Question

14. Susan Clare, age 38, is admitted to the medical oncology unit with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She has many areas of ecchymosis and petechiae on her skin, as well as generalized pallor. She states she has lost 15 pounds in the last two months and often has a low-grade fever. On physical assessment, you find her liver and spleen to be enlarged on palpation

Answer 1

Answer: Acute myeloid leukemia is is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow i.e. mainly of white blood cells where bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. Susan Clare has lost weight as it is symptoms of this disease such as :

• Weakness or feeling tired
• Weight loss or loss of appetite
• Fever
• Shortness of breath

Due to the abnormal increase in the white blood cells liver cannot function properly, so all the functions of the body gets disturbed. Chemotherapy is the one of major therapy that can be done in which chemicals is being used to kill cancer cells in body. Arsenic trioxide and all-trans retinoic acid are anti-cancer drugs that can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells.