Introduction:
Leukemia is a major cancer type and “According to the American Cancer Society, some 43,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with leukemia each year. This includes about: 15,000 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), most in older adults. 13,500 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), most in adults.” ("Leukemia Facts and Types.") There are already commonly used treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy; however the newest treatment is the stem cell transplant. Although it has a risk of failure or death it does offer a fairly normal lifestyle with both ethical pros and cons.
Intro to Stem Cells:
Stem Cells:
Stem cells are biological (undifferentiated) cells that are found in multicellular organisms.
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Leukemia cells start off in the bone marrow where white blood cells can be found. ("Leukaemia: How Can Stem Cells Help?") Since leukemia cells can divide and do not die when old or damaged they can replicate themselves so many times until they force out the regular white blood cells. ("Leukemia.") This causes the body difficulty when attempting to fight infection, control bleeding and transport oxygen to tissues. There are two main leukemia types, Acute Leukemia and Chronic Leukemia; both of which are split into two subsections. Acute leukemias are a result of fast growing leukemia cells with a sudden increase in the white blood cells. The two subsections are acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The second main type of leukemia is Chronic leukemia; chronic leukemia (unlike acute leukemia) develops slowly and so can stay untraceable for a long time (sometimes up to several years). Chronic leukemias two subsections are chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). There are several possibilities that could cause leukemia, gene mutations, accidental radiation and cancer drug treatments. But mostly it is because of a series of genetic mutations which usually occur during the production of new cells. Although the cause of Leukemias have been greatly linked to gene mutations, it is not yet fully known which