Leukemia Cancer & Benzene Information

Leukemia and Benzene Exposure

One cause of the serious, life-threatening illness known as leukemia is exposure to the chemical benzene - if you're suffering, you deserve help.

Leukemia is certainly one of the most tragic and deadly diseases one can endure. A cancer of the blood-generating tissue within many of the larger bones, it is characterized by weakness, anemia, fatigue, and general ill-health. In fact, many people do not realize they suffer from this condition until they have what doctors call a "blast crisis" or an eruption of diseased blood cells from the bone marrow that can quickly overwhelm a healthy body.

Essentially leukemia is the rapid growth of immature blood cells. These blood cells quickly overwhelm normal blood cells which reduces the natural disease-fighting and nutrient distribution properties of the blood, and can spread cancer to a number of other systems extremely fast. If left untreated leukemia is always fatal.

There are many different types of leukemia, but they are all linked by a common cause. A mutation in DNA that controls blood production is usually responsible for the disease, but this mutation is caused by a variety of different factors. Benzene is one of the primary causes of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, or AML, the most common type of leukemia in adults.

AML is one of the deadlier versions of leukemia, mostly because it presents few outward symptoms until it is relatively advanced. This deadly disease is often discovered through routine blood tests. Early discovery and treatment are critical to prevent AML from advancing through the body and potentially spreading this deadly disease to other parts of the body.

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, or AML, is the most common type of leukemia associated with benzene exposure, with over 10,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Benzene was one of the most commonly encountered chemicals, but scientists discovered that it was causing many people exposed to gasoline, paint, cigarette smoke, and drug, plastic, and rubber manufacturing. Benzene is quickly absorbed by the body, where it is believed its chemical shape allows it to perfectly fit inside the DNA of the bone marrow.

AML begins in the bone marrow, where a mutation in the DNA of the tissue starts a chain reaction that causes cells that would normally turn into healthy, mature blood cells to stop development. As these cells move into the bloodstream they quickly outnumber healthy blood cells and wreak havoc on the body.

AML is particularly dangerous because it does usually have any major outward symptoms until it is extremely advanced and too difficult to treat. Early AML is often confused with a cold or the flu. Symptoms of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia include fever, fatigue, anemia, bone pain, infections, weight loss, and easy bruising and bleeding.

The infected blood cells proliferate through the circulatory system where they invade other systems and organs which in turn can cause cancer in a number of isolated systems virtually simultaneously. This is the most dangerous aspect of AML, because the body can quickly develop cancer beyond just the bone marrow itself. Though not leukemia, these cancers are just as deadly.

Non Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) and Lymphoma Cancer

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) is a form of cancer that attacks the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is responsible for distributing vital chemicals called lymphocytes that help fight infection throughout the body. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma differs from other diseases and conditions of the lymphatic system in that there are no Reed-Sternberg cells. In addition to causing a similar disease to Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, these cells are found in a number of unrelated conditions such as Epstein-Bar Syndrome and mononucleosis.

The disease works because it affects the natural way the body produces lymphocytes. In patients with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma their lymph glands produce too much of the chemical which that crowds out the normal blood cells. They begin to divide and grow without control and do not get filtered out of the blood and die as normal cells do. Further complicating treatment is that there are lymph nodes throughout the body and the cancer can occur in one node, a group of nodes, or another organ. It can also quickly spread throughout the body because it can infiltrate the blood stream and cause cancer virtually anywhere.

Some common symptoms of NHL include:

• Unexplained fever
• Night sweats
• Constant fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Irritated, itchy skin
• Red patches on the skin

It is important to act quickly if you suspect you or someone you know might have NHL, for the condition does not often cause severe pain until the disease is fairly advanced.

Aplastic Anemia Information

Anemia is a scientific term for the inability of the bone marrow to produce the appropriate amount of red blood cells needed for the body to function properly. Bone marrow produces red blood cells that enable the blood to distribute oxygen throughout the body. Without enough red blood cells, the body begins to slowly suffocate because not enough oxygen is reaching various organs and tissues to survive.

Most cases of anemia are caused by easily understandable conditions; the body needs iron to produce red blood cells, so in many cases increasing intake of iron can bring the body back into equilibrium. Other common causes include pregnancy, menstruation, or even hemorrhaging. These conditions can be fixed without too much effort, but aplastic anemia is much more difficult to cure.

Benzene inhibits the natural processes of the bone marrow, and often causes severe hematological conditions such as aplastic anemia. Simply put, benzene causes the bone marrow to stop producing new, healthy red blood cells. Furthermore, anemia usually only causes a deficiency of red blood cells, however, aplastic anemia causes the additional loss of white blood cells and platelets as well.

Without quick diagnosis and rapid treatment, aplastic anemia can quickly incapacitate the bone marrow requiring a painful and expensive bone marrow transplant. This is a particularly dangerous procedure, as there is always a risk of "graft vs. host" disease, where the disease-fighting white blood cells produced by the bone marrow actually view its new body as a threat, and begin attacking healthy and normal tissues.

Leukemia Treatment Centers and Hospitals

Leukemia is one of the more common types of cancer, but one that can be notoriously difficult and painful to treat. The disease is divided into two main types, differentiated by "acute" and "chronic." People can live with chronic leukemia for years before suffering any negative effects, while acute leukemia can be readily apparent with only one blood test. AML can be immediately fatal unless treated immediately with aggressive chemotherapy and other treatments.

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia chemotherapy treatment, for example, is divided into two phases. The first phase attempts to force the leukemia into remission by overwhelming it with powerful chemotherapy drugs. These drugs usually have a success rate that ranges from 50% to 75%. The next phase is management of post-remission characteristics to prevent another "flare up" of the condition. Although remission does not mean the cancer is cured, with all luck this type of treatment can be successful in preventing.

Should chemotherapy fail to force the cancer into remission doctors must perform an incredibly painful, elaborate, and expensive bone marrow transplant. This marrow must be perfectly matched to each individual; otherwise the recipient faces the prospect of graft-versus-host disease, where the new antibodies from the new bone marrow actually reject the body that surrounds it. Bone marrow matches are extremely rare, and the procedure is one of the more painful - though lifesaving - surgeries available.

There are several well-known leukemia treatment centers scattered across the United States. Some of them include:

• Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
  Patient Information: (312) 908-5250
• Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
  Patient Information: 1-800-865-1125
• UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL
  Patient Information: 1-800-UAB-0933 or (205) 975-8222
  Clinical Trial Information: (205) 934-0337 - Alma Del Grosso
• UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC
  Patient Information: (919) 966-3036
  Clinical Trial Information: (919) 966-4432
• M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
  Patient Information: 1-800-392-1611 or (713) 792-6161

Benzene Exposure

Benzene is one of the most versatile and useful industrial chemicals. It was used as a solvent, degreaser and gasoline additive for decades before it was discovered to cause serious health problems in people exposed to it. Its sweet smell and ability to create other chemicals and industrial agents has made it a vital component in many things including rubber, lubricants, detergents, drugs, explosives, and pesticides. Many people are exposed to this toxic substance every day without realizing it. It is also believed that much of the groundwater in the U.S. could be contaminated with high levels of benzene, but few tests have been performed to confirm or deny that claim.

Unbeknownst to many chemists, benzene was a deadly mutagen because its chemical structure fit in perfectly between DNA molecules. It is hexagonal in shape, and when benzene is absorbed through inhalation or ingestion it makes its way through the bloodstream where it is absorbed by the bone marrow. The molecule then sits there until it is processed through the body, but if enough of this substance builds up it can begin to mutate and change the bone marrow.

Early warning signs of benzene poisoning include tremors, dizziness, fatigue, convulsions, and vomiting. It is not uncommon for significant benzene exposure to cause hematological problems such as Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and Aplastic Anemia. These conditions are serious and sometimes fatal, because without adequate warning and diagnosis many people succumb quietly to these silent killers.

Benzene is so deadly and dangerous that lab workers and scientists rarely use it in clinical settings anymore. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared benzene to be a carcinogen, and it is believed benzene exposure is one of the leading causes of AML in the United States today. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that benzene is so dangerous that there can only be one part benzene per million parts of air for one eight hour day in a 40 hour workweek. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency must be notified if only 10 lbs of benzene is spilled or released into the environment.

If you have been exposed to benzene you too may be in danger of developing these deadly conditions. The Federal Government has declared benzene a danger to the health of every American, regardless of occupation. You have the right to work and live in a safe environment, and if benzene threatens your health you have the right to take action against those responsible. Call someone today who can fight to protect you!

Benzene Lawyers

Understanding the role benzene plays in causing a number of health problems takes more than just a cursory knowledge of the law or reading a medical journal or two. People who develop conditions such as Acute Myelogenous Leukemia or Aplastic Anemia need a special type of counselor who has an extensive understanding of the ways that chemicals interact and cause these conditions.

Often people who develop Acute Myelogenous Leukemia or Aplastic Anemia are exposed to significant levels of benzene, either through their work or home environment. Since benzene is a rather common chemical and a component of many other compounds and products, it is important for your attorney to recognize the source of your exposure and to determine that it was through the fault or negligence of another that you now suffer.

It's important to have an attorney who has firsthand experience with copious legal and medical knowledge, and it is imperative to have someone that will not only listen, but understand your case. If you have wrongly developed a serious medical condition because of benzene exposure, you need to talk to an experienced professional as soon as possible. Statutes of limitations restrict the amount of time you have to collect damages, so every second you delay could cost you justice. Make sure you do not suffer in vain. Contact us today.

Other Occupational Disease Topics

• Angiosarcoma
• Diacetyl
• Lead Poisoning
• Leukemia (Benzene)

• Manganese Poisoning
• Mesothelioma
• Silicosis