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Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APML) is a serious type of leukemia, considered one
of the deadliest. When one falls ill to APML, abnormal heavily granulated promyelocytes accumulate in ones bone marrow and
blood, replacing ones normal blood cells.
Research has shown that there is no definite cure for or prevention of this devastating
disease, though there are many different ways to try to cure it. The first step is to receive a matching blood type with good,
healthy blood cells. The donor's blood type and RH factor would have to be, exactly the same as the patients. The second or
third step is usually chemotherapy. This is a very powerful process that kills the cells where it is targeted. Many people
dont understand that the process of chemotherapy can help to cure, but is often harmful to the body. Another step toward a
cure, which only some hospitals use, is called arsenic trioxide, referred to simply as "arsenic". This step kills leukemia
in a slower and safer way than chemotherapy. The final and most complicated step, which some patients go through, is a bone
marrow transplant.
Finding someone with a matching blood type can be more complicated than most people
think. Humans have blood, but blood is different in different people. There are four different blood types, A, B, AB, and
O. A can donate to A and AB; B can donate to B and AB; AB can donate to AB; and O can donate to A, AB, B, and O. People with
the blood type O are often called universal donors. Along with the blood type, there is an RH factor, which is plus or minus.
Some humans have a certain protein, which is in Rhesus monkeys. If an A blood type human has this protein, he/she would be
an A+, if he/she doesnt he/she would be A-, for example. If a simple blood transfusion doesnt stop the spread of Leukemia,
the next step is much more serious than just a simple blood transfer.
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Chemotherapy is a chemical cocktail that is targeted at one part of the
body to kill cells and/or tissue. Most people with cancer endure chemotherapy, but the doctors are careful not to overuse
this powerful weapon. Chemo-therapy not only kills the bad cells, but kills the good ones too. This means that when using
chemo, the doctor can only use so much. Because this is risky, some doctors will use arsenic, which only targets the evil
leukemia cells.
Arsenic Trioxide is a "poison" which matures leukemia cells. When a leukemia
cell matures it can not reproduce and dies faster. Leukemia cells are in the blood stream and bone marrow, so when the leukemia
cells are out of the blood stream, it usually means that the arsenic is keeping up with the production of Leukemia cells in
the bone marrow. Of course once the leukemia cells are out of the blood stream, there is a lot of free space in the blood
stream, causing a low blood count. To our disappointment, Chloes immune system will start to resist the poison, and start
to take over her body once again. The last step in fighting the leukemia is to find a Bone marrow Donation from someone with
the same bone marrow.
Every person has six different antigens in their bone marrow. A patient can
only use the marrow from donor who has the exact same six antigens. This is very hard because there are more than 1000 antigens,
some being rarer then others. In the lucky case that a baby has just been born, doctor can store the placenta, which comes
out when the baby is born, and give it to the patient. The placenta only has to have four of the six antigens because when
it is still "young" the other two antigens will morph into the remaining of the patients antigens because there are more patient
antigens then donors in the body. Unfortunately because of safety, health, and other issues people under 18, or over 60 years
of age may not donate. The only exception is if a relative under 18 wants to get tested and hopefully donate.
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If a child wants to get tested to see if he/she is compatible with a patient, it may be best to check
his/her parents antigens first. The child can not be a potential donor for the patient unless the mother had three antigens
of the patient, and the father had three different antigens of the patient. Though this does not mean the child will be a
positive match.
If the patient is very lucky, he or she may have a good portion of his/her bone marrow clean, If this is so,
the patient can take the good bone marrow out, save it, and kill the bad bone marrow. Now when putting the bone marrow in,
most people think the doctor would reverse the process of extraction. Instead, however, they "drip" the bone marrow into the
patients blood, and it will somehow go to her bone and turn into marrow.
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