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Leukemia
Leukemia
The term leukemia refers to cancers of the white blood cells (also
called leukocytes or WBCs). When someone has leukemia, large
numbers of abnormal white blood cells are produced in the bone
marrow. These abnormal white cells crowd the bone marrow and flood
the bloodstream, but they cannot perform their proper role of
protecting the body against disease because they are defective.
Types of Leukemia
The ALL form of the disease most commonly occurs in younger children
ages 2 to 8, but it can affect all age groups. AML can occur at any age,
but it is somewhat more common before the age of 2 and during the
teenage years.
Most kids with leukemia have ALL; about 20% have AML. Other types of
leukemia, like chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) or juvenile
myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), are much less common.
Leukemia usually starts in the white blood cells. Your white blood cells
are potent infection fighters — they normally grow and divide in an
orderly way, as your body needs them. But in people with leukemia,
the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells, which don't
function properly.
Symptoms
Fever or chills
Persistent fatigue, weakness
Frequent or severe infections
Losing weight without trying
Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen
Easy bleeding or bruising
Recurrent nosebleeds
Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)
Excessive sweating, especially at night
Bone pain or tenderness
Causes
Certain abnormalities cause the cell to grow and divide more rapidly
and to continue living when normal cells would die. Over time, these
abnormal cells can crowd out healthy blood cells in the bone marrow,
leading to fewer healthy blood cells and causing the signs and
symptoms of leukemia.
How leukemia is classified
Types of leukemia
You may receive stem cells from a donor, or in some cases you may
be able to use your own stem cells. A stem cell transplant is very
similar to a bone marrow transplant.