Leukemia

An image of bone marrow of a patient with leukemia

Leukemia or leukaemia is a cancer of blood and bone marrow. When a person has leukemia, the body makes too many white blood cells (leukocytes). Most of the oxygen is used to make leukocyctes. What occurs is that too little oxygen is left in the blood to make red blood cells, or to make other cells, controlling blood clotting. One of the main function of red blood cells is to move oxygen.

There are many kinds of leukemia. Leukemias are part of a bigger group of diseases, the blood cancers (hematological neoplasms).

Untreated, leukemia will lead to death within weeks to months. Chronic leukemias can last for years.

Four major types

Leukemia can be either acute or chronic (medicine). Acute leukemia usually grows quickly. Chronic leukemia usually grows slowly.

Leukemia can also involve two different types of white blood cells. These are lymphoid cells and meyloid cells.

For this reason, all of the different forms of leukemia are categorized into four major types:

Causes and risk factors

As of 2010, there is no known cause for all kinds of leukemia. Most likely, the different kinds of leukemias have different causes. The known causes account for relatively few cases.[1] Most of the causes cannot easily be influenced, and are outside the control of people. Researchers believe the following may influence the fact that a person develops leukemia:

Viruses that are suspected to cause leukemia include:

Fanconi anemia is also a risk factor for developing acute myelogenous leukemia.

Treatment

Most cases of leukemia are treated with a number of drugs, which are usually combined into a chemotherapy. In some cases, radiation therapies or bone marrow transplants are done.

References

  1. Ross JA, Kasum CM, Davies SM, Jacobs DR, Folsom AR, Potter JD (August 2002). "Diet and risk of leukemia in the Iowa Women's Health Study". Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 11 (8): 777–81.