공지사항

Leukemia - What is It?

The doctor can diagnose leukemia by doing an examination and taking blood tests. The doctor may also recommend a bone-marrow test, which requires taking a sample from the fluid inside your hipbones.

Your doctor can treat leukemia by killing abnormal blood cells using chemotherapy and other drugs. Your doctor may also prescribe other treatments to stop Leukemia settlement from returning (relapse).

Causes

Leukemia is a condition that occurs when cancerous cells grow in the bone-marrow. These cells grow and divide out without control. They can block healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in the bone marrow. This can cause the immune system to not work effectively and make you more susceptible to getting infections. Certain types of leukemia are fast-growing and can cause severe symptoms right away. Others are slower-growing and may not trigger symptoms in the beginning. Doctors classify leukemia by the speed at which cancerous cells grow and the kind of cell is affected.

Blood cells are produced in the soft, spongy outer part of bones, which is known as bone marrow. Stem cells are the first blood cells. Stem cells are embryonic cells that give rise to white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells. When they acquire mutations in their DNA, a few of them could develop leukemia. These mutations cause cells to grow and divide out of control.

Experts don't know the cause of leukemia. But it seems to result from a combination of factors that include heredity and environmental dangers, and a few medical treatments. Some of these triggers include exposure to high levels of radiation from atomic bomb explosions nuclear power plant explosions and radiation treatments for medical conditions; smoking; certain genetic disorders like Klinefelter syndrome, Down syndrome and ataxia telangiectasia. Also, exposure to chemicals like benzene.

Signs and symptoms

Leukemia is cancer leukemia of the blood cell. It is found in the bone marrow, the soft spongy middle inside your bones, where the majority of your blood cells are created. The bone marrow produces red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells, Leukemia railroad cancer which help your body function normally. In leukemia the bone marrow produces excessively many abnormal cells. These immature cells could overflow healthy blood cells, preventing them from working properly.

Leukemia railroad cancer (similar resource site)'s symptoms vary according to the type and whether it's chronic or acute. Leukemia in children, for instance is caused by undeveloped cells that cannot fight infections effectively. Recurrent infections, like the common nose condition, such as a stuffy or runny nose, a cough or fever, are typical. Your child could also experience pain in their joints and bones. Your child might have difficulty making blood clots because the leukemia cells aren't crowded to make enough healthy platelets.

Different types of leukemia can be found in various blood cells. There are leukemias which start in lymphoid (immune system) cells that help fight infections; myeloid (red blood cells and platelets) and rarer varieties like hairy cell leukemia or blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cells (BPDCN).

To diagnose leukemia your doctor will perform a physical exam and inquire about your symptoms. You will have blood and bone-marrow tests. They will inform your doctor about the type of leukemia you're suffering from and how fast it's growing. A spinal tap or lumbar syringe is another diagnostic test. It involves inserting an empty needle into your lower back, near where the spinal cord ceases. The test measures pressure in the brain and spinal canal and a small amount of the fluid that bathes your child's brain as well as the spinal cord is examined for leukemia or infection.

Diagnosis

If your doctor suspects that you have leukemia they will first perform a complete blood count (CBC) prior to examining the cells of your blood under a microscope. This will determine the degree to which they are abnormal. They'll also look to see if there is any family history of certain types of leukemia. A family member with leukemia doesn't mean that you'll develop it, but it can increase your risk.

If the cells of leukemia aren't detected in your bone marrow or blood doctors will examine other parts of your body for cancerous cells. This could include the liver function test or a puncture in the lumbar area (spinal tap). They may also perform imaging tests, like an X-ray or CT scan.

A bone marrow aspiration or biopsy are used to diagnose chronic or acute leukemias. This is due to the fact that only these two leukemias begin in the marrow. In certain cases your doctor may perform a blood test using an encapsulated dye that reveals the B-cell population to help them determine if you suffer from CLL or MLL, and they might not require a bone marrow biopsy.

Other tests, such as cytogenetics or molecular testing can help identify the type of leukemia, and predict its growth rate. These tests analyze the chromosomes on your normal and cancerous cells to determine how they're organized, which can reveal how aggressive the leukemia is.

Treatment

Leukemia is a type of cancer that starts in bone marrow's blood-forming cell, (hematopoietic cells). The hematopoietic stem cells grow into either lymphoid or myeloid cells. In acute leukemias, mature lymphoid blasts expand uncontrollably and cause problems for normal white blood cells and platelets. These cells can also cause tumors to form in the liver and spleen as well as the central nervous system, bones, and spleen.

The symptoms differ based on the type of leukemia. They can be similar to those of a common cold or flu. This is why it's crucial to visit your doctor if have symptoms like fever, fatigue, weight loss, bruising or bleeding.

To diagnose you, your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your health history. The doctor will then conduct tests for bone-marrow and blood. These tests can tell whether there are too many or too few blood-forming cells. These may also show abnormal white blood cells or red blood cells and other types of cells.

Additional tests can help figure out the kind of leukemia is present and the severity of it. This includes a cytogenetic analysis which examines the chromosomes of your blood or bone marrow cells. It can determine if your chromosomes differ, which could be an indication of leukemia.