Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or blood-forming cells (and thus sometimes linked to as blood cancer). It is a malignancy of the blood cells. About 62,130 new cases of leukemia are probable to be analyzed in the United States in 2017. Abnormal blood cells in the bone marrow are produced in leukemia. White blood cells are a key element of the body’s immune response. Leukemia cells crowd and substitute normal blood and marrow cells.
In leukemia, white blood cells, instead of growing and developing, usually develop out of control and do not mature. This uncontrolled development of immature white blood cells may overwhelm the bone marrow, deterring it from producing healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.
Who gets affected?
- People with age of 65 and older are at higher risk
- Long-term exposure to radiation or other carcinogenic chemicals, such as benzene
- Smoking
- Medical history of leukemia in family
- Blood disorders, such as polycythemia vera
- Congenital syndromes, such as Down syndrome and Fanconi anemia
Symptoms and Causes of Leukemia
- Bone or joint pain
- Swollen lymph nodes that generally do not hurt
- Fever or night sweating, feeling tired or weary
- Easily bleeding and bruising, frequent infections
- Irritation or swelling in the stomach
- Weight loss or appetite loss.
Types of Leukemia
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). It is the most prevalent form of leukemia in young kids. ALL may also happen in adolescents.
- Acute myelogenic leukemia (AML). AML is a prevalent form of leukemia. It happens in adults and kids. AML is the most prevalent form of acute leukemia in adolescents.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). With CLL, the most common chronic adult leukemia, you may feel good for a long time without needing treatment.
- Chronic myelogenic leukemia (CML). This sort of leukemia primarily affects adults. An individual with CML might have few or no symptoms for months or years before reaching a stage in which the leukemia cells develop faster.
- Other types. There are other rare kinds of leukemia, including hairy cell leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders.
Treatment for Leukemia
The therapy you receive depends heavily on the type of leukemia you have, how far it has spread, and how healthy you are. But the primary options are as follows:
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Stem cell transplant
- Radiation
- Biologic therapy
- Surgery