What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that occurs when the number of white blood cells in your body increases.

Healthy WBCs keep bacteria, viruses, and fungus out of your body. But in leukemia, WBCs don’t work normally. They grow excessively and crowd out red blood cells and platelets.

Symptoms

The symptoms of leukemia include:

• Anaemia: tiredness, weakness, fatigue
• Poor blood clotting: individuals with leukemia bruise or bleed easily
• Excessive sweating, especially at night (known as “night sweats”)
• Difficulty breathing
• Sudden weight loss
• Tenderness and discomfort in the bones
• Enlarged but painless lymph nodes (especially in the neck and armpits)
• Petechiae (red spots) on the skin caused by enlargement of the liver or spleen
• Frequent fever or chills
• Recurring infections

Risk Factors

• Exposure to radiation, chemicals or carcinogens
• Smoking history
• History of radiation therapy or chemotherapy
• Have been diagnosed with a genetic disease such as Down syndrome

Diagnosis

Your doctor may conduct a:

• Complete blood count (CBC): This test examines the amount and maturity of various blood cell types. A blood smear looks for cells that are atypical or immature.
• Biopsy of the bone marrow: A large needle is used to extract marrow from your pelvic bone for this test. It can inform your doctor about the type of leukemia you have and the severity of your condition.
• Spinal tap: In this test, doctors remove some of the fluid around your brain and spinal cord to test for cancer cells. It can tell your doctor if your leukemia has progressed to the brain.
• Imaging tests are performed: CT, MRI, and PET scans can detect the spread of the condition to other regions of the body.

Leukemia Treatment

Treatment for the condition would depend on the type of leukemia a patient has been diagnosed with. Common leukemia treatment options are

• Chemotherapy: For leukemia patients, chemotherapy treatment is administered via pill or intravenously (through the vein). The drugs used in both these methods will kill the cancer cells present in the blood and bone marrow.
• Biologic therapy: Biologic therapy, also known as immunotherapy, assists the patient’s immune system to fight and attack cancer cells. The drugs used in this treatment will improve the body’s natural defences.
• Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy targets specific genes and proteins that are involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells. It prevents cells from living longer than normal and destroys cancer cells.
• Stem cell transplant: Cancers like leukemia can destroy stem cells. In a stem cell transplant, patients receive new cells that will gradually grow into new, healthy blood cells and will replace damaged stem cells.
• Radiation in selected patients: Radiotherapy treats leukemia by damaging the DNA (the genetic material) of cancerous cells and limits their growth and reproduction

Keeping track of your blood health is essential. HOCC provides comprehensive treatment for patients with blood disorders and blood cancers. If you’re showing any symptoms, consult the team of experts at HOCC without any delay.

Because Blood Count Matters, Count On Us.