Leukemia Awareness

What happened to Francis M was very shocking. We've lost a great artist. With this, let me share some facts about leukemia so we could all be aware.



Incidence, Mortality and Survival

Leukemias rank 7th overall (3.9%), 6th in males (4.3%) and 8th among females (3.6%). In 2005, there will be an estimated 4,202 new cases, 2,243 in males and 1,959 in females. There will be 3,498 deaths, 1,863 in men and 1,635 among women. In the Philippines, median survival is 29 months, 5-year survival rate is 25%, and 10-year survival is 8.33%.


Risk Factors and Prevention

Exposure to high doses of radiation and continuous and prolonged exposure to certain chemicals have been blamed for increasing the risk of leukemia.


Warning Signals

Easy fatigability, pallor, weight loss, easy bruising, frequent nosebleed, or repeated infections, especially among children. Symptoms of acute leukemia appear suddenly. Chronic leukemia may progress slowly with few symptoms.


Early detection

There is no practical screening method for leukemia. Early detection of symptomatic patients, particularly children, should be aimed for. Peripheral blood smears and bone marrow examination confirm the diagnosis in suspicious cases.


Treatment

Some forms of leukemia, particularly acute lymphocytic leukemia in children, are highly curable by chemotherapy. The public sector ought to allocate more resources for the management of curable leukemias in indigent children.

Sources: 2005 Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates, Philippine Cancer Society


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