12 replies to this topic

[Floa7]

My son and I both have CML, two neighbors within 5 houses have AML, all diagnosed this year. When I got diagnosed I understood that as more it progressed it went into AML,or into BML.

My BMB showed that I have CML. Are these related?

[LottieR]

Hi Floa7,

This situation is tragic. It might be something worth looking into, maybe water toxicity, radon, or something. It is such a rare disease and to have it strike 4 people on 1 block is insane.

To answer your question, CML is chronic and AML is acute. Sometimes CML becomes AML but not always, and not all AML starts out as CML.

I dont know a whole lot about the chronic leukemias, but what I do know is that they progress very, very slowly and some people can go years without needing any treatment.

AML is a difference animal. Acute leukemias come on suddenly, fast, and strong. People who go undiagnosed can die within a matter of weeks to months. It needs to be treated aggressivly and swiftly with chemotherapy, and in many cases ends up in a bone marrow transplant.

Hope this helps!

[Floa7]

Lottie

What confused me was my oncology Doc saying the two were completely different. I have contacted local public health and the State public health and got a run around. They can check our water for bacteria. We all have our own wells and septic tanks.They could do soil sample if they knew what to check for.

The lady next door, has a 16 year old boy with AML, she is worried about the other 3 children getting Leukemia. If the state found what was causing it, there goes the value in our houses.

I don't believe it is to "Rare" Disease, we are all getting it.

My late husband had colon cancer. He passed away 4 years ago. The surgeon said colon cancer was a Rare disease, also. There were 6 other in the Cancer Center getting Chemo for colon cancer, along with him....

I feel like I am blowing off steam, sorry. I have changed my town to Leukemiaville......lol

I asked the Doc about surveys and they were run threw medicaid patients or thru pharmacies. I was curious about how they came up with the # of new cases each year.

[LottieR]

It's okay to blow off steam. It sucks, and everyone here understands.

The really only similarity between AML and CML is the "M" part, indicating that the myeloid cells are affected by the cancer. However, they really are quite different in how they are treated.

Leukemia has been known to be linked to chemicals like benzene, so I guess you guys could start testing with that chemical. Property values would go down, but ultimately it would be good to know if it is something environmental going on so people know not to live there until it is taken care of.

I'm very sorry to hear of your husband's passing. I cant even imagine having to deal with so much cancer in one family.

In the world on cancer, leukemia is not all that common. It is not known to be linked genetically (i.e. your parent having it doesnt make you at a higher risk for having it). The reason I mention it being 'rare' is because to have 4 people so close being diagnosed with it is just very, very unusual. It makes me wonder about a possible environmental factor near your home.

[Trey]

CML and AML are different diseases.  CML is defined by the Philadelphia Chromosome (T(9;22) translocation).  AML has other chromosome translocations, or sometimes none.  End stage CML (Blast Phase) can look somewhat like AML (or ALL) leukemia, but is still CML, just a later phase.  So the simplistic answer to your question is that the Philadelphia Chromosome makes it CML, not AML. 

[ritan/]

Except that there is ALL that is Ph+.

[LottieR]

Very true, Philly is quite common in ALL.

[Floa7]

Thanks Trey, thats what I was looking for. My neighbor boy did not have the Philadelphia Chromosome. Thats what got me to asking questions.

[Trey]

Her question was AML vs CML, not ALL vs CML.

[ritan/]

that's true, but i read your statement as implying that if one was PH+ they had CML.

[Badger]

Wow, where do you live, on a fomer nuclear test ground?  We have a similar situation where many people bordering a local park have had cancer, including me (cml) and my wife (breast). 

[Floa7]

Columbus, Indiana We had a big flood in 2008 which did millions of dollars. I live south of town and the water flooded us out. Who knows what chemicals had been buried or disposed of that came down stream with the flood, Thier is a lot of factories in town that use chemicals. We have had smaller flooding since then, It could all be washed down stream again. I have raolroad tracks behind my house, did they spill something?

Just asked myself a lot of questions. My late husband had 20 chemo treatments. He was to flush the tiolet twice after each use. For diarrhea or vomiting accidents, I had a space suit to put on and a biohazard bag to clean it up in, then phone the environmentalists to come pick it up too dispose of it. What was flushed into my septic tank and would filter back into my well water, over time.  Those were strong chemicals also.

[SunNsand]

I live in Indiana also. The guy across the street from me died of cancer and my next door neighbor had cancer.  I live in a rural area with well water and an industrial area nearby. They even spray fields with helicopters nearby. Not a good combination I'm afraid. Wish I had raised my family somewhere else.