Quick Facts: Leukemia

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is the term used for cancer that affects the blood cells. When leukemia develops, the body produces large numbers of abnormal blood cells. The leukemia cells do not function properly. There are 6 types of leukemia, which doctors usually identify according to speed of growth (acute or chronic), and the cancer cell type (lymphocytic or myelogenous):

1. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL): This type of leukemia is commonly found in children, and some cases are adults over age 65. It is very rare in adults 20-65 years old.
   
2. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML): This type almost always affects adults and is rarely seen in children. It is also called Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukemia (ANLL).
   
3. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): This leukemia usually affects adults over age 55. It sometimes is found in younger adults, but almost never affects children.
   
4. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML): This leukemia almost always affects adults and is very rare in children.
   
5. Hairy cell Leukemia: A very rare type of leukemia in which abnormal white blood cells (B-lymphocytes) are found in the bone marrow, spleen and blood.
   
6. Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: A fast -growing type of leukemia in which there are too many immature blood-forming cells in the blood and bone marrow.
   

Who gets leukemia?

An estimated 35,070 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the US in 2006. 31,628 of these cases are diagnosed in adults. Incidence is higher in adult men than women.

Leukemia is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among children and young adults. This year, 2600 children will be diagnosed with leukemia - 70% with ALL and 30% with AMI. Most childhood leukemia patients are diagnosed at 2-3 years. Hispanic children have the highest rates of leukemia.

Certain risk factors place you at higher risk for leukemia.

• Smoking: 20% of AMI cases may be related to smoking.
  
• Environmental Factors: Exposure to dangerous chemicals, high amounts of radiation, and anti-cancer drugs.
  
• Rare diseases: People with rare genetic diseases such as Down's syndrome, Ataxia Telangienctasia, and Bloom's Syndrome, are at higher risk for getting leukemia.
  
• Family history of leukemia
  

How is it detected?

There is no screening test for leukemia. Mostly, doctors learn that a patient has leukemia from routine blood tests or knowing the signs and symptoms of the disease. These include:

• Chronic infections
  
• Anemia-red blood cells
  
• Easy bruising or bleeding
  
• Fever with chills & sweating
  
• Weakness/Fatigue
  
• Loss of appetite
  
• Weight Loss
  
• Petechiae-tiny red spots
  
• Sore or bleeding gums
  
• Pain in bones or joints
  
• Shortness of breath
  
• Coughing, chest pains
  
• Weakness of legs and arms
  
• Liver, spleen, lymph nodes swell
  

Several tests can be performed for detection:

• Bone Marrow Samples: Taken with a needle, usually from the hip, along with a small piece of bone. The marrow and bone are then examined in a lab for abnormal leukemia cells.
  
• Lumbar Puncture or Spinal Tap: Sample of spinal fluid examined to learn if cancer cells have reached the spinal cord & brain.
  
• X-rays or CT Scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis can show whether or not the disease has spread to these areas.
  

What if I am diagnosed?

Treating leukemia depends on type and stage/subtype of disease. Surgery is not an option, but there are other options.

• Chemotherapy: A systemic or whole body treatment. It kills remaining cancer cells in the body and keeps cancer from spreading to other organs. It can be administered in pill form, intravenous, catheter and chemotherapy into the spinal fluid.
  
• Radiation Therapy: Process by which high-energy light waves are directed at affected area to kill cancer cells.
• Bone Marrow Transplant: Patient's bone marrow is destroyed by other treatments and replaced by new, healthy bone marrow that comes from a donor (allogenic transplant) or from the patient's healthy marrow (autologous transplant).
  
• Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant: Uses cells that were already released into patient's bloodstream, but can still make the different types of blood cells. These cells are removed before chemoradiation, frozen & re-injected into patient.
  
• Gleevac: A new drug treatment for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia that kills cancer cells & leaves healthy ones alone.
  
• Biological Therapy: This uses substances to boost the body's own immune system responses to kill the cancer cells.
  

Prevention

• Don't smoke
  
• Avoid dangerous chemicals, such as benzene
  
• Avoid being exposed to large amounts of radiation
  

If you found this information helpful, please consider making a donation to the Rhode Island Cancer Council so we may continue adding content to our website and providing valuable services to Rhode Island residents. Please click the Donate icon to the left to make a donation via credit card or your PayPal account.

See also: