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54-456: Myrer wrote eight other novels, of which The Big War (1957) was adapted for a movie in 1958 and The Last Convertible (1978) was made into a television mini-series in 1979. Once An Eagle (1968) and The Last Convertible (1978) became international best-sellers and were translated in 19 languages. The United States Army War College Foundation celebrates October 14 every year as Anton Myrer Army Leader Day to discuss leadership issues at

108-418: A monoclonal antibody that attacks white blood cells, has been used in treatment with greater success than previous options. Some people who successfully respond to treatment also undergo stem cell transplantation to consolidate the response. Treatment for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia can include splenectomy , chemotherapy , and bone marrow transplantation . The success of treatment depends on

162-645: A genetic abnormality called the Philadelphia translocation ; 95% of people with CML carry the Philadelphia mutation, although this is not exclusive to CML and can be observed in people with other types of leukemia. Whether or not non-ionizing radiation causes leukemia has been studied for several decades. The International Agency for Research on Cancer expert working group undertook a detailed review of all data on static and extremely low frequency electromagnetic energy, which occurs naturally and in association with

216-454: A greater risk of leukemia. For example, people with Down syndrome have a significantly increased risk of developing forms of acute leukemia (especially acute myeloid leukemia ), and Fanconi anemia is a risk factor for developing acute myeloid leukemia. Mutation in SPRED1 gene has been associated with a predisposition to childhood leukemia. Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes represent

270-403: A kind of premature aging of the bone marrow. In people with these syndromes and in older adults, mutations associated with clonal hematopoiesis may arise as an adaptive response to a progressively deteriorating hematopoietic niche, i.e., a depleting pool of Hematopoietic stem cells . The mutated stem cells then acquire a self-renewal advantage. Chronic myelogenous leukemia is associated with

324-464: A lack of blood platelets , which are important in the blood clotting process. This means people with leukemia may easily become bruised , bleed excessively, or develop pinprick bleeds ( petechiae ). White blood cells , which are involved in fighting pathogens , may be suppressed or dysfunctional. This could cause the person's immune system to be unable to fight off a simple infection or to start attacking other body cells. Because leukemia prevents

378-639: A lack of normal blood cells . Diagnosis is typically made by blood tests or bone marrow biopsy . The exact cause of leukemia is unknown. A combination of genetic factors and environmental (non-inherited) factors are believed to play a role. Risk factors include smoking , ionizing radiation , petrochemicals (such as benzene ), prior chemotherapy, and Down syndrome . People with a family history of leukemia are also at higher risk. There are four main types of leukemia— acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)—and

432-505: A more advanced, uncontrolled state, when the person cannot tolerate imatinib, or if the person wishes to attempt a permanent cure, then an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation may be performed. This procedure involves high-dose chemotherapy and radiation followed by infusion of bone marrow from a compatible donor. Approximately 30% of people die from this procedure. Decision to treat People with hairy cell leukemia who are symptom-free typically do not receive immediate treatment. Treatment

486-513: A multi-drug chemotherapy regimen . Some are also treated with radiation therapy . In some cases, a bone marrow transplant is effective. Management of ALL is directed towards control of bone marrow and systemic (whole-body) disease. Additionally, treatment must prevent leukemic cells from spreading to other sites, particularly the central nervous system (CNS); periodic lumbar punctures are used for diagnostic purposes and to administer intrathecal prophylactic methotrexate. In general, ALL treatment

540-519: A number of less common types. Leukemias and lymphomas both belong to a broader group of tumors that affect the blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid system , known as tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues . Treatment may involve some combination of chemotherapy , radiation therapy , targeted therapy , and bone marrow transplant , with supportive and palliative care provided as needed. Certain types of leukemia may be managed with watchful waiting . The success of treatment depends on

594-560: A number of low-paying, unskilled jobs. In 1957, his novel The Big War , published by Appleton-Century-Crofts , was financially and critically successful, resulting in the 1958 film screenplay he wrote with Edward Anhalt re-titled In Love and War , starring Robert Wagner and Bradford Dillman . In 1960, the Myrers moved back to the Northeast to a country home in Saugerties , New York , and

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648-531: A positive correlation between exposure to formaldehyde and the development of leukemia, particularly myeloid leukemia . The different leukemias likely have different causes. Leukemia, like other cancers, results from mutations in the DNA . Certain mutations can trigger leukemia by activating oncogenes or deactivating tumor suppressor genes , and thereby disrupting the regulation of cell death, differentiation or division. These mutations may occur spontaneously or as

702-413: A result of brain stem pressure. All symptoms associated with leukemia can be attributed to other diseases. Consequently, leukemia is always diagnosed through medical tests . The word leukemia , which means 'white blood', is derived from the characteristic high white blood cell count that presents in most affected people before treatment. The high number of white blood cells is apparent when a blood sample

756-465: A result of exposure to radiation or carcinogenic substances. Among adults, the known causes are natural and artificial ionizing radiation and petrochemicals, notably benzene and alkylating chemotherapy agents for previous malignancies. Use of tobacco is associated with a small increase in the risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia in adults. Cohort and case-control studies have linked exposure to some petrochemicals and hair dyes to

810-413: A simple injection under the skin, or six months of pentostatin , given every four weeks by intravenous infusion. In most cases, one round of treatment will produce a prolonged remission. Other treatments include rituximab infusion or self-injection with Interferon-alpha . In limited cases, the person may benefit from splenectomy (removal of the spleen ). These treatments are not typically given as

864-725: A summer home on Cape Cod , Massachusetts . Little, Brown published The Violent Shore (1962) and The Intruder: A Novel of Boston (1965). Myrer's most successful novel, Once An Eagle , was published in 1968 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston , during the Vietnam War . He separated from his wife and divorced her in 1970. Soon afterward he married Patricia Schartle (May 21, 1923 – June 26, 2010). Myrer wrote three more novels: The Tiger Waits (1973 published by Norton ); The Last Convertible (1978, published by Putnam ); and A Green Desire in (1981, also published by Putnam ). Anton Myrer died on January 19, 1996, of leukemia at

918-470: A total of four main categories. Within each of these main categories, there are typically several subcategories. Finally, some rarer types are usually considered to be outside of this classification scheme. The most common symptoms in children are easy bruising , pale skin , fever , and an enlarged spleen or liver . Damage to the bone marrow, by way of displacing the normal bone marrow cells with higher numbers of immature white blood cells, results in

972-482: Is viewed under a microscope , with the extra white blood cells frequently being immature or dysfunctional. The excessive number of cells can also interfere with the level of other cells, causing further harmful imbalance in the blood count. Some people diagnosed with leukemia do not have high white blood cell counts visible during a regular blood count. This less-common condition is called aleukemia . The bone marrow still contains cancerous white blood cells that disrupt

1026-536: Is acute or chronic, the specific abnormal white blood cell type, the presence and severity of anemia or thrombocytopenia , the degree of tissue abnormality, the presence of metastasis and lymph node and bone marrow infiltration, the availability of therapies and the skills of the health care team. Treatment outcomes may be better when people are treated at larger centers with greater experience. In 2010, globally, approximately 281,500 people died of leukemia. In 2000, approximately 256,000 children and adults around

1080-597: Is best known for his 1968 novel Once an Eagle , this was his first commercial and critical success. The novel is based on Myrer's experience serving in the South Pacific during World War II. The ordinary Marine's perception of battle is described in this book in a manner much like Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers , although in this work Myrer also gives a detailed description of life on "the home front" for both Marines (during leave) and their families. Clifton Fadiman compared The Big War to The Naked and

1134-435: Is demonstrated by family histories and twin studies . The affected people may have a single gene or multiple genes in common. In some cases, families tend to develop the same kinds of leukemia as other members; in other families, affected people may develop different forms of leukemia or related blood cancers . In addition to these genetic issues, people with chromosomal abnormalities or certain other genetic conditions have

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1188-673: Is directed towards suppressing the disease for many years, rather than curing it. The primary chemotherapeutic plan is combination chemotherapy with chlorambucil or cyclophosphamide , plus a corticosteroid such as prednisone or prednisolone . The use of a corticosteroid has the additional benefit of suppressing some related autoimmune diseases, such as immunohemolytic anemia or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia . In resistant cases, single-agent treatments with nucleoside drugs such as fludarabine , pentostatin , or cladribine may be successful. Younger and healthier people may choose allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation in

1242-433: Is divided into several phases: Hematologists base CLL treatment on both the stage and symptoms of the individual person. A large group of people with CLL have low-grade disease, which does not benefit from treatment. Individuals with CLL-related complications or more advanced disease often benefit from treatment. In general, the indications for treatment are: Most CLL cases are incurable by present treatments, so treatment

1296-444: Is generally considered necessary when the person shows signs and symptoms such as low blood cell counts (e.g., infection-fighting neutrophil count below 1.0 K/μL), frequent infections, unexplained bruises, anemia, or fatigue that is significant enough to disrupt the person's everyday life. Typical treatment approach People who need treatment usually receive either one week of cladribine , given daily by intravenous infusion or

1350-441: Is still questionable whether phototherapy is genuinely the cause of cancer or simply a result of the same underlying factors that gave rise to cancer. Large doses of Sr-90 (called a bone seeking radioisotope) from nuclear reactor accidents, increases the risk of bone cancer and leukemia in animals and is presumed to do so in people. Some people have a genetic predisposition towards developing leukemia. This predisposition

1404-522: Is uncommon. Despite the use of these methods to diagnose whether or not a person has leukemia, many people have not been diagnosed because many of the symptoms are vague, non-specific , and can refer to other diseases. For this reason, the American Cancer Society estimates that at least one-fifth of the people with leukemia have not yet been diagnosed. Most forms of leukemia are treated with pharmaceutical medication , typically combined into

1458-438: The cancer is unlikely to return . In 2015, leukemia was present in 2.3 million people worldwide and caused 353,500 deaths. In 2012, it had newly developed in 352,000 people. It is the most common type of cancer in children, with three-quarters of leukemia cases in children being the acute lymphoblastic type. However, over 90% of all leukemias are diagnosed in adults, CLL and AML being most common. It occurs more commonly in

1512-439: The developed world . Clinically and pathologically, leukemia is subdivided into a variety of large groups. The first division is between its acute and chronic forms: Additionally, the diseases are subdivided according to which kind of blood cell is affected. This divides leukemias into lymphoblastic or lymphocytic leukemias and myeloid or myelogenous leukemias : Combining these two classifications provides

1566-672: The 1950s is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . See guidelines for writing about novels . Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page . Leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia ; pronounced / l uː ˈ k iː m iː ə / loo- KEE -mee-ə ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells . These blood cells are not fully developed and are called blasts or leukemia cells . Symptoms may include bleeding and bruising , bone pain , fatigue , fever , and an increased risk of infections. These symptoms occur due to

1620-976: The Army War College commandant, Maj. Gen. Robert H. Scales ; General John William Vessey, Jr. ; and the US Marine Corps commandant General Charles C. Krulak . The book has remained in print ever since and is required reading at the United States Army War College . In Anton Myrer's honor, the Department of Command, Leadership, and Management of the U.S. Army War College held its first annual Anton Myrer Leadership Symposium at Carlisle Barracks over three days January 26–28, 1999. The department also nominated October 14 every year as Anton Myrer Army Leader Day to provide an opportunity for academics, military and corporate leaders, journalists, and other invited guests to focus attention on leadership issues at

1674-686: The Class of 1945. Myrer's studies were interrupted, however, after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor . Soon after the attack, he, like many of his college peers, sought to enroll in the Army Reserve but was rejected. In 1942, he enlisted and was accepted by the United States Marine Corps . Myrer participated in the Battle of Guam and the occupation of the remaining Mariana Islands afterwards. He

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1728-469: The Dead . Commonweal compared it to War and Peace and The Red Badge of Courage . The Boston Herald described it as a modern Iliad . The New York Times called it "almost never exciting". This novel became the basis for the 1958 movie In Love and War , starring Robert Wagner , Jeffrey Hunter, Bradford Dillman and Hope Lange . This article about a World War II novel first published in

1782-442: The age of 73. He was survived by his widow. The couple had no children. On February 20, 1996, Patricia Myrer wrote a letter to her close friend, popular Chicago radio personality Art Hellyer , informing him that Anton had suffered from acute leukemia for nine months prior to his death and had been in isolation in a local hospital. She thanked Art Hellyer for the mix tapes that he had sent and said that Anton had died in her arms. On

1836-412: The degree of liver and kidney damage or the effects of chemotherapy on the person. When concerns arise about other damages due to leukemia, doctors may use an X-ray , MRI , or ultrasound . These can potentially show leukemia's effects on such body parts as bones (X-ray), the brain (MRI), or the kidneys, spleen, and liver (ultrasound). CT scans can be used to check lymph nodes in the chest, though this

1890-406: The development of some forms of leukemia. Diet has very limited or no effect, although eating more vegetables may confer a small protective benefit. Viruses have also been linked to some forms of leukemia. For example, human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) causes adult T-cell leukemia . A few cases of maternal-fetal transmission (a baby acquires leukemia because its mother had leukemia during

1944-855: The first treatment because their success rates are lower than cladribine or pentostatin. Most people with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, a rare and aggressive leukemia with a median survival of less than one year, require immediate treatment. T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia is difficult to treat, and it does not respond to most available chemotherapeutic drugs. Many different treatments have been attempted, with limited success in certain people: purine analogues (pentostatin, fludarabine, cladribine), chlorambucil , and various forms of combination chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone CHOP , cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone [COP], vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisone, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin VAPEC-B ). Alemtuzumab (Campath),

1998-635: The generation, transmission, and use of electrical power. They concluded that there is limited evidence that high levels of ELF magnetic (but not electric) fields might cause some cases of childhood leukemia . No evidence for a relationship to leukemia or another form of malignancy in adults has been demonstrated. Since exposure to such levels of ELFs is relatively uncommon, the World Health Organization concludes that ELF exposure, if later proven to be causative, would account for just 100 to 2400 cases worldwide each year, representing 0.2 to 4.9% of

2052-445: The hope of a permanent cure. Many different anti-cancer drugs are effective for the treatment of AML. Treatments vary somewhat according to the age of the person and according to the specific subtype of AML. Overall, the strategy is to control bone marrow and systemic (whole-body) disease, while offering specific treatment for the central nervous system (CNS), if involved. In general, most oncologists rely on combinations of drugs for

2106-410: The immune system from working normally, some people experience frequent infection , ranging from infected tonsils , sores in the mouth , or diarrhea to life-threatening pneumonia or opportunistic infections . Finally, the red blood cell deficiency leads to anemia , which may cause dyspnea and pallor . Some people experience other symptoms, such as fevers, chills, night sweats, weakness in

2160-425: The induction phase. There are many possible treatments for CML, but the standard of care for newly diagnosed people is imatinib (Gleevec) therapy. Compared to most anti-cancer drugs, it has relatively few side effects and can be taken orally at home. With this drug, more than 90% of people will be able to keep the disease in check for at least five years, so that CML becomes a chronic, manageable condition. In

2214-495: The initial, induction phase of chemotherapy. Such combination chemotherapy usually offers the benefits of early remission and a lower risk of disease resistance. Consolidation and maintenance treatments are intended to prevent disease recurrence. Consolidation treatment often entails a repetition of induction chemotherapy or the intensification of chemotherapy with additional drugs. By contrast, maintenance treatment involves drug doses that are lower than those administered during

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2268-834: The leader of a free world and the necessity of the use of armed force. I emerged a corporal three years later in a state of great turmoil, at the core of which was an angry awareness of war as the most vicious and fraudulent self-deception man had ever devised. —Anton Myrer Born in Worcester, Massachusetts , on November 3, 1922, to Raymond Lewis and Angele E. Myrer, Myrer grew up in Boston , graduating from Boston Latin High School in 1940. He prepared at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire before entering Harvard College in September 1941 with

2322-560: The limbs, feeling fatigued and other common flu-like symptoms . Some people experience nausea or a feeling of fullness due to an enlarged liver and spleen ; this can result in unintentional weight loss . Blasts affected by the disease may come together and become swollen in the liver or in the lymph nodes causing pain and leading to nausea. If the leukemic cells invade the central nervous system , then neurological symptoms (notably headaches ) can occur. Uncommon neurological symptoms like migraines , seizures , or coma can occur as

2376-403: The normal production of blood cells, but they remain in the marrow instead of entering the bloodstream, where they would be visible in a blood test. For a person with aleukemia, the white blood cell counts in the bloodstream can be normal or low. Aleukemia can occur in any of the four major types of leukemia, and is particularly common in hairy cell leukemia . Studies in 2009 and 2010 have shown

2430-464: The pregnancy) have been reported. Children born to mothers who use fertility drugs to induce ovulation are more than twice as likely to develop leukemia during their childhoods than other children. In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of any type of leukemia in neonates using phototherapy , typically to treat neonatal jaundice , a statistically significant association was detected between using phototherapy and myeloid leukemia. However, it

2484-549: The receipt of Patricia Myrer's letter, Art Hellyer dedicated a four-hour radio show to Anton Myrer. In March 1997, Anton's widow, Patricia, donated $ 25,000 to the New York Society Library in memory of her husband who had received books from the library by mail at his home in Saugerties in upstate New York . The donation was used to purchase and preserve quality fiction published until the death of Henry James (1916), and serious literary criticism. A special book-plate

2538-491: The strategic level. It serves as the capstone event for the U.S. Army War College's strategic leadership course. The United States Army War College Foundation presents an award called the Anton Myrer Strategic leadership Writing Award annually on graduation day.   The Big War The Big War is the second novel by American writer Anton Myrer , published by Appleton-Century-Crofts in 1957. While Myrer

2592-420: The strategic level. This day serves as the capstone event for the U.S. Army War College's strategic leadership course. The United States Army War College also presents an award called the Anton Myrer Strategic leadership Writing Award annually on graduation day. World War II was the one event which had the greatest impact on my life. I enlisted imbued with a rather flamboyant concept of this country's destiny as

2646-536: The total incidence of childhood leukemia for that year (about 0.03 to 0.9% of all leukemias). Diagnosis is usually based on repeated complete blood counts and a bone marrow examination following observations of the symptoms. Sometimes, blood tests may not show that a person has leukemia, especially in the early stages of the disease or during remission. A lymph node biopsy can be performed to diagnose certain types of leukemia in certain situations. Following diagnosis, blood chemistry tests can be used to determine

2700-464: The type of leukemia and the age of the person. Outcomes have improved in the developed world. Five-year survival rate was 67% in the United States in the period from 2014 to 2020. In children under 15 in first-world countries, the five-year survival rate is greater than 60% or even 90%, depending on the type of leukemia. In children who are cancer-free five years after diagnosis of acute leukemia,

2754-410: The type of leukemia and the age of the person. Outcomes have improved in the developed world. The average five-year survival rate is 65% in the United States. In children under 15, the five-year survival rate is greater (60 to 85%), depending on the type of leukemia. In children with acute leukemia who are cancer-free after five years, the cancer is unlikely to return. Outcomes depend on whether it

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2808-401: The world developed a form of leukemia, and 209,000 died from it. This represents about 3% of the almost seven million deaths due to cancer that year, and about 0.35% of all deaths from any cause. Of the sixteen separate sites the body compared, leukemia was the 12th most common class of neoplastic disease and the 11th most common cause of cancer-related death. Leukemia occurs more commonly in

2862-485: Was designed to be placed in all volumes bought or rebound from the donated funds. Patricia Myrer also donated case leather-bound volumes of six of his eight novels to the library. In 1997, Patricia Myrer donated funds to the United States Army War College Foundation and the republication rights to her husband's novel Once An Eagle . The Army War College reprinted the book with citations from

2916-577: Was wounded in Guam and was promoted to the rank of corporal before being discharged in 1946. Myrer returned to Harvard and graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. in May 1947, two years after his original classmates. In August 1947, he married artist Judith Rothschild and relocated to Rosemead, California . Random House published his first novel, Evil Under the Sun in 1951. To support his family, Myrer continued to work

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