James Kafeero, an oncologist at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Mulago Hospital (Uganda) says that risk factors that lead people to contract leukemia are as follows. Having relatives or being in company of people who have or have had leukemia, people with underlying genetic disorders such as downs’ syndrome, previous exposure to ionizing radiations like X-rays and an atomic/nuclear reaction exposure expose one to leukemia.

Kafeero says that other risk factors that may lead to leukemia are previous exposure to chemotherapy regimens, insecticides and herbicides containing benzene compounds.

He says that the control strategy of leukemia is early diagnosis and treatment because most leukemia cases are curable. The treatment of leukemia varies from supportive treatment to chemotherapy and surgery according to Dr. Kafeero. But the best treatment recommended is supportive treatment, for instance blood transfusion, good nutrition and treatment of infections.

Leukemia drugs are given (chemotherapy) to patients with leukemia in different phases in order to prevent recurrence of the disease. The treatment of leukemia lasts for about three months. When it comes to surgery, it involves doing a bone marrow transplant. The treatment of leukemia is quiet expensive.

By Walakira Nyanzi

The post Risks and treatment of leukemia first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Leukemia or cancer of the blood starts when abnormal cells fail to protect the body against diseases because the cells are defective. The cancer progresses and it interferes with the production of cells.

Dr. Peter Barongo, an oncologist (cancer specialist) in Kampala says that the signs of leukemia include body weakness, pain in the long bones, loss of weight, low appetite,  and fatigue.

Other signs are bleeding from the gums and under the skin, sweating at night, frequent fevers, infections which do not respond to medication, abdominal swelling caused by the swelling of the spleen and visual blurring.

The commonest form of leukemia is acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This is the leukemia where the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells. To diagnose for leukemia the blood and bone marrow tests have to be carried out and once the patient presents with leukemia symptoms, a thin film test has to be done on him/her to ascertain the number of immature white blood cells. Bone marrow tests are free at Mulago Hospital according to Dr. Barongo.

By Walakira Nyanzi

The post Signs of leukemia first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Many people lie in hospitals suffering from leukemia. Their eyes and lips many times they become pale, their limbs thin and their heads bald.

The doctors say that the people suffering from leukemia many times have teary eyes. Leukemia sometimes is referred to as cancer of the blood.

According to James Kafeero, an oncologist at the Uganda Cancer Institute, in Mulago Hospital (Uganda), childhood leukemia is on the rise in the country. He says that the hospital at least diagnoses two people every day. Leukemia according to the doctors contributes to at least 15% of childhood cancers in the east African third economy (Uganda).

Dr. Kafeero however says that leukemia is one of the curable childhood cancers, if it is diagnosed early enough and treated in time. Leukemia comes when white blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and the blood floods.

By Walakira Nyanzi

The post How to diagnose and treat leukemia first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.