What is Leukemia and

Cancer

Hayden Bicknell
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease where a cell is damaged and instead of apoptosis (cell
unalive), the cells starts growing rapidly and uncontrollably. Cancer can be
metastatic(spreads to other places) or not and stay where they are.
Different stage of cancer
There are five stages of cancer: Stage 0, Stage 1,
Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4
How is leukemia
different from other
cancers
Leukemia is a broad term for different types
of blood cancers. Leukemia involves early
blood-forming cells. Leukemia mostly forms
in the white blood cells but occasionally it
will start in other types of blood cells.
Leukemia also is classified more often as
phases instead of stages. Leukemia can form
tumors but it’s rare.
 Treatments for leukemia
● Chemotherapy- The most commonly and widely used , an IV drug that destroys leukemia
cells. Monthly Cost-$1,000 to $12,000
● Targeted therapy- Focuses on specific abnormalities in your blood cells, your leukemia
needs to be tested to see if this will works. Monthly cost-$5000 to $10,000
● Radiation therapy- X-ray or other energy beam sources. Can be on one specific point or
your whole body. Cost-$10,000-$50,000 per patient.
● Bone marrow transplant- Usually applied after heavy treatments of CT or RT, helps you
regrow the healthy bone marrow that you lost. About $193,000 per patient.
● Immunotherapy- Uses your immune system to fight, cost- over 10,000 per month
● Clinical trials-Experiments of new ways to fight cancer, risks and benefits-you can get paid
for it.
Patients
Maree J. Perry

Jay B. Barley

Alanis R. Khan

Charlie B. Smith

Katy C. Jolie