Leukemia History

History of Leukemia

Leukemia is a type of blood cancer and is characterized by the presence of excess number of white blood cells in the blood. Though this disease has been around for centuries together, it was officially diagnosed only in 1845 by John Hughes...

The word leukemia comes from the Greek words 'leukos' and 'heima', which mean white blood and refers to excess white blood cells in the body. Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow and comprises of a broad spectrum of diseases. It is characterized by the abnormal production and multiplication of blood cells in the body, usually white blood cells. The blood cells grow in the bone marrow and divide to form new body cells as per the body's requirements (old cells die and have to be replaced by new cells). However, when the old cells do not die and the body cells divide rapidly, thereby producing more and more cells in the body, then the problem of cancer arises.

For people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces a large number of white blood cells which are known as leukemia cells or leukocytes. In the initial stages, the leukemia cells function normally. However, with time they begin to overcrowd the other blood cells and make it difficult for the blood to carry out its work. The body's ability to fight infections reduces. In some, the number of leukemia cells or leukocytes are so high that the blood actually has a whitish tinge.

History of Leukemia

The credit for the discovery of leukemia goes to the ancient Greeks, who recognized this blood disease way back in the 4th or 5th century BC. However, leukemia was first officially diagnosed by John Hughes Benett in Edinburgh in 1845. Further, in the 19th century, several European physicians noticed that quite a few of their patients suffered from abnormally high levels of white blood cells. They called this condition 'weisses blut', which meant white blood.

In 1913, leukemia was classified into four types:

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Chronic myelogenous leukemia
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia
• Acute myelogenous leukemia (Erythroleukemia)

Further, in 1970 it was confirmed that leukemia could be cured, and by the 1980s and 1990s the patients cured were around 70%. This increased the hopes of all the leukemia patients worldwide. People have been battling cancer for ages, the difference being they did not know the details about what they were fighting against.

Today, the number of children seen to be affected by this disease is very high. The reason can be attributed to the lifestyle changes that have come along. One major reason being that the percentage of mothers who breastfeed their children has come down drastically. During breastfeeding, the child's immune system comes across antibodies from the mother's body and evolves to respond to infections after birth. However, children who haven't been breastfed are more prone to develop leukemia, as they do not confront microbes in their early years.

Industrialized nations are more susceptible to leukemia because people residing in such nations are constantly coming in contact with chemicals such as high levels of benzene and formaldehyde (at workplaces). Exposure to radiation via atomic bomb explosion or medical treatments such as chemotherapy and high amount of pesticides are also risk factors that can lead to leukemia. People suffering from Down syndrome are also prone to this blood disease.

The oldest and primary treatment for leukemia was arsenic. In the 18th century, Thomas Fowler created a solution comprising of arsenic trioxide and potassium bicarbonate, and called it Fowler's solution. This solution became a standard remedy to treat Hodgkin's disease, anemia and leukemia. However, in the early 20th century, arsenic was replaced by radiation therapy. Radiation therapy was found to be very beneficial in curing leukemia.

The American Cancer Society says that the early radiologists used the skin of their own hands to test the strength of radiation from the radiotherapy machines in search of the appropriate doses (to get pink skin after radiation), which was to be the right amount for the treatment. Sadly, most of them came down with leukemia.

It was only after World War II that chemotherapy came in as a treatment for leukemia. Further, in the 1940s more and more new treatments such as aminopterin, 6-mercaptopurin, 6-mercaptopurine came about. The discovery of DNA has helped understand the detailed mechanisms of cancer and the reasons why they occur. Bone marrow transplants are known to be the best cure for leukemia today. Genetic analysis is expected to open new doors towards the treatments and cure of leukemia in the future.

Leukemia at a glance is a cancer of the blood cells and though the cause of this disease is not known, the risk factors that lead to it have been identified. People need to be careful about the amount of radiation and chemicals they are being exposed to. 

Leukemia Survival Rate

With current improvements in the treatment method, leukemia survival rate has improved significantly in the last four decades. In the 1960s, the five year survival rate is a mere 14 percent, while it is increased to more than 40 percent in the present day statistics.

Leukemia is a severe cancer, which begins in specific cells responsible for formation of blood cells. The term 'leukemia' is given considering the fact that the white blood cell count for a leukemia patient is increased significantly. In a healthy individual, the red blood cells (RBCs) and white blood cells (WBCs) are formed from the stem cells of the bone marrow, whenever the body requires them. Whereas, for a patient with leukemia, the blood cells are proliferated abnormally, resulting in increased production of dysfunctional blood cells. Leukemia survival rate is very low, thus enlisting it as the one of most fatal cancer forms. Read more on facts about leukemia.

Leukemia Classification

To be more precise, leukemia is an umbrella term that encompasses several types of blood cancer forms. Leukemia classification is done based on the type of blood cells that are getting affected and on the disease progression. Acute leukemia refers to quick proliferation of the cancerous blood cells, while a chronic leukemia causes gradual production of the same. Different types of leukemia are:

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Majority of the adult patients are diagnosed with CLL. Over here, the lymphocytic cells (a type of WBCs) are affected. Read more on chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): In CML, the myeloid cells (a type of WBCs) are affected. In most cases, this form of cancer also affects adults.
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL): This is the most common leukemia type among children. It affects the lymphocytic cells and progresses quickly.
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): In AML type, the myeloid cells are affected and symptoms worsen very rapidly. It affects both children and adults.

Leukemia Survival Rate

The average life expectancy of leukemia patients is considered to be five years after diagnosis. Leukemia survival rates are estimated, based on whether a patient can live for five years or not after undergoing treatment. Treatment of leukemia is done with administration of chemotherapy and other medication. In some patients, treatment with radiation therapy session has shown prompt results. If necessary, the physician may recommend transplantation of bone marrow for treatment of leukemia. Apart from the treatment options, the survival rate differs according to the patient's age and type of leukemia, which is discussed below:

Leukemia Survival Rate in Children
Children are most susceptible to acute leukemia type, particularly ALL. For children with ALL, the five year leukemia survival rate is about 80 percent after advocating chemotherapy. However, for children with AML, the five year survival rate is low, less than 40 percent. Read more on leukemia symptoms in children.

Leukemia Survival Rate in Adults
As we have seen, adults are more susceptible to the chronic leukemia type. In case of adults, the five year survival rate is approximately 40 percent, after administration of chemotherapy drugs. In adult patients with ALL, the five year survival rate is about 35 percent.

To know more about the various aspect of leukemia, refer to:

• Early Signs and Symptoms of Leukemia
• Leukemia - Symptoms and Treatments

In the objective to increase the survival rate of leukemia patients, studies are ongoing to determine the causes and effective treatment options. Even though, the exact causes of leukemia are still not identified, medical experts are of the opinion that exposure to hazardous chemicals and ionizing radiations are the main triggering factors for development of this blood cancer. Irrespective of the age group, it is estimated that leukemia survival rate for five years is approximately 43 percent. Among the four types of leukemia, ALL is reported to have the highest survival rate in both children and adults.