| If you have been exposed to benzene while at work and are now suffering serious health conditions such as ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA, please Contact a Benzene Lawyer.
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Leukemia Treatments
June 29, 2004
Researchers continue to search for better leukemia treatments
No one knows the exact cause of leukemia. However, Benzene exposure and high doses of radiation are known risk factors believed to cause the disease. Every year about 10,500 new cases of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) are diagnosed. Acute myelogenous leukemia is the most common of the four major types of leukemia. Some signs of AML include elevated white blood cell count and low red blood cell count. Often times a person will complain of feeling fatigued.
While leukemia survival rates have increased over the last several decades, acute leukemia almost always requires prompt treatment within a few days. In order to treat acute leukemia doctors may incorporate chemotherapy and drug therapy with hopes of reaching remission. Children generally better tolerate the leukemia treatments, though the regimen is difficult regardless and usually requires red blood cell and platelet transfusions.
Many adults that are suffering acute myelogenous leukemia have a difficult time finding therapies. A new pill, Imatinib Mesylate, has been deemed the “wonder drug” and is used primarily for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Better tolerated by older adults, the pill is still far from being a lifesaver. The drug is able to prolong the lives of leukemia patients, resulting in a significantly brighter prognosis than leukemia patients were given about 40 years ago.
If you have been exposed to benzene while at work and are now suffering serious health conditions such as such as acute myelogenous leukemia, please Contact a Benzene Lawyer .