Leukemia FAQs
What is leukemia?
- Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow where blood cells are formed. It is characterized by an increased production of abnormal cells, which are actually immature cells (blasts) that do not develop to maturity. Over time, as the number of abnormal blood cells builds up in the blood, they crowd out healthy blood cells, making it difficult for blood to carry out its normal functions.
What causes leukemia?
- Scientists have yet to establish direct causes of leukemia, although certain risk factors increase a person’s chances of developing the disease, such as smoking, exposure to high amounts of radiation, old age, and genetic predispositions to cancer.
What are the different types of leukemia?
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
- Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)
- Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
What are the symptoms of leukemia?
- Fever, chills and other flu-like symptoms
- Pallor (pale color of skin)
- General weakness/easily susceptible to fatigue
- Loss of appetite/weight
- Shortness of breath and chest pains
- Enlarged liver/spleen
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Tiny red spots (petechiae) under the skin
- Swollen or bleeding gums
- Night sweats
- Bone or joint pain
- Headaches;
- Vomiting;
- Confusion;
- Loss of muscle control
- Seizures
What treatments are available for leukemia?
- Chemotherapy
- Intrathecal Chemotherapy
- Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)
- Biological or Antibody Therapy.
- Targeted Therapy
- Stem Cell Transplant
- Surgery
What are the diagnosis process for leukemia?
- Routine medical check-up
- ​Complete Blood Count
- Bone Marrow Aspiration (BMA) and Bone Marrow Biopsy with Flow Cytometry
- Spinal or lumbar tap
- Chest X-ray
- Cytogenetics