CML News

[Guest guest]

For our really NEWBIES................CML is a “chronic” leukemia because the

number of abnormal cells in the bone marrow increases gradually. These abnormal

“leukemia cells” eventually crowd out the red blood cells, white blood cells,

and platelets (blood cells that help make blood clot) that the body needs. CML

can develop over a period of months or years. People with CML usually have no

symptoms at first. Eventually, they start feeling generally ill. They tire more

easily and feel short of breath when they are physically active. Some patients

become pale from the anemia (loss of red blood cells) caused by CML. Many

patients feel discomfort on the left side of the abdomen from an enlarged

spleen. Some patients sweat a great deal, lose weight, and cannot tolerate warm

temperatures.

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cml/basics/introduction.htm

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According the National Cancer Institute, more than 10,000 kids are diagnosed

with cancer each year. The most common childhood cancers are leukemia and brain

and spinal cord cancers. Childhood cancers " are so rare, " Scheurer told Reuters

Health. " But when they do happen, it's a really devastating event. "

Scheurer and his colleagues wanted to see if kids born in areas of Texas where

most children were vaccinated according to standard procedures were more or less

likely to get cancer than those born in areas with lower vaccination rates.

Using data on all cancer diagnoses in the state, they identified 2,800 cases of

childhood cancer diagnosed in 1995-2006 among kids born in Texas. The authors

focused on kids who were diagnosed when they were at least 2 years old, as

vaccinations have generally been completed by then.

For each child who had been diagnosed with cancer, the researchers found four

others of the same age and gender who had not. Then, they compared how many of

the kids with and without cancer had been born in counties with high vaccination

rates. While the authors did not have data on which individual children had been

vaccinated, kids living in areas with high vaccination rates are generally

considered safe from infection because of " herd immunity " - the idea that

infection can't spread when only a few are susceptible.

According to Scheurer, the strongest finding was a decreased risk of leukemia in

areas with high vaccination rates for hepatitis B and polio - which is also

where most of the previous childhood cancer research has shown a benefit for

vaccination. This particular study is timely, Scheurer said, because it

coincides with recent news that British researcher Wakefield faked some

of the scientific evidence that supposedly showed a link between vaccines and

autism (see Reuters story of January 6, 2011). After that, " people can take a

step back and really look at the benefit that vaccines provide, " Scheurer said,

" not just for the infectious diseases that they were intended to prevent. Now,

there appears to be some other added benefit " to vaccines.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/h25Vlf The Journal of Pediatrics, online January 13, 2011.

fyi,

Lottie Duthu