Leukemiais a form of blood cancer that starts in yourbone marrow, the spongy tissue inside your bones.
It shows up when abnormal cells grow too fast and survive too long.
Over time, the abnormal cells overtake the normal cells.
Chayaporn Yemjuntuek / Getty Images
Symptoms occur as the normal cells fail to perform their tasks, leading to infections and pain.
There are many forms of this disease.
Symptoms can progress quickly or slowly, based on the form of leukemia you have.
This article describes leukemia types, symptoms, causes, staging, and treatments.
Chayaporn Yemjuntuek / Getty Images
How Does Leukemia Develop and Spread?
Leukemia develops when your bone marrow rapidly produces abnormalwhite blood cellscalled leukemia cells.
These cells reproduce faster than normal cells and don’t die when they should.
This can make it hard for normal cells to perform their functions like fighting infection or stopping bleeding.
It also prevents your bone marrow from making more normal blood cells.
As more leukemia cells crowd your bone marrow, they eventually overwhelm the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream.
This allows them to circulate through your body and affect other areas like your lymph nodes or other organs.
Symptoms can differ based on the key in of leukemia and the age of diagnosis.
Early Signs
Many early signs of leukemia may easily be overlooked or attributed to other causes.
However, it is hard to identify the disease stage from symptoms alone.
They become more severe faster than those that occur with chronic forms of leukemia.
The most common signs of leukemia in kids include the following:
What Causes Leukemia?
Leukemia results from gene mutations that lead to the development of leukemia cells in your bone marrow.
These cells grow faster and live longer than normal cells.
These abnormal cells overwhelm the development of healthy cells, interfering with the functions that they usually support.
While the exactcauses of leukemiaare unknown, there are several known risk factors for this disease.
Adults over 65 years old have the highest risk for leukemia.
However, 15 years is the median age of diagnosis for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
How Is Leukemia Diagnosed?
Several steps are involved inconfirming a leukemia diagnosisand monitoring disease progression.
Some tests may be repeated at predetermined intervals.
Leukemia classifications determine your treatment.
It is used to create a prognosis and determine a treatment plan based on these characteristics.
Leukemia staging defines your diagnosis in a language that everyone in your healthcare team understands.
Each bang out of leukemia has a standard system for stating.
There are several options for treatment.
When you reach this stage, you have an extremely low chance of the disease recurring.
Living with leukemia involves adopting strategies that can help you succeed.
To do so, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.
Discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider to determine whether they are realistic and how to address them.
Take advantage of offers from caregivers who reach out to offer support.
These connections can help you feel less isolated and avoid feelings of depression.
Look for blogs, podcasts, and social media groups that can provide support that can benefit you.
As their numbers increase, leukemia cells prevent the growth of healthy red blood cells and platelets.
There are many forms of this disease.
The onset of symptoms can move quickly or slowly, based on the pop in of leukemia.
With fewer healthy cells, your body loses its power to fight infection.
The effect leaves you more likely to suffer from diseases.
While chemotherapy is the primary treatment method, there are many ways to attack this disease.
Clinical trials offer the chance to gain from research into new treatments if standard choices fail.
American Cancer Society.What is chronic myeloid leukemia?
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for acute myeloid leukemia.
American Cancer Society.What is acute myeloid leukemia (AML)?
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Moffitt Cancer Center.What is chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers.Early symptoms of leukemia.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Pediatric leukemias.
City of Hope.Risk factors for leukemia.
National Cancer Institute.Adult acute myeloid leukemia treatment (PDQ): health professional version.
Davis AS, Viera AJ, Mead MD.Leukemia: an overview for primary care.Am Fam Physician.
2014;889(9):731-738.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Bone marrow tests.
Myleukemiateam.com.Blood tests for leukemia: what to expect.
Moffitt Cancer Center.What is the difference between acute and chronic leukemia?
City of Hope.Leukemia stages.
Northwestern Medicine.Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): stages.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Types of treatment.
National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.Chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment (PDQ)patient version.
City of Hope.Leukemia treatment options.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Radiation therapy.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Targeted therapy.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Stem cell transplantation.
Moffitt Cancer Center.Immunotherapy for leukemia.
Moffitt Cancer Center.Leukemia clinical trials.
MD Anderson Cancer Center.Leukemia.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.Leukemia survival rates.
National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Acute lymphocytic leukemia survival.
National Cancer Institute.Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment (PDQ)health professional version.
