Leukemia: Types and Treatment Options

Leukemia: Types and Treatment Options Background information: Leukemia is a disease that has been affecting society these days. About 119,280 new cases are being found out this year. Leukemia is a blood cancer having to do with leukocytes, or as better known white blood cells, that take over the bone marrow and spread throughout the blood stream in our body. White blood cells exist in our body to protect it against diseases and infections. There are five types of white blood cells that go through the blood to the site of infection. These cells are grouped into two groups: Granulocytes and Agranulocytes. Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterized by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm. Neutrophils are granulocyte and are the most common White Blood Cell (WBC) in the body. Its the first one to show up to ingest bacteria, virus particles, fungi, and protozoa. Eosinophils have a bilobed nuclei and uniform-sized cytosplamic granule. They moderate allergic reactions and defend against parasitic worm infestations. Basophilis is also a Granulocyte and the smallest of the three. They discharge their granules containing histamine and heparin into damaged tissue spaces to promote inflammation and blood flow to damaged areas. Agranulocytes lacks granules in their cytoplasm. The two types of granulocytes are as follow: Monocytes which travel through the blood for a day before even existing. The migrating monocytes are big eaters and they develop into macrophages and phagocytose bacteria debris in the tissue. Lymphocytes are grouped into T cells and B cells. T cells may directly attack foreign and tumor cells. B cells produce antibodies attack foreign cells or proteins. These are the cells that are affected when a person is diagnosed with leukemia. According to healthcommunities.com Leukemia is classified by how quickly it progresses. Acute leukemia is fast-growing and can overrun the body within a few weeks or months. By contrast, chronic leukemia is slow-growing and progressively worsens over years. The blood-forming cells of acute leukemia remain in an immature state, so they reproduce and accumulate very rapidly. Therefore, acute leukemia needs to be treated immediately; otherwise the disease may be fatal within a few months. Fortunately, some subtypes of acute leukemia respond very well to available therapies and they are curable. Children often develop acute forms of leukemia, which are managed differently from leukemia in adults. Chronic Leukemia is distinguished by the excessive build up of relatively mature, but still abnormal, white blood cells. Usually it takes months or years to progress; the cells produce at a faster rate than normal cells, resulting in many abnormal white blood cells in the blood. Chronic leukemia mostly occurs in older people, but can also occur in any age group. There is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia that often occurs to adult older than the age of 55. There is also Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia that occurs mainly in adults and a very few amount of children develop the disease. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in young children. This disease also affects adults, especially at age 65 and older. This type of Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, characterized by the overproduction and continuous multiplication of malignant and immature white blood in the bone marrow. It is a hematological malignancy. (Pakhare 2004) The Bone Marrow is a soft highly vascular modified connective tissue that occupies the cavities and cancellous part of most bones and occurs in two forms: a : a whitish or yellowish bone marrow consisting chiefly of fat cells and predominating in the cavities of the long bones-called also yellow marrow b : a reddish bone marrow containing little fat, being the chief seat of red blood cell and blood granulocyte formation, and occurring in the normal adult only in cancellous tissue especially in certain flat bones-called also red marrow (Merriam-Webster Dictionary.) When a Bone Marrow starts to produce abnormally white blood cells, it is called leukemia. When the white blood cells are being produced in a vast amount and at a fast rate, it starts to feast on the erythrocytes therefore leaving the body with out any blood. Blood is what keeps the human body alive. It carries the oxygen through our whole body. There three ways to treat leukemia and that is Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and Bone Marrow Transplants. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer cells. These drugs can be given intravenously, orally, subcutaneously, intramuscularly (injected into muscle), or intrathecally. But the chemotherapy treatment varies since there are different types of leukemia and not only does it kill the cancer cells but it also kills other cells. Radiation therapy works by damaging the genetic material (DNA) within cells, which prevents the cells  from growing and reproducing.   Although the radiotherapy is directed at cancer cells, healthy cells near the cancer cells may also be damaged. However, a goal of radiotherapy is to protect the healthy cells as much as possible, so that the benefit (destroying the cancer cells) outweighs the risk  (harming healthy cells). (The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 2009) Bone Marrow transplant replaces the diseased bone marrow with a healthier one. Bone marrow transplantation is accomplished by the intravenous administration of bone marrow or stem cells capable of reproducing themselves and repopulating an empty or defective bone marrow. Often, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy are required prior to the administration of the stem cells in order to eradicate the remaining defective bone marrow. For patients with cancer, the chemotherapy and radiation therapy also are effective at treating the cancer. (Cutler 2005) But what are the positive and negative outcomes of these treatments? Although Chemotherapy does manage to kill most cancerous cell it also comes with some side-effects. For example nausea, vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, anemia, mouth sores, taste and smell changes, infection, diarrhea, menopause, and infertility. The side-effects of Radiation Therapy treatment are similar to the ones of Chemotherapy. A bone marrow may not be successful because of disease recurrence or regimen-related toxicity. Regimen-related toxicity refers to side effects that patients may experience during the course of transplantation. These side effects include graft-vs-host disease (GvHD), graft rejection, bacterial infections, fungal infections, viral infections, gastrointestinal and hepatic complications, neurologic complications, pulmonary complications, and late effects after stem cell transplant. Although these treatments can help people with leukemia it can also kill them. It might kill cancerous cells but it also kills other good cells.

The Grapes of Wrath

The movie â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† I watched recently is the classic adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel written and published in 1939 only one year before the movie was released. When the movie production was approved the director John Ford and his crew were able to accomplish a major task and finish the project without getting involved in the conflict with labor unions what was very important since many members of the crew belonged to them. The script which is based on Steinbeck’s book adopted a very specific dialect, the language spoken by the villagers living in rural Oklahoma so the authenticity impression was preserved. The movie presents the times of the Great Depression in the American Mid West and West coasts. This was a tough era of American history that got the historically accurate documentation and John Ford’s movie shows us perfectly the experience of many people those days – farmers and their families, drifters and strikers. For many Americans who watched the movie in the theaters in the big cities it was not easy to find out how hard and stressful it was for the people living in the country to be forced out of the lands they were working on. Here the director introduces us to the family of poor farmers from Oklahoma Dust Bowl and their struggling during the tough times of the economic crisis. While watching the movie I observed the contrast between the representatives of the lower class and the wealthy landowners who take an advantage of the unfortunate circumstances. From the events presented I’ve learned that the economic crisis and the advancing technology which was used to farm the land were responsible for drastic and extreme changes which were imposed on thousands of people against their own will. All the farmers’ families which for many generations made the living out of their farms in the short period of time received the notifications demanding to move out and abandon the properties which they were residing at. Obviously it was not their choice and the decision was made on their behalf without giving them the alternative opportunities. The main characters in the movie are the members of Joad’s family who are not only dealing with the problems inside of their family but also with the basis of their existence which is endangered. Those poor people understand very well that when fighting all the odds the only solution is to stay together and rely on each other and when facing the unpleasant reality they decide to remain as a family while entering the new chapter of their lives. In order to find a solution to their problems Joad’s family decides to embark on the journey to California. They have high hopes and strong beliefs that if they will get there, their situation will change for better, they will be able to find jobs and as a result will settle in their new home. On the way to their destination they experience many unexpected events which they have to deal with as they appear. They loose two members of their family and while staying at the camps for the similar migrants they learn about the sad reality which was awaiting them. It appeared that all the information they have been provided before they left Oklahoma were not exactly true and the land owners were trying to earn profits by using the unfair labor practices. Being fully aware of the desperate conditions the owners of the large farms offer low wages jobs and exploit all those hired to work on their lands. The new comers were not welcomed and treated with very suspicious manners. The local residents who were afraid of losing their own source of income were acting very unfriendly and openly demonstrated their opposition. People like Joad’s family while forced to stay in the camps and awaiting the potential employment were treated by local authorities like trouble makers. All those who tried to stand up for their rights were considered difficult and wrongly accused of trouble causing. Rich and wealthy class representatives were simply misusing the power of the local authorities in order to protect their own interest and increase the potential profits. Whoever was brave enough to disagree with those kinds of methods was considered as a threat and forced to leave or had to face the mistreatment and abuse. While majority of migrating families were subjected to the hardship and constant struggling, the smaller number of this group were lucky enough to find the temporary accommodations provided by the Federal authorities as a form of social assistance during the economic depression. Once they were able to reach such facilities they were offered decent and reasonable housing with the basic sanitary installations. The life in those places was organized by the rules which campers could set up so all the residents were treated with respect and there was no tolerance for any form of abuse. However some of the local land owners did not like the situation and were trying to sabotage the camp. Quite often those government managed facilities were subjected to the organized attempts of purposely initiated disturbances which will give the arguments to the local authorities to act while â€Å"preserving law and order†. It should be noticed that even tough it was not the director’s intention the conditions showed and the form of management in those camps succeeded in building up the reputation of the Government and helped in recognizing efforts directed towards continuous improvement during the crisis. The democratic methods which were giving all the residents the right to protect their status were successfully maintaining the stabilized life while staying within the borders of the camp. Even the police authorities were not allowed to enter without the warrant. Many residents quickly realized how fragile and valuable it is for them to continue preventing the established order in the camp so they could organize the system of the comities which were overseeing all the key aspects of every day living conditions. Under those circumstances surviving the difficult times until the employment opportunities appear was much more acceptable and helped to build the confidence in the better future. The movie definitely proves that people while facing major difficulties have much higher chances of prevailing if they help each other and stay together instead of resisting and fighting those problems just on their own. Even the strongest and most determined attempts to resist and fighting the reality by one single person will not last long and at the end will not be considered successful. The Joad’s family proved to themselves that together they can manage to survive and use the difficulties which they went through as the learning experience. By using the combination of wisdom and wise assumptions together with good will and honest intentions they were able to help each other in the process of the decisions making. As we all now go through the inconveniences and carry the burden of struggling economy, while watching the movie we can relate in some certain way to the presented story. We are fully aware that unfortunately seventy years later there are many Americans who do have to find answers to resolve their problems and react to the drastic changes which the economy imposed on them. As Casy, the former preacher perfectly summarizes his view when performing the funeral rites by saying: â€Å"I wouldn’t pray just for an old man that’s dead, ‘cause he’s all right. If I was to pray, I’d pray for folks that’s alive and don’t know which way to turn†. The fact that the American Academy of Motion Pictures nominated John Ford’s movie was one of the reasons why even the President of the USA Franklin D. Roosevelt was present there and gave the speech which consisted of comments regarding the movie unique character. For someone like me whose knowledge of the United States modern history is not so deep I found the movie as being very educating and presenting Americans’ lives during the Great Depression from a different perspective. Comparing to the recent production, the â€Å"Cinderella Man† I found quite few similarities and issues which were particularly important however the director John Ford is not trying to create a fairy tale but instead is exposing the dark side in which both the rules of economy and human nature compete with each other in the most important fight as the only possible way of surviving without loosing the human values such a dignity and pride. We can say that the main characters, their interactions and behavior even if originated from the natural instincts of human beings slowly but steady helped them to built up the resistance and eventually made them stronger than they were ever before. Just like Russell Crowe in the â€Å"Cinderella Man† was given a second chance and did not waste it but succeeded in his journey to the victory on the boxing ring, Joad’s family under the spiritual leadership of Tom’s mother proudly emerged out of all difficulties and remained faithful about awaiting them much better future. In my opinion the history of this country taught us a very valuable lesson which proved that even the Great Depression was not able to destroy the strong American spirit and discourage people from using their skills and joined efforts to help each other in the times of need. People need to believe that the tough times will end and they will be able to enjoy living again. Nothing motivates people in need to take an action and engage in many long term efforts better than having hope and faith that the better future is in their hands, that nothing else can help them better than their own determination.

Use Of A Token Economy Increase Running On Command Of A...

Use of a Token Economy to Increase Running on Command Of a Child with Down syndrome Brooke R. Mize Texas Woman’s University Abstract: Children with Down syndrome typically have increased behavioral issues associated with their disability due to the disabilities’ phenotype. Introducing a token economy system was proven effective to increase the amount of running in the subject. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a token economy to increase running on command of a child with Down syndrome. Having a token economy system in place, allows better stability and repetitiveness in their daily lives. This essentially helps the student maintain behavioral control and the maladaptive behaviors are less likely to happen. A five week token economy behavioral program was implemented and included earning tokens (up to five) per session to exchange for up to five minutes of computer time. The results drastically changed from pre-intervention to post-intervention by 80%. Every task was completed and when asked, although there were still minor reoccurring behaviors that needed correction. When implementing a token economy it is still important to manage the smaller behaviors in order to increase the amount of physical activity completed per session. Introduction: Children with Down syndrome are at an increased risk for behavioral issues due to factors including characteristics associated with the Down syndrome phenotype, increased incidenceShow MoreRelatedMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pages These range from introduction to marketing/marketing principles to courses in marketing management and strategic marketing. It can also be used as a text in international marketing courses. Retailing, entrepreneurship, and ethics courses could use a number of these cases and their learning insights. 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George S Patton And Odysseus From The Odyssey - 1248 Words

The sun is just setting over the men of the Third Army. They are overtaking one of the most prized Nazi strongholds, Metz. These men who will wage war within the hour are heroes in their own right but the hero they all look up to is their general, George S. Patton. He truly is the hero of this theatre of war. These, and all heroes, look at danger as little more than an obstacle to overpass. General George S Patton and Odysseus from The Odyssey, by Homer, are both heroes. They reached fame at very different times but they both exhibited the same qualities and abilities that allowed them to overcome any and every challenge thrown at them. Patton fought Nazis in North Africa and Western Europe, Odysseus battled Cyclops and other beasts†¦show more content†¦He would not have been called a coward if he walked away from those odds. He didnt walk away. He stood and fought with his son and they prevailed. He decided that his home and his family were worth the risk. Patton, a s a general in WWII, knew that each man under his control was worth it. He told them that,† Each man has a purpose in my army and each man before me will be expected to fulfill that duty†(O’Reilly.14). Patton did more than just inspire his men from a concealed hideout, far from the danger of the front lines, he also journeyed in his Willy Jeep to the front lines to guide the assault. He was a high value target and escaped death on numerous occasions but he maintained his composure on these ever increasing excursions. When leaving the front lines he would find soldiers and make a point of, â€Å"placing his hand on their shoulder, looking them in the eyes and saying, ‘Don’t disappoint me soldier.† (O’Reilly.15). He expected a lot of his men just as Odysseus did as evidenced by his disappointment when members of his crew became disloyal and even acted as cowards when faced with challenges.. Odysseus himself did great things but he expe cted to be a role model to his men as well. When in a grim situation, a hero needs to remain composed to allow for his wisdom and strategic mindset to come through and save the day as displayed by both Odysseus and Patton. Odysseus was trapped in a cave with a stone, that no group of men could move, separating him from the