More about Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. There are several broad categories of blood cells, including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets. Generally, leukemia refers to cancers of the WBCs. WBCs are a vital part of your immune system. They protect your body from invasion by bacteria, viruses, and fungi, as well as from abnormal cells and other foreign substances. In leukemia, the WBCs don’t function like normal WBCs. They can also divide too quickly and eventually crowd out normal cells. WBCs are mostly produced in the bone marrow, but certain types of WBCs are also made in the lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus gland. Once formed, WBCs circulate throughout your body in your blood and lymph (fluid that circulates through the lymphatic system), concentrating in the lymph nodes and spleen. Both leukemia and lymphoma are types of blood cancer, and they do share some common symptoms. However, their origins, treatments, and specific symptoms set the two types of cancer apart.

CHRIS: Hairy Cell Leukemia?

Types

The onset of leukemia can be acute (sudden onset) or chronic (slow onset). In acute leukemia, cancer cells multiply quickly. In chronic leukemia, the disease progresses slowly and early symptoms may be very mild. Leukemia is also classified according to the type of cell. Leukemia involving myeloid cells is called myelogenous leukemia. Myeloid cells are immature blood cells that’d normally become granulocytes or monocytes. Leukemia involving lymphocytes is called lymphocytic leukemia. There are four main types of leukemia: Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) – Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) can occur in children and adults. According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)Trusted Source, about 21,000 new cases of AML are diagnosed annually in the United States. This is the most common form of leukemia. The five-year survival rate for AML is 26.9 percent. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) – Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occurs mostly in children. The NCITrusted Source estimates about 6,000 new cases of ALL are diagnosed annually. The five-year survival rate for ALL is 68.2 percent. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) – Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) affects mostly adults. About 9,000 new cases of CML are diagnosed annually, according to the NCITrusted Source. The five-year survival rate for CML is 66.9 percent. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) – Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is most likely to affect people over the age of 55. It’s very rarely seen in children. According to the NCITrusted Source, about 20,000 new cases of CLL are diagnosed annually. The five-year survival rate for CLL is 83.2 percent. Hairy cell leukemia is a very rare subtype of CLL. Its name comes from the appearance of the cancerous lymphocytes under a microscope.

Symptoms

The symptoms of leukemia include: excessive sweating, especially at night (called “night sweats”), fatigue and weakness that don’t go away with rest, unintentional weight loss, bone pain and tenderness, painless, swollen lymph nodes (especially in the neck and armpits), enlargement of the liver or spleen or red spots on the skin (called petechiae).