CANCER DISEASES WHAT IS LEUKEMIA?

By: Joam Pearz

Leukemia is known as cancer of the blood cells. It starts in the bone marrow where the soft tissue inside most bones. Bone marrow is where blood cells are made. The Bone Marrow Makes Platelets (which helps in blood clotting) Red Blood Cells, White Blood cells

When you have leukemia, the bone marrow starts to make a lot of abnormal white blood cells, called leukemia cells. They don't do the work of normal white blood cells, they grow faster than normal cells, and they don't stop growing when they should. Over time,leukemia cells can crowd out the normal blood cells. This can lead to serious problems such as anemia, bleeding, and infections. Leukemia cells can also spread to the lymph nodes or other organs and cause swelling or pain.

What Causes Leukemia?

Experts don't know what causes leukemia. But some things are known to increase the risk of some kinds of leukemia. These things are called risk factors. You are more likely to get leukemia if you:

- Were exposed to large amounts of radiation.
- Were exposed to certain chemicals at work, such as benzene.
- Had some types of chemotherapy to treat another cancer.
- Have Down syndrome or some other genetic problems.
- Smoking.

But most people who have these risk factors don't get leukemia. And most people who get leukemia do not have any known risk factors.

The Symptoms

Symptoms may depend on what type of leukemia you have, but common symptoms include:

- Fever and night sweats.
- Headaches.
- Bruising or bleeding easily.
- Bone or joint pain.
- A swollen or painful belly from an enlarged spleen.
- Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, neck, or groin.
- Getting a lot of infections.
- Feeling very tired or weak.
- Losing weight and not feeling hungry.

Types of leukemia

There are several different types of leukemia. In general, leukemia is grouped by how fast it gets worse and what kind of white blood cell it affects. It may be classified to acute or chronic. Acute leukemia gets worse very fast and may make you feel sick right away. Chronic leukemia gets worse slowly and may not cause symptoms for years.

Leukemia may be lymphocytic or myelogenous. Lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Myelogenous leukemia affects white blood cells called myelocytes.

1. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. ALL is the most common leukemia in children. Adults can also get it.
2. Acute myelogenous leukemia, or AML. AML affects both children and adults.
3. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL. CLL is the most common leukemia in adults, mostly those who are older than 55. Children almost never get it.
4. Chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML. CML occurs mostly in adults



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