Leukemia is a type of cancer that starts in your bone marrow or other blood-forming tissue.

National Cancer Institute. Leukemia.

White blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are all products of your bone marrow. Why your bone marrow begins to produce unhealthy cells instead of good ones is still a mystery to researchers. But they do know that many risk factors, including advancing age, can increase your chance of developing leukemia.

The main cause of symptoms of leukemia is the inadequate production of normal blood cells. Some of the common symptoms that arise include tiredness, fever, night sweats, loss of weight, and bruising or bleeding easily. Cancerous cells are produced in excess by the bone marrow. Your health practitioner can use blood tests and physical examinations to diagnose leukemia symptoms accurately and help you choose the right course of treatment.

Leukemia Types

Based on the type of blood cell affected and the speed in which cancer cells spread, leukemia can assume a huge variety of different forms. Either myeloid cells, which are immature blood cells eventually mature into white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets or lymphocytes, a special category of white blood cell that leukema may affect. Additionally leukemia may be acute or growing quickly or chronic or gradually.

• In children, the common type is acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may also occur in children but is more common with advancing age.
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of adult leukemia and usually occurs later in life.
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) develops in adults after the middle years.

• Men are more likely than women to suffer from CMML, and most cases occur after the age of 60.

Depending on the type of leukemia you have, the malignancy is targeting which blood cells and how fast the disease is developing

Signs and symptoms

The kind of leukemia you have will determine some of the symptoms you have. However, most leukemia patients have similar symptoms. These include:2.

• Feverishness and fatigue
• Nights sweats
• Uncomplicated bleeding or bruises
• Weight loss without knowing
• Loss of appetite
• Petechiae are small red spots in the skin.

Anemia is a condition that limits your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to your organs, and can also be a result if your leukemia is interfering with the production of red blood cells. Some symptoms of anemia are

• Weakness and Fatigue Headaches
• Breathlessness
• Light-colored skin
• Having a chill

If your leukemia is causing a reduction in your white blood cell counts, you may develop leukopenia. You may encounter symptoms such as

• frequent infections
• Night sweating and high fever
• Body aches with shivering
• Your skin cuts or sores

Bleeding is more probable when leukemia leads to low platelet counts. Blood cells referred to as platelets are supposed to help in clotting blood and hence prevent bleeding. When they are low, the following symptoms may appear:

• Simple bleeding or bruises

• Bleeding noses

• Gum bleeding

• Prolonged bouts of heavy

• Blood in your feces or urine

• A larger spleen

Causes

Leukemia is the consequence when your bone marrow and blood-forming tissues produce cancer cells. It means that these cancer cells are being discharged into your bloodstream, thus altering your platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. While it is not known what triggers leukemia, experts have isolated some risk factors that may elevate your chances of getting this disease.

Risk Elements

Among the risk factors for anemia are:

• Radiation exposure: High radiation exposure elevates the risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

• Chemical exposure: Risk for leukemia is elevated due to exposure to chemotherapy and other chemicals such as benzene.

• Viruses: An increased risk of leukemia has been associated with certain viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1).

• Genetics: You are likely to experience leukemia symptoms if your twin brother or sister also suffers from the disease. Inherited syndromes like Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Fanconi anemia, and ataxia-telangiectasia may also raise your chance of developing ALL.

• Age: Leukemia is more likely to develop after the age of fifty. On the other hand, ALL is more likely to occur in children who are less than 15 years old.

            Race and ethnicity: White people are more likely to develop leukemia than Black                           individuals.

• Sex: Individuals who have been assigned male are more likely to develop leukemia than those assigned female.

Making a diagnosis

• Healthcare professionals can detect leukemia using a number of tests. These consist of

• Physical examination: Because leukemia manifests physically, your doctor will conduct a comprehensive physical examination, noting any bleeding, bruising, or enlarged lymph nodes.

• Medical history: Your doctor will inquire about your symptoms, any changes in your lifestyle, any family history of illnesses, and your personal medical history.

• Blood tests: Your doctor can take a complete blood count to determine the presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets because of a leukemia shortage of healthy blood cells.

• Bone marrow tests: It can be diagnosed by performing a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration that whether cancerous cells exist in the bone marrow.

• Genetic testing: Your doctor may advise genetic testing to identify any gene or chromosome abnormalities that could elevate your risk of leukemia because some hereditary problems can increase that risk.

Therapy

Fortunately, the disease can be cured, and remission, or time when symptoms disappear, is feasible. Your prognosis, or how your condition will develop, depends on the type and the stage of your leukemia. The right therapy options for you will also rely on your age and your general health.

Chemotherapy

For the most part, patients diagnosed with leukemia will require chemotherapy as the first treatment given to them. Chemotherapy encompasses three phases, which include

• Induction: Acute lymphocytic leukemia (AML) requires a very intense one-week treatment initiation, while acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) requires a one-month therapy initiation.

• Consolidation entails months of intensive treatment for both acute lymphocytic leukemia (AML) and one month for ALL.

• Maintenance: Usually limited to acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), less rigorous treatment for two years

Transplanting Stem Cells

In some cases, high dosages of chemotherapy and sometimes radiation are used to destroy leukemia cells. After these treatments, a stem cell infusion can be given to help the bone marrow replenish with new, healthy cells. If the chemotherapy is not working, your doctor may consider a stem cell transplant.

Focused Treatment

Targeted therapy relies on drugs and other chemicals that target and kill the cancer cells. The strategy is to treat the cells without endangering or causing damage to healthy cells.

Radiation Therapy

Usually, the basic treatment plan for a leukemia patient does not involve radiation therapy. However, while preparing for a stem cell transplant, your doctor may suggest the use of radiation therapy along with chemotherapy.6.

Ways to Prevent Leukemia

Leukemia can’t be prevented. It is because most of the risk factors are beyond the control of an individual such as age, race, and genetics. In addition, leukemia is hard to prevent since a majority of the patients have no established risk factors.

Leukemia becomes more likely if you receive chemotherapy and radiation treatments for other cancers. Your doctor will not suggest that you disregard or skip cancer treatment to avoid getting it again, however.

Your risk of developing leukemia is also increased by radiation exposure from imaging tests. Discuss the possibility of reducing the number of computed tomography (CT) scans or X-rays you need with your healthcare practitioner if you need them often, especially if you are at risk for certain types of cancer.

Having leukemia

The diagnosis of leukemia can certainly change a person’s life and the course of therapy might extend from months to years. So, feelings of overwhelm, despair, anger, fear, grief, and loneliness are all pretty common, and they’re all okay.

Getting help along the way is essential. For assistance with financial aid and appointment scheduling, collaborate with your healthcare team. Additionally, think about requesting a referral to a mental health professional. Ask your friends and relatives for assistance with everyday chores, child care, cooking, and other duties.

National Cancer Institute. Coping: The family’s changes.

Remember that you don’t have to walk the road alone, even although you may be dealing with leukemia on your own.