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Accelerated phase: Chronic
myelogenous leukemia that is progressing is said to be in
accelerated phase. The number of immature, abnormal white
blood cells in the bone marrow and blood is higher than in the
chronic phase, but not as high as in the blast phase. The
merging of the "stable phase" of the disease into
the accelerated phase can be as subtle as the need for
increasing doses of chemotherapy or as obvious as pain in the
bones, joints or spleen, sweating, fatigue and unexplained
fevers.
Acetaminophen: A drug that reduces pain and fever (but
not inflammation).
Acute: When symptoms or a disease happens suddenly.
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
(ALL): Cancer of the blood
cells. A disease in which too many immature white blood cells
that give rise to lymphocytes are found in the blood and bone
marrow. The immature white blood cells are referred to as
lymphoblasts. The disease often results in the replacement of
normal bone marrow with lymphoblasts that crowd out normal
cells. The progression of this disease is usually rapid. ALL
appears most commonly in children although it can appear in
adults.
Acute Myelogenous or Non-lymphocytic Leukemia
(AML):
Cancer of the blood cells. Normally, the bone marrow makes
cells called blasts that develop (mature) into several
different types of blood cells that have specific jobs to do
in the body. AML affects the blasts that develop into white
blood cells called granulocytes or neutrophils. In AML, the
blasts do not mature and become too numerous and crowd out
normal cells. The progression of this disease is usually
rapid. AML occurs in all ages and is the more common acute
leukemia in adults. Also called acute myeloid leukemia or
acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.
Acyclovir: An antiviral agent used to prevent or treat
herpes simplex (cold sore) and herpes zoster (chickenpox or
shingles) infections that may occur when the body is
immunosuppressed. May provide some weak protection against
cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Adenopathy: Enlarged lymph nodes.
Adjuvant Therapy: Treatment given (when there is no
clinically evident disease) in addition to the primary
treatment (often surgery) to increase the chances of a cure.
Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy,
or hormone therapy.
Adverse Effect: An unwanted side effect of treatment.
ALL: See
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
Allele: One of multiple alternate forms of a gene. Your
HLA alleles determine which antigens are present on your
cells. In the case of the genes that determine your tissue
type (See HLA), you inherited one allele for each gene we test
for from your mother and the other from your father.
Allogeneic Stem Cell
Transplant: A type of transplant
where the bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells are
obtained from another person, usually of the same or very
similar tissue (HLA) type.
AML: See
Acute Myelogenous or Non-lymphocytic Leukemia.
Analgesics: Any drug used to relieve pain. These drugs
include aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, narcotics such as
codeine or morphine, and topical drugs such as Novocain.
Anaplastic: Describes cancer cells that divide
rapidly and have little or no resemblance to normal cells from
which they were derived.
Anemia: A condition in which there is a decreased
number of red cells. In severe form it results in weakness and
fatigue or even fainting.
Anorexia: Loss of appetite.
Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness. A local
anesthetic will cause a loss of feeling in a part of your
body. A general anesthetic will put you to sleep.
Antibiotics: Drugs used to treat infection usually
by killing the causative germ.
Antibody: A protein substance formed by certain white
blood cells in your body to help defend it against disease.
Antigen: A foreign substance that causes your immune
system to create an antibody or cells that will, in turn,
attack the foreign substance.
Anti-emetic: A medicine that is used to prevent or
treat nausea and/or vomiting.
Apheresis: A method of obtaining and separating
specific blood components, such as white blood cells (called
leukopheresis), platelets, plasma, or stem cells. The process
is similar to donating a unit of blood. During apheresis, a
portion of the donor's blood travels through a closed, sterile
tubing system through a machine that separates out the
targeted cells and returns the remainder of the cells back to
the donor.
Aplastic
Anemia: Bone marrow failure. In this condition
there is a dramatic decrease in the production of white blood
cells, red blood cells and platelets leading to an increased
risk of infection and bleeding. A bone marrow biopsy often
shows only fat and very few normal bone marrow cells.
Aspiration: A procedure to remove fluid or material
from a body area, such as removing a sample of marrow from the
hip bone. This procedure is done using a needle and syringe.
Asymptomatic: No symptoms or signs of disease.
Atypical: Unusual, abnormal, or not typical.
Autologous Stem Cell
Transplant: A transplant where the
patient's own bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells are
removed, stored, treated and returned to the patient.
Axillary
Nodes: Lymph nodes in the armpit.
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