the treatments for hepatitis C?

Treatment for hepatitis C is with antiviral medicines. They can cure the disease in most cases.

If you have acute hepatitis C, your provider may wait to see if your infection becomes chronic before starting treatment.

If your hepatitis C causes cirrhosis, you should see a doctor who specializes in liver diseases. Treatments for health problems related to cirrhosis include medicines, surgery, and other medical procedures. If your hepatitis C leads to liver failure or liver cancer, you may need a liver transplant.

Can hepatitis C be prevented?

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. But you can help protect yourself from hepatitis C infection by:

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Infectious Mononucleosis

What is infectious mononucleosis (mono)?

Infectious mononucleosis (mono) is a disease caused by viruses.The most common cause is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Mono is contagious, which means it can spread from person to person. It is common among teenagers and young adults, especially college students.

What causes infectious mononucleosis (mono)?

Mono can be caused by many different viruses. But it is most often caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is found all over the world. Most people get an EBV infection at some point in their lives, but only some of them will get the symptoms of mono. EBV infections often happen during childhood or when someone is a young adult. EBV infections in children usually do not cause symptoms. And when they do, it's hard to tell the difference between the symptoms of mono and the symptoms of other common childhood illnesses such as the flu. Teens and young adults who get EBV are more likely to have symptoms that are typical of mono.

EBV and the other viruses that cause mono are usually spread through body fluids, especially saliva (spit). This means that you can get it through kissing. That's why mono is sometimes called "the kissing disease." But you can also get these viruses if you share food, drinks, forks, spoons, or lip balm with someone who has mono. Other less common ways of getting an infection are through blood transfusions, organ transplants, and blood and semen during sexual contact.

What are the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis (mono)?

The symptoms of mono usually start four to six weeks after you get the infection. But they may start sooner in young children. The symptoms often develop slowly, and they may not all happen at the same time. They can include:

Most people get better in two to four weeks. However, some people may feel fatigued for several more weeks. Occasionally, the symptoms can last for six months or longer.

How is infectious mononucleosis (mono) diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider may diagnose mono based on your symptoms and a physical exam. The exam will include checking to see if your lymph nodes, tonsils, liver, or spleen are swollen. In some cases, your provider might also order a mono test to confirm the diagnosis.

What are the treatments for infectious mononucleosis (mono)?

If you have severe symptoms, your provider may suggest additional treatment based on which organs in your body are affected by the mono.

Antibiotics don't treat viral infections, so they do not help with mono. Some people do get bacterial infections such as strep throat along with mono. In that case, you probably need antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection. But you should not take penicillin antibiotics like ampicillin or amoxicillin. Those antibiotics can cause a rash in people who have mono.

Mono can cause an enlarged spleen, which could rupture and cause a medical emergency. To try to protect the spleen, providers recommend avoiding intense exercise and contact sports until you fully recover (about a month).

Can infectious mononucleosis (mono) be prevented?

There is no vaccine to protect against mono. To lower your chance of getting or spreading mono:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Leukemia

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a term for cancers of the blood cells. Leukemia starts in blood-forming tissues such as the bone marrow. Your bone marrow makes the cells which will develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each type of cell has a different job:

When you have leukemia, your bone marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells. This problem most often happens with white blood cells. These abnormal cells build up in your bone marrow and blood. They crowd out the healthy blood cells and make it hard for your cells and blood to do their work.

What are the types of leukemia?

There are different types of leukemia. Which type of leukemia you have depends on the type of blood cell that becomes cancer and whether it grows quickly or slowly.

The type of blood cell could be:

The different types can grow quickly or slowly:

The main types of leukemia are:

What causes leukemia?

Leukemia happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown.

Who is at risk for leukemia?

For the specific types, there are different factors which can raise your risk of getting that type. Overall, your risk of leukemia goes up as you age. It is most common over age 60.

What are the symptoms of leukemia?

Some of the symptoms of leukemia may include:

Other leukemia symptoms can be different from type to type. Chromic leukemia may not cause symptoms at first.

How is leukemia diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose leukemia:

Once the provider makes a diagnosis, there may be additional tests to see whether the cancer has spread. These include imaging tests and a lumbar puncture, which is a procedure to collect and test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

What are the treatments for leukemia?

The treatments for leukemia depend on which type you have, how severe the leukemia is, your age, your overall health, and other factors. Some possible treatments might include:

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Lupus

What is lupus?

Lupus is a chronic (long-lasting) type of autoimmune disease.Autoimmune diseases happen when your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues by mistake. This attack causes inflammation. It can also damage many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain.

There are several types of lupus:

What causes lupus?

The cause of lupus is unknown. Researchers are studying what might cause or trigger the disease, such as:

Who is more likely to get lupus?

Anyone can get lupus, but women get it much more often than men.

Lupus is more common in African Americans than in White people. It is also more common in people of American Indian and Asian descent. African American and Hispanic women are more likely to have severe forms of lupus.

What are the symptoms of lupus?

Lupus can have many symptoms, and they differ from person to person. Some of the more common ones are:

Symptoms may come and go. When you are having symptoms, it is called a flare. Flares can range from mild to severe. New symptoms may appear at any time.

What other problems can lupus cause?

Lupus causes inflammation throughout your body. This can cause problems in your organs, including:

Some people with lupus may be more likely to develop other conditions, such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerosis.

How is lupus diagnosed?

There is no specific test for lupus, and it's often mistaken for other diseases that cause similar symptoms. So it may take a while to get a diagnosis. To find out if you have lupus, your health care provider:

What are the treatments for lupus?

There is no cure for lupus, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help control it.

People with lupus often need to see different providers. You will most likely have a primary care provider and a rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in diseases of the joints and muscles). Which other specialists you will depend on how lupus affects your body. For example, if lupus is damaging your heart or blood vessels, you would see a cardiologist (a doctor who specializes in heart diseases).

Your primary care provider should coordinate care between all of your other providers and treat other problems as they come up. You and your primary care provider will develop a treatment plan to fit your needs. You will both review the plan often to make sure that it is working. You should report new symptoms to your provider right away so that your treatment plan can be changed, if needed.

The goals of a treatment plan are to:

Treatments may include drugs to:

Besides taking medicines for lupus, you may need to take medicines for problems that are related to lupus such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or infection.

Alternative and complementary therapies are therapies that are not part of standard treatments. Some people try alternative and complementary therapies to improve their lupus symptoms. But research has not clearly shown whether these treatments may help or treat lupus. Talk to your provider before trying any new treatments.

How can I cope with lupus?

It is important to take an active role in your treatment. It helps to learn more about lupus - being able to spot the warning signs of a flare can help you prevent the flare or make the symptoms less severe.

It is also important to find ways to cope with the stress of having lupus. Exercising and finding ways to relax may make it easier for you to cope. A good support system can also help.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system. There are many types of lymphoma. One type is Hodgkin disease. The rest are called non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas begin when a type of white blood cell, called a T cell or B cell, becomes abnormal. The cell divides again and again, making more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells can spread to almost any other part of the body. Most of the time, doctors don't know why a person gets non-Hodgkin lymphoma. You are at increased risk if you have a weakened immune system or have certain types of infections.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause many symptoms, such as :

Your doctor will diagnose lymphoma with a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray, and a biopsy. Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, biological therapy, or therapy to remove proteins from the blood. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. If you don't have symptoms, you may not need treatment right away. This is called watchful waiting.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

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