Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHLs) : NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMAS (NHLs) are diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas.[1] Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive.Lymphomas are types of cancer derived from lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Lymphomas are treated by combinations of chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies (CD20), immunotherapy, radiation, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.Non-Hodgkin lymphomas were classified according to the 1982 Working Formulation which recognizes 16 types. The Working Formulation is now considered obsolete, and the classification is commonly used primarily for statistical comparisons with previous decades. The Working Formulation has been superseded twice.The latest lymphoma classification, the 2008 WHO classification, largely abandoned the "Hodgkin" vs. "Non-Hodgkin" grouping. Instead, it lists over 80 different forms of lymphomas in four broad groups
TREATMENT
Chemotherapy- This is a method of treatment which makes use of drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs may be administered in the following way-
Orally (Through mouth)
Intravenously (Through vein)
Intramuscularly (Into the muscles)
Subcutaneous (Beneath the skin)
Intrathecally (Into the cerebrospinal fluid)
For Slow-Growing NHLs
Chemotherapy using a single nucleoside (e.g., fludarabine phosphate, or cladribine)
Chemotherapy with a single alkylating agent (e.g., Chlorambucil or cyclophosphamide)
For Fast-Growing NHLs
Fast-growing, Stages 1 or 2 NHL is treated with an aggressive combination of the following drugs:
CHOP- Cyclophosphamide, Hydroxydaunomycin, Oncovin, Prednisone;
BACOD, Bleomycin, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide, Oncovin, Dexamethasone;
MACOP-B, Methotrexate, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide, Oncovin, Prednisone,
Bleomycin;
Pro-MACE-CytaBOM- Prednisone, Methotrexate, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide,
Etoposide, cytarabine, bleomycin, Oncovin
EPOCH, Etoposide, Prednisone, Oncovin, Cyclophosphamide, Halotestin.
Multiple myeloma : Multiple myeloma, also known as myeloma, plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a hematologic cancer, or cancer of the blood. It is the second most common blood cancer, after non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In multiple myeloma, a certain kind of white blood cell called a plasma cell begins to multiply abnormally within the bone marrow. Normally, plasma cells are responsible for producing antibodies that help fight infections. In multiple myeloma, however, excessive plasma cells release unhealthy levels of protein (called immunoglobulin) into the bones and blood. The excessive protein accumulates throughout the body, causing organ damage.
The plasma cells also cause problems inside bones, where they multiply and crowd out normal blood cells. Inside the bone marrow, multiple myeloma plasma cells release chemicals that prompt the body to dissolve areas of bone. This creates weak areas of bone, which are called lytic lesions.
symptoms
As multiple myeloma progresses, plasma cells accumulate in the bones, causing these symptoms:
• Bone pain due to lytic bone disease
• Weakness and fatigue due to anemia
• Weight loss
• Confusion, excessive thirst, constipation due to hypercalcemia
• Kidney problems
• Infections due to non-functioning immunoglobulins.
Medication
To treat multiple myeloma, doctors generally use a combination of chemotherapy and other drugs, which may include:
• Adriamycin (doxorubicin)
• Alkeran (melphalan)
• Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide)
• Oncovin (vincristine)
• Pomalyst (pomalidomide)
• Revlimid (lenalidomide)
• Thalomid (thalidomide)
• Velcade (bortezomib)
Doctors can choose from multiple combinations of chemotherapy drugs. Corticosteroids (such as prednisone or dexamethasone) are often given with chemotherapy, to reduce side effects. Interferon is a hormone-like drug that can help keep multiple myeloma in remission after chemotherapy.
Leukemia : Leukemia is cancer of the blood or bone marrow (which produces blood cells). A person who has leukemia suffers from an abnormal production of blood cells, generally leukocytes (white blood cells). The word Leukemia comes from the Greek leukos which means "white" and aima which means "blood".
The DNA of immature blood cells, mainly white cells, becomes damaged in some way. This abnormality causes the blood cells to grow and divide chaotically. Normal blood cells die after a while and are replaced by new cells which are produced in the bone marrow. The abnormal blood cells do not die so easily, and accumulate, occupying more and more space. As more and more space is occupied by these faulty blood cells there is less and less space for the normal cells - and the sufferer becomes ill. Quite simply, the bad cells crowd out the good cells in the blood.
Causes
Experts say that different leukemias have different causes. The following are either known causes, or strongly suspected causes:
? Artificial ionizing radiation
? Viruses - HTLV-1 (human T-lymphotropic virus) and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
? Benzene and some petrochemicals
? Alkylating chemotherapy agents used in previous cancers
? Maternal fetal transmission (rare)
? Hair dyes
? Genetic predisposition - some studies researching family history and looking at twins have indicated that some people have a higher risk of developing leukemia because of a single gene or multiple genes.
? Down syndrome - people with Down syndrome have a significantly higher risk of developing leukemia, compared to people who do not have Down syndrome. Experts say that because of this, people with certain chromosomal abnormalities may have a higher risk.
? Electromagnetic energy - studies indicate there is not enough evidence to show that ELF magnetic (not electric) fields that exist currently might cause leukemia. The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) says that studies which indicate there is a risk tend to be biased and unreliable.
Signs and symptoms
Common leukemia Signs and symptoms include:
• Fever or chills
• Persistent fatigue, weakness
• Frequent or severe infections
• Losing weight without trying
• Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen
• Easy bleeding or bruising
• Recurrent nosebleeds
• Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)
• Excessive sweating, especially at night
• Bone pain or tenderness
Classification
The first type of classification is by how fast the leukemia progresses:
• Acute leukemia. In acute leukemia, the abnormal blood cells are immature blood cells (blasts). They can't carry out their normal work, and they multiply rapidly, so the disease worsens quickly. Acute leukemia requires aggressive, timely treatment.
• Chronic leukemia. This type of leukemia involves more mature blood cells. These blood cells replicate or accumulate more slowly and can function normally for a period of time. Some forms of chronic leukemia initially produce no early symptoms and can go unnoticed or undiagnosed for years.
The second type of classification is by type of white blood cell affected:
• Lymphocytic leukemia. This type of leukemia affects the lymphoid cells (lymphocytes), which form lymphoid or lymphatic tissue. Lymphatic tissue makes up your immune system.
• Myelogenous (my-uh-LOHJ-uh-nus) leukemia. This type of leukemia affects the myeloid cells. Myeloid cells give rise to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelet-producing cells.
Types of leukemia
The major types of leukemia are:
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). This is the most common type of leukemia in young children. ALL can also occur in adults.
• Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). AML is a common type of leukemia. It occurs in children and adults. AML is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). With CLL, the most common chronic adult leukemia, you may feel well for years without needing treatment.
• Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). This type of leukemia mainly affects adults. A person with CML may have few or no symptoms for months or years before entering a phase in which the leukemia cells grow more quickly.
Medications
Chemotherapy for leukemia is usually a combination of drugs. This is because different drugs attack leukemia cells in different ways. The combination also helps keep the leukemia cells from becoming resistant to any one drug.
Medicine choices
For acute leukemia
Your treatment plan will include the kind of medicine that works best for the specific type or subtype of leukemia that you have.
• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may be treated with chemotherapy medicines (asparaginase, clofarabine, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, methotrexate,nelarabine, or vincristine) and corticosteroids (dexamethasone or prednisone).
• Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) may be treated with chemotherapy medicines (cytarabine, daunorubicin, idarubicin, or mitoxantrone).
Neuroblastoma : Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body. Neuroblastoma most commonly arises in and around the adrenal glands, which have similar origins to nerve cells and sit atop the kidneys. However, neuroblastoma can also develop in other areas of the abdomen and in the chest, neck and near the spine, where groups of nerve cells exist.
TREATMENT
Chemotherapy uses chemicals to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy targets rapidly growing cells in the body, including cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy also damages healthy cells that grow quickly, such as cells in the hair follicles and in the gastrointestinal system, which can cause side effects.Children with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma often receive a combination of chemotherapy drugs before surgery to improve the chances that the entire tumor can be removed.Children with high-risk neuroblastoma usually receive high doses of chemotherapy drugs to shrink the tumor and to kill any cancer cells that have spread elsewhere in the body. Chemotherapy is usually used before surgery and before bone marrow stem cell transplant.
Adenocarcinoma : .
Retinoblastoma : Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rapidly developing cancer that develops from the immature cells of a retina, the light-detecting tissue of the eye and is the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children .
Medical therapy should be directed toward complete control of the tumor and the preservation of as much useful vision as possible. Treatment is usually individualized to the specific patient.External beam radiation therapy, Radioactive isotopes and chemotherapy (carboplatin, vincristine sulfate, and etoposide phosphate) are widely used.
Breastcancer : Breastcancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts.
Treatment
Surgery, radiation ,medications
medications
There are currently three main groups of medications used for adjuvant breast cancer treatment: hormone-blocking agents, chemotherapy, and monoclonal antibodies.
Hormone blocking therapy
tamoxifen (Nolvadex), anastrozoleor letrozole
Chemotherapy
Cyclophosphamide with doxorubicin (Adriamycin). Sometimes a taxane drug, such as docetaxel (Taxotere), is added, and the regime is then known as "CAT". Another common treatment, which produces equivalent results is cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (or "CMF").
Monoclonal antibodies - Trastuzumab