What Are Some Facts About Leukemia?

Facts about leukemia include information about what it is, what the symptoms are, risk factors, tests, treatments, and statistics.     

A list of facts about leukemia needs to start with its definition. 

• Leukemia is a cancer that forms in the tissue that makes blood. 
• In a person that has leukemia, the bone marrow makes white blood cells that are abnormal. 
• These are called leukemia cells and they do not die when they should. 
• They will crowd the normal cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, and that will keep those cells from doing what they are supposed to do.

Types of Leukemia

There are two main types of leukemia:

• Lymphocytic leukemia affects the lymphocytes which make lymphatic tissue.  This tissue makes up the immune system.
• Myelogenous leukemia affects the myeloid cells which make red and white blood cells and cells that make platelets.

Each of these two types of leukemia can further be divided into two classifications- acute and chronic:

• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)

Acute means the abnormal cells are immature, they multiply quickly, and so the disease becomes worse faster.  The large numbers don’t leave room for the healthy cells, so the person develops anemia from a low red cell count, cannot fight infection because of the low white cell count, and bruises and bleeds easily because of the low platelet count.  

• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Chronic means there are fewer immature blast cells and more mature abnormal cells.  They multiply slower that the others and function normally for a time.  Eventually there are too many abnormal white cells and anemia forms as well as a decreased immune response.

More Facts About Leukemia          

Here are some facts about leukemia's symptoms.  The symptoms will be different for the various types of leukemia, but here are some of the common ones:

• Fever or chills
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Losing weight
• Excessive bruising or bleeding
• Many infections
• Slow healing wounds
• Tenderness or pain in joints or bones
• Pale skin or red spots under the skin

Leukemia Causes and Tests

Another fact about leukemia is that we don’t know what causes leukemia:

• It is said to be a combination of environmental and hereditary factors. 
• Risk factors include radiation therapy and chemotherapy, some genetic diseases, a high level of radiation exposure, some blood disorders, exposure to some chemicals (benzene for one), smoking, and a family history of the disease.

Tests for leukemia include a physical exam and tests:

• The doctor will look for enlarged lymph nodes, liver, and spleen as well as signs of anemia, like pale skin. 
• Blood tests will determine if you have an elevated white cell count or an abnormal amount of platelets.
• A bone marrow test may be ordered that will entail a sample of bone marrow being taken from your hip to check for leukemia cells. 
• If leukemia cells are found, tests will be made to help determine the type of leukemia you have that helps determine any treatment options. 

Treatments include radiation, biological, and targeted therapy and chemotherapy.  Other options are stem cell transplants and certain drugs that will help keep the leukemia under control or block a certain cancer gene.     

Statistics About Leukemia

The following facts are from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

• A person is diagnosed with a blood cancer every four minutes.
• Someone dies from blood cancer every 10 minutes.
• It is estimated that 137,260 Americans received a diagnosis of a bone cancer in 2010.  
• Blood cancer will be the cause of death for an estimated 54,020 people in 2010 in the US.  That will be 9.5% of total cancer deaths. 
• Leukemia causes more deaths than other forms of cancer in people under the age of 20.