Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets leukemia: What you need to know

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a Lakers' special assistant coach, told some people in his circle recently that he was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

Abdul-Jabbar, 62, was diagnosed with the disease last December. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was told of the disease five months after the diagnosis.

Abdul-Jabbar notified other Lakers officials of his leukemia last week, Los Angeles Times reported.

The following is some basics about leukemia

Leukemia

Leukemia is a blood disease that affects blood cells. Specifically, in a person with leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. The abnormal cells are leukemia cells. White blood cells help fight infection. That is why people with leukemia are at higher risk of infections.

Leukemia cells don't die and they may crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.

There are four common types of leukemia:

* Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): CLL affects lymphoid cells and usually grows slowly. It accounts for more than 15,000 new cases of leukemia each year. Most often, people diagnosed with the disease are over age 55. It almost never affects children.

* Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML): CML affects myeloid cells and usually grows slowly at first. It accounts for nearly 5,000 new cases of leukemia each year. It mainly affects adults.

* Acute lymphocytic (lymphoblastic) leukemia (ALL): ALL affects lymphoid cells and grows quickly. It accounts for more than 5,000 new cases of leukemia each year. ALL is the most common type of leukemia in young children. It also affects adults.

* Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): AML affects myeloid cells and grows quickly. It accounts for more than 13,000 new cases of leukemia each year. It occurs in both adults and children.

Leukemia risk factors

One common risk is radiation, which can cause acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, or acute lymphocytic leukemia. Many studies have linked elevated risk of leukemia to exposure to radiation including medical radiation which is used to diagnose and treat disease such as cancer.

People who receive radiotherapy are at higher risk for leukemia. Diagnostic x-rays can also raise cancer risk and every tiny bit of radiation can result in damage to tissues and cells and the damage can eventually lead to development of leukemia. But doctors often downplay the risk by saying that its benefits over-weigh its risks.

Smoking cigarettes also increases the risk of acute myeloid leukemia.

Benzene: Benzene is added into gas. Gasoline contains as much as 5 percent of benzene. Incomplete combustion results in exhaust gas which is a combination of many toxic chemicals. Benzene in the workplace can cause acute myeloid leukemia. It may also cause chronic myeloid leukemia or acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Chemotherapy: Some cancer patients who receive chemotherapy get acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphocytic leukemia later. Drugs known as alkylating agents or topoisomerase inhibitors are linked with a small chance of later developing acute leukemia.

Other less significant risk factors include down syndrome and certain other inherited disease, myelodysplastic syndrome and some other blood disorders, human T-cell leukemia virus type and family history of leukemia.

Leukemia symptoms

People with chronic leukemia may not have symptoms. This type of leukemia may only be found during a routine blood test.

However, people with acute leukemia may experience a series of symptoms including headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control or seizure if the brain is affected. Leukemia can also affect other parts of the body such as the digestive tract, the kidneys, lungs, heart or testes.

Common symptoms of chronic or acute leukemia include swollen lymph nodes, fevers or night sweats, frequent infections, feeling weak or tired, bleeding and bruising easily (bleeding gums, purplish patches in the skin or tiny red spots under the skin), swelling or discomfort in the abdomen, weight loss with unknown cause, and pain in the bones or joints.

Leukemia diagnosis

Examinations include physical exam, blood tests,and biopsy. Biopsy is the only method to see if the leukemia cells are in the bone marrow.

Other tests include cytogenetics, spinal tap and chest x-ray.

Leukemia treatment

There are many types of treatment for leukemia. But like many other types of cancer, there is no cure for the disease. The options a patient has include watchful waiting, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplant. Treatments depend upon the type of leukemia, acute or chronic, age and whether leukemia cells are found in the cerebrospinal fluid.

People with acute leukemia need to be treated right away. The treatments according to cancernet.nci.nih.gov are to eliminate the symptoms and control the disease only. Again there is no cure for the disease.

The article is based largely on a document from cancernet.nci.nih.gov

By David Liu