descriptionLeukemia is cancer of the blood. It starts in the bone marrow, the soft tissue in most bones. Bone marrow is where blood cells are made. When you are healthy, your bone marrow makes:
- white blood cells, which help your body fight infection. - red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body. - platelets, which help your blood clot. When a person has Leukemia, their bone marrow starts to make a lot of abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal blood cells do not do the work of normal blood cells, they grow faster than normal cells, and they don't stop growing when they should. |
risk/causesThere is no definite cause of leukemia, but scientists have concluded that there are certain risk factors that may make a person more likely to contract leukemia, such as:
- Radiation (atomic bomb, radiation therapy, diagnostic x-rays) - Smoking - Benzine, found in cigarette smoke and gasoline - Down syndrome and other genetic disorders - Exposure to certain chemicals - History of Leukemia in your family - Certain blood disorders |
symptomsSymptoms of Leukemia often times go unnoticed or do not appear at all in the early stages. There are multiple
types of leukemia, so symptoms vary from person to person. A few of the most common are: - Unexplained fever - Feeling weak - Easily bruising or bleeding - Unintentional weight loss - Anemia (low red blood cell count) - Shortness of breath |
Treatment of the cancer
There is no proven cure for leukemia, but there are treatments that vary from type to type. The most common
treatments are:
- Chemotherapy, which uses powerful medicines to destroy cancerous cells
- Radiation, which uses x-rays to destroy cancerous cells
- Biological therapy, which uses medicine yo build up the body's natural defense against cancer
- Stem cell transplant, which rebuilds the normal supply of healthy supplies to boost the immune system
treatments are:
- Chemotherapy, which uses powerful medicines to destroy cancerous cells
- Radiation, which uses x-rays to destroy cancerous cells
- Biological therapy, which uses medicine yo build up the body's natural defense against cancer
- Stem cell transplant, which rebuilds the normal supply of healthy supplies to boost the immune system
Complications/progression
Leukemia complications include a wide range of infections, blood problems, and impaired bodily functions.
In some cases, Leukemia may even lead to developing another form of cancer or even death.
In some cases, Leukemia may even lead to developing another form of cancer or even death.
Leukemia statistics
- The survival rate of leukemia is 55%
- Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens
- Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens