User:Fuse809/sandbox3
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Note: Bold typeface is used to put emphasis on key terms. To make it easier to navigate this page I have hidden the tables as they are massive. When I start talking about how common each cancer is amongst the different races I am referring to the country of origin of the affected. For instance, a white Australian would in this system be called European, likewise a white American would be called European and an African American would be an African.
Blood cancers are among the most common forms of cancers with around 31 Australians diagnosed with one per day (or around 11,300 diagnosed per year) and they include: lymphomas, leukaemias and multiple myeloma (MM).[1] Many are very treatable if caught early, although, as always there's always the odd exception and, of course, the later it's caught the worse the outcome. Lymphomas are cancers of the cells (lymphocytes; the chief cells of adaptive immune system) found in lymphatic system including lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow (the centre of bones where blood cells are created), etc. Lymphomas can be broken up into two major categories, Hodgkin lymphoma (formerly known as Hodgkin's disease or HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Leukaemias can be broken up into two main categories: acute and chronic. The distinction is that acute leukaemias are more rapidly progressing than their chronic counterparts. They are the most common variety in children. Leukaemias can also be broken up into a further two major categories: lymphoblastic (or lymphoid/lymphocytic) and myeloid (or myelogenous) types in most cases. Lymphoblastic varieties arise from lymphoblasts which are produced in the bone marrow and mature (i.e. develop into) into lymphocytes. Myeloid leukaemia subtypes arise from myeloid cells which are precursors to myelocytes, a type of white blood cell which make up the innate immune system. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells (mature B-lymphocytes that produce antibodies to defend our body from past invaders).
Now I understand some of us don't want to read about the drugs and just get down to the bottom line and the basics of this article. Because of this I have created a table on the drugs and how they work so you can refer back to them if you want more details.