What is Leukemia?
Leukemia is a cancer that originates in the body’s blood forming tissue (i.e. bone marrow) and causes an abnormal amount of cells to enter the bloodstream. There are several different types of leukemia, among which they can occur acute or chronic. Leukemia is a unique cancer because it occurs in the bloodstream througout the body as opposed to a singular locale. Among the 44,270 diagnosed leukemia cases in the U.S. in 2008, the cancer was directly attributable for 21,710 deaths.
About the Disease
Leukemia is actually a name for several large groups of blood cancer. Acute leukemia is associated with the buildup of immature blood cells, with overcrowding preventing the bone marrow from producing healthy cells. This form of the disease is most common in children. Chronic leukemia is associated with the buildup of mature, but abnormal blood cell growth. This type of leukemia is most common in older people but can theoretically occur in any people of any age. While acute leukemia must be treated immediately, chronic leukemia is generally monitored for some period of time to ensure the most effective treatment regimen is administered. There is an additional distinction between what type of blood cells these cancers affect. Lymphocytic leukemia affects the white blood cell production, whereas myelogenous leukemia affects red blood cell production.
Effects of the Disease
Symptoms of leukemia often include those associated with the blood. Damage to marrow caused by excessive buildup of cells may restrict the body from producing platelets, which are essential for clotting. This means that those with leukemia may bruise easily or bleed excessively from relatively minor cuts and bruises. Damaged white blood cell production may weaken the immune system to the point where infections and virus more easily affect those with leukemia. Other symptoms are similar to those associated with other-cancers, including fatigue, weakness, body aches, and nausea.
Who is at Risk of Leukemia?
There is no single risk factor associated with leukemia and researchers know very little about what causes leukemia but surmise that each type has its own set of causes. Like other-cancers, leukemia is caused by mutations in the cell development. These mutations can occur randomly or by exposure to some forms of toxic or radiologic substance. Some forms of leukemia are found to be higher in those who worked with petroleum and associated chemicals, such as benzene. Some viral strains have also been associated with leukemia, including the human immunodeficiency virus.
How is Leukemia Diagnosed?
Most symptoms of leukemia are not solely associated with one disease. Therefore, diagnosis of leukemia typically requires several testing procedures of the blood and lymph nodes. In some cases a typical warning sign of leukemia may be excessive white blood cell count in the blood stream. In other cases, bone marrow may be drawn through biopsy to check for excessive red blood cell production. A chest X-ray is often taken to check for signs of lymph node involvement or infectious disease.
How is Leukemia Treated?
Leukemia will often be treated by a combination of prescription regimens and chemotherapy injections done in a hospital or cancer center. These drugs are designed to eliminate all immature or excessive cells in the blood but also will kill some healthy cells in the process, leaving a person weak and prone to infections. In some cases, a bone marrow transplant is helpful in establishing new cell growth patterns in a leukemia patient. This marrow will produce normal healthy cells as the abnormal cells will eventually be die naturally or by chemotherapy. Radiation is also sometimes used to slow cell growth in a particular locale.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
