(1888PressRelease)
September 21, 2006 - Acute Erythroleukemia is one of the most deadly diseases that human civilization has ever encountered. Giovanni Di Guglielmo discovered this rare heterogeneous disease, where there is an increase in red cell precursors and myeloblasts, in the early twentieth century.
Acute erythroleukemia, which is also referred to as acute Di Guglielmo syndrome, is classified on the basis of morphologic and cytochemical criteria as an M6 subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).
In the United States of America, acute erythroleukemia accounts for 20-30 % of all kinds of secondary leukemia and 3-5% of all kinds of acute myelogenous leukemia. The disease is not known to have any sort of racial preference and is found in equal numbers in all ethnicities across the globe. It is, however, more common among males.
The most vulnerable age groups for acute erythroleukemia are people over 50 years old. Researchers have identified the fourth decade and the seventh decade of life as the two peak periods when this disease might strike. Though acute erythroleukemia rarely occurs in children, this disease can afflict children from the newborn period to the age 7 years.
The common symptoms of the disease include fatigue, minimal-to-modest weight loss, easy bruising, fever, bone or abdominal pain and joint pain. The patient usually has anemia and shows symptoms like gum bleeding, retinal hemorrhage and infection of respiratory tracts, urinary tract, sinuses, peri-rectal area and skin.
There are no identifiable risk factors. However, some of the common factors that physicians believe might cause this disease include exposure to ionizing radiation like Thorotrast, a radiographic contrast medium used in the 1940s and prior chemotherapy with alkylating agents. In rare cases, acute erythroleukemia is genetic in origin.
The treatment for acute erythroleukemia is usually similar to the approach used for acute myelogenous leukemia. What makes the treatment difficult is the multi-drug resistance gene (i.e. MDR1) expression, which is responsible for poor response to chemotherapy and consequently, a short survival time. Often, physicians recommend placing an indwelling central venous catheter and/or port for chemotherapy infusion, which is also used to draw blood samples for periodic analysis.
The patient is usually kept on a diet of cooked fruit and vegetables. Usually, they are asked to avoid strenuous physical activity and pay special attention to oral hygiene. Patients afflicted with acute erythroleukemia are also asked to avoid potted plants and flowers.
However, despite all precautions, the survival chances in this disease are rare. Usually, the disease is diagnosed within 1-3 months after the onset of symptoms and the patient rarely lives longer than 6 months.
In recent times, the World Health Organization is carrying out numerous research projects to identify the cause of this deadly disease and find a cure.
