Everything You Need To Know About Leukemia

3 minute read

By Maya Hayes

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:

Leukemia is also categorized based on the cell type:

There are four most common types of leukemia:

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:

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:

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.

Maya Hayes

Contributor