National Cancer Institute: Leukemia - Essay Example

Up to date, there is still little knowledge about the exact causes of leukemia. Physicians, however, explain that a person's environment has a lot to do with his/her chances of having this disease. Based on studies people who are exposed to high levels of radiation are a greater risk of contracting this disease. Natural or ionizing radiation caused by an atomic bomb explosion, nuclear power plant accidents, and other medical treatments increase the risk of leukemia (Medicine Net.com 3). Exposure to certain chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde has also been linked to this type of cancer.

Some forms of leukemia are caused by viruses like chronic lymphocytic leukemia which is caused by the human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (Medicine Net.com 3). Four techniques are commonly used to treat leukemia. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment where a drug or combination of drugs is used to kill leukemia cells. Drugs are given to the patient through oral administration, injection directly in the vein, through a catheter in the large vein of the upper chest, and by direct injection into the cerebrospinal fluid at the spine or at the Ommaya reservoir under the scalp.

Biological therapy involves strengthening the body's defense system through the injection of drugs into a person's vein. The immune system is strengthened in order for the body to be able to defend itself and kill the leukemia cells. Radiation therapy utilizes the power of radiation in order to kill the leukemia cells in the body. Oftentimes, physicians diagnose were most leukemia cells have accumulated and directed strong radiations in these body parts. Lastly, stem cell transplantation is now used to treat patients with leukemia.

This involves the use of high doses of drugs or radiation or a combination of this in order to eliminate leukemia cells. Afterward, healthy stem cells are transplanted in the veins which will produce healthy blood cells replacing the infected ones. Stem cell transplantation is classified by where it came from: bone marrow transplantation sources cells from bone marrow; peripheral stem cell transplantation requires cell from the peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood transplantation uses stem cells from the umbilical cord usually from newborn (Medicine Net.com 6).