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Leukaemia
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Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Your white blood cells are made in the bone marrow and are responsible for immune functions. There are several types of white blood cells and there are many types of leukaemia. Some leukaemias are slow growing and a person can live with the cancer for a long time. Others are more aggressive and require rapid management and treatment.
The body's blood cells consist of white blood cells, which fight infection, red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body's tissues and platelets, which help in the process of blood clotting. Leukaemia involves the overgrowth of white blood cells in the bone marrow so that the making of red blood cells and platelets is diminished.
You can develop the following symptoms when you have leukaemia. These include extreme fatigue, frequent infections, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss and bleeding problems. You will be often anaemic and your platelet count will be low. Generally your white blood cell count will be elevated. You can get fevers and night sweats or interminable headaches. Bruises are noticeable in some cases and the joints and bones can be painful. The spleen can be enlarged and can cause abdominal swelling.
There are a variety of types of leukaemia. It can be referred to as "acute" or "chronic", depending on how fast the tumor cells grow. Chronic leukaemia comes on gradually and might not become noticeable for years. Leukaemia can also be myelogenous or lymphocytic as well. In lymphocytic leukaemia, lymphoblastic cells are involved. Myelogenous leukemia involves and overgrowth of myelocytes.
The four major types of leukaemia include acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or ALL. This is the most common type of leukaemia seen in children, although adults can come down with it, too. Acute myelogenous leukemia or AML is another leukemia of the myelocytes that occurs in adults and in children. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or CLL is the most common type of leukaemia in adults over the age of 55. It is rare in children. There is also chronic myelogenous leukaemia, which is primarily a disease of adults.
No one knows all the causes of leukaemia. Some things associated with the development of leukaemia include exposure to large doses of radiation, exposure to benzene or other industrial chemicals, having had chemotherapy for other types of cancer, suffering from Down syndrome or another genetic problem or exposure to smoking. Some people, on the other hand, have no risk factors for leukaemia and yet get the disease anyway.
Doctors can diagnose leukaemia by checking the blood for an elevated white blood cell count. The bone marrow can be checked for large amounts of cancerous cells in the bone marrow. The spleen can be found to be enlarged and there can be excessive bruising noted on exam.
Treatment of leukaemia depends on the type of leukaemia you are suffering from. For example, some cases of chronic leukaemia are not treated at all and are just monitored to make sure they aren't becoming dangerous. Acute leukaemias can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation to destroy the dangerous cells. Doctors can kill off all your bone marrow and give you a stem cell transplant. Stem cells can be isolated from the sick individual or from a donor. This can provide a cure for the leukaemia. There are also biological therapies that help the body's immune system fight off the dangerous cancerous cells. There are a great many clinical trials available for the treatment of leukaemia. Getting into a clinical trial can involve being treated with a superior medication than is available to the general public.