CD7 Tips

There are more than hundred varieties of blood cancer, but the most common ones are leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of leukemia, is when the white blood cells in the marrow begin to grow uncontrollably. This is an acute condition and both the onset and progress are very rapid. The cause is not known, and given the rapid progress, even treatment is often difficult. A more severe form of AML is the APML which is acute promyelocytic leukemia, which leads to reduced number of white and red blood cells and plasma.

This causes the following symptoms:

Anemia
Increased incidence of infections
Excessive bleeding from even minor cuts
Bleeding from nose and gums
Easy bruising
Blood in the urine
Extreme paleness and tiredness
What is different about APML?

There is one distinguishing factor with APML, which is that they contain a protein which when released into the bloodstream can cause severe bleeding, which may be very difficult to control. Chemotherapy kills these cells and so releases the proteins into the bloodstream. These cells need to be managed without chemotherapy, as the patient can even die of uncontrolled bleeding. With medical advances, two non-chemotherapy agents have been identified all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA, vesanoid, or tretinoin) and arsenic trioxide (ATO or trisenox).

ATRA: This is a type of vitamin A which is used either alone, in combination with chemo, in combination with arsenic trioxide, and also in combination with both chemo and arsenic trioxide. The effect is different in different people helps control spread, helps prevent recurrence, and helps control symptoms. In many people, it has been successfully used instead of chemotherapy. ATRA is also used as a long-term maintenance agent. Side effects from ATRA include fever, dry skin, rashes, mouth sores, increased cholesterol, and swollen feet. These go away with stoppage of the drug.
ATO: Arsenic is poisonous when given in large amounts. However, it was discovered that it could be used to treat APML with effects similar to ATRA. It is used alone, in combination with chemotherapy, with ATRA, or with both. It helps control the growth of cells and also helps in long-term maintenance therapy. ATO dosage needs to be monitored as it can cause heart rhythm issues.
With both these drugs, there is a significant side effect, known as differentiation syndrome. Often seen during the first cycle of treatment, this happens when the leukemia cells release a protein into the blood. Symptoms include fever, breathing, kidney damage, and severe fluid buildup. With these two drugs being widely used effectively, chemotherapy is not the only treatment option for APML.

Kidney Angiomyolipoma is also known as AML of the kidney, renal angiomyolipoma or kidney AML. This is a benign tumor that can lead to hemorrhagic complications. A tumour can crop up in the medulla or the cortex of the kidney. A small proportion of this condition can happen in conjunction with tuberous sclerosis. The symptoms vary according to the size of a tumour. The treatment differs from case to case, for some patients, radical nephrectomy may work while for some, invasive wedge resection and partial nephrectomy may work better. The prognosis of this condition is excellent owing to its benign nature.

How is kidney angiomyolipoma medically dealt with?
The treatment option depends on the criticality of a tumour and the general health of the patient. A vast majority of the tumors that are asymptomatic in nature doesn t require a surgical intervention. After the diagnosis is made, a doctor might want to take the wait and watch approach. If the tumor size is small, only medications can cure the condition. On the other hand, surgical intervention can cure the disease and limit any chances of recurrence. Some of the preferred surgical methods include complete or partial nephrectomy, endoscopic surgery, nephron-sparing surgery and tumor embolization. A nephrectomy is only considered when the tumor size is quite large. In case the kidney function is severely impaired, dialysis is necessary. If the tumor results in abdominal bleeding, emergency surgery should be considered.

Healthy lifestyle changes:
If a person has been diagnosed with kidney angiomyolipoma, it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle. Refraining from salt, potassium is a must. A stressed kidney, in general, is better off without foods such as potato, salt, fast food, processed food, various kind of meat etc. The dietary restriction gets waived off by the doctor once the patient is cured. Lifting heavy weight is a strict no in these circumstances. Adequate rest and enough hydration are necessary to be in shape. Timely consumption of medicine is equally important to get cured.

How can this disease be prevented?
Medical research has not fetched any result over the possible prevention method of renal AML. This condition is often connected with a genetic disorder. The following prevention method is necessary to mitigate the risk of this disease.

A genetic test of the expecting parents or molecular testing of the fetus can help a doctor understand whether there is a risk involving the baby.
If the disease runs in the family, a genetic counselling can help parents to understand to assess the risk before planning a child.
Frequent medical checkups are also necessary for a person who has a family history of this disease.
Aggressive medical research is being done to get a possible cure for this problem.