Ask Dr. H: A blood cancer that can kill quickly

The average age of those diagnosed with AML is 63. AML cell growth is very fast and aggressive, and it is a fatal disease within weeks or months if not diagnosed and treated promptly.

Because AML cell growth crowds out normal blood cells, the disease typically causes anemia and the associated symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath from a reduction in oxygen-carrying red blood cells; bruising or bleeding from a reduction in platelets (clot cells); and infection from a reduction in normal white blood cells.

The key to survival in AML is early diagnosis, chemotherapy to try to induce remission, and eventual stem-cell transplantation. There are several subtypes of AML, and treatment and prognosis vary among the subtypes. Five-year survival rates vary from 15 percent to 70 percent, and relapse rates vary from 33 percent to 78 percent.

To learn more about AML, check out this link from the American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-acutemyeloidaml/index.

Attention-deficit drugs and heart-attack risks

Q: After years of having problems with attention and focus, I am starting on Adderall XR for ADD (attention deficit disorder). I'm 43 years old and am wondering if I should be concerned about long-term use of a stimulant and the risk of it causing a heart attack in the future. I do have high cholesterol. What's your opinion?

A: That's been a theoretical concern for several years, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to put a "black box" warning on the package label describing the cardiovascular risks of stimulant drugs used to treat ADD and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in adults. Their concern is that, theoretically, such stimulants could cause constriction of blood vessels in the heart and elsewhere, leading to a potential heart attack in persons at risk and a potential stroke in someone with uncontrolled blood pressure.

Source: http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/mitchell_hecht/20111226_Ask_Dr__H__A_blood_cancer_that_can_kill_quickly.html

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