Leukemia is a cancer that affects the blood-forming cells in your body. The disease begins in the soft, inner portion of the bones (bone marrow) and then spreads to the bloodstream. The cell multiply rapidly, producing a large number of new cancer cells. It can then spread to other organs and areas of the body, including the lymph nodes.
The estimated new leukemia cases for 2021 are 61,090, with 35,530 cases in males though the reason for this “male bias to cancer” remains unclear. However, studies revealed that mutations that destroy tumor-suppressor genes are located on the X chromosome of men. Since women have two X chromosomes, this may explain the bias.
Read on and continue your search online to learn more about leukaemia.
Types of Leukemia
Doctors classify leukemia into two categories based on how rapidly the disease progresses and the kind of blood cell involved. Based on the progression of the disease, the emergence of leukemia can be either sudden or slow:
- Acute Leukemia: The cancerous cells multiply at a faster rate (over days to weeks) and are unable to function. The treatment, in this case, must be immediate. Acute leukemia is more common in children.
- Chronic Leukemia: The affected cells grow slowly (over months to years) and function normally for some time with minimal symptoms initially. Chronic Leukemia affects adults more than children.
Leukemia is also categorized based on the cell type:
- Myelogenous leukemia: Often known as myeloid leukemia, it arises from the myeloid cell line. Red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelet-producing cells are all produced by myeloid cells.
- Lymphocytic leukemia: It is a kind of leukemia that arises from lymphoid cells. White blood cells, which are an essential element of the body’s immune system, originate from normal lymphoid cells.
There are four most common types of leukemia:
- Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML): AML can affect both children and adults. In adults, AML is the most common form of acute leukemia.
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL): ALL mostly affects children.
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML): CML is mostly commonly diagnosed in adults.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): People over the age of 55 are more prone to develop chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
CLL with hairy cell leukemia is a relatively rare subtype. It gets its name from the way malignant lymphocytes look under a microscope.
Early Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms differ based on the kind of leukemia. The following are some of the most common signs and symptoms of the disease:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Excessive night sweating
- Severe/frequent infections
- Easy bruising and slow healing
- Pain/tenderness in bones
- Small red dots on skin
- Anemia
- Significant weight loss
- Consistent fatigue
Treatment Options
After diagnosing your cancer, you oncologist will will come up with a tailored treatment plan. The kind and stage of cancer determine the treatment, which may include one or more of the following:
- Chemotherapy uses a combination of drugs that kill leukemia cells.
- Radiation therapy uses x-rays to destroy and inhibit cancer growth.
- Stem cell transplantation involves a bone marrow transplant (self or donor).
- Biological or immune therapy trains the immune system to attack the cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy attacks the cancer cells only.
If you have any persistent noticeable symptoms that concern you, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Early signs may be overlooked because they mimic those of flu, but it’s important to track your health and notice any changes.