Question

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

A father brings in his 3-year-old son, James, who was initially running a fever. He was given Tylenol, and the fever went away for 2 days. Now, however, the fever is back, and he has noted dark spots on his body and a lump in his armpit. He has been lethargic and has not wanted to eat for the last 24 hours. The physician suspects acute lymphocytic leukemia and has ordered blood chemistry studies, immunophenotyping, and bone marrow aspiration and biopsy.

1. The father is upset and wants to know what is leukemia and how did his son catch it? How would the nurse address this question?
2. The nurse arranges to have laboratory tests drawn and schedules the immunophenotyping and bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. Discuss the importance of these tests.
3. Is there a possibility that leukemia has spread in the body?
4. What treatments are available for leukemia?

   Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

   A father brings in his 3-year-old son, James, who was initially running a fever. He was given Tylenol, and the fever went away for 2 days. Now, however, the fever is back, and he has noted dark spots on his body and a lump in his armpit. He has been lethargic and has not wanted to eat for the last 24 hours. The physician suspects acute lymphocytic leukemia and has ordered blood chemistry studies, immunophenotyping, and bone marrow aspiration and biopsy.

5. The father is upset and wants to know what is leukemia and how did his son catch it? How would the nurse address this question?
6. The nurse arranges to have laboratory tests drawn and schedules the immunophenotyping and bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. Discuss the importance of these tests.
7. Is there a possibility that leukemia has spread in the body?
8. What treatments are available for leukemia?

Answer 1

Answer #1.

First, as a nurse provide psychological support to the father and start explaining regarding leukemia. While explaining does not use the medical term or choose the words which the father will easily understand it. Leukemia is the cancer of blood or bone marrow that leads to disturbances in blood cell production. There is immature uncontrollable blood cell production occurs. The way this catches his son is unknown. But there is a risk factor which might be the reason for developing the condition to the child. First to genetic factors likes any person in the family or in the family tree have the disease condition before and the second possible factor is environmental factors like exposure to radiation frequently, chemical, etc.

Answer #2

The Immunophenotyping test is a blood test to check malignant lymphocyte begin from B lymphocyte and T lymphocyte. This identifies the antigen or marker which is present in the blood cell. This helps to understand the types of leukemia and lymphoma.

Bone marrow aspiration is a procedure advised by the doctor when the patient have very high WBC in the complete blood count. It is done by collecting liquid from the marrow and identify any abnormal in the cell produce by the cell and get confirm leukemia.

Bone marrow biopsy it is done by collecting a small sample of bone marrow and check their working condition how they are producing the blood cell. This will understand any defect in the bone marrow and immature production of cell leads to diagnosis of leukemia.

Answer # 3

It cannot spread in the form of the cancerous cell but because of bone marrow producing immature blood cells leads to the development of many diseases to other organs of the body.

answer #4

The treatment available for leukemia

1. Chemotherapy: There is the use of chemotherapy drugs to controlled the overgrowth of immature blood cells.

2. Radiation therapy: This strong beam of energy is used to kill the abnormal growth cells.

3. Immunotherapy: In this certain drugs are used to boost the immunity of the patient. So that the body can fight against the cancerous cell.

4. Target therapy: This treatment use drug which targets specific leukemia blood cell only. These drugs block the blood supply needed to live by the cancerous cell and reduce the ability to multiply the cancerous cell.

5. Stem cell therapy or bone marrow transplantation

A healty stem cell or hemopoitic cell is remove from self healthy bone marrow part or from the donor and injected to the patient leads to replace of abnormal cell by normal cell and start producing normal blood cells.