The Basics About Leukemia

Types

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is the cancer of the bone marrow or the blood, as seen by the irregular multiplication of white blood cells, or leukocytes.

This type of cancer fits under the category of the hematological neoplasm diseases, which are essentially regarding to the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes in a person.

How does it make you sick?

Leukemia affects the bone marrow and blood cell production. The body has a preset bone marrow production. However, the body of a person with leukemia produces an irregular amount of immature white blood cells. This process destroys many blood platelets, which help the blood to clot in case of an injury. This disorder allows people with leukemia to bruise easier and bleed more than a person without leukemia.The lack of mature white blood cells puts the person at a higher risk of developing various infections.

Also, the red blood cell shortage can cause anemia because of the difficulty red blood cells are presented with in order to transfer oxygen throughout the body.

Alukemia is the situation in which b an excessive amount of infected white blood cells are produced by the bone marrow, and that do not enter the blood stream.

Are there different kinds?

Leukemia can be separated in to several subsections: acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, and chronic myelogenous leukemia.

When leukemia is referred to as acute, it means that there is a rapid irregular increase of white blood cells. There is no room for the body to produce healthy blood cells. This type of leukemia must be treated with haste because of the rapid increase in cancerous blood cells.

Conversely, when leukemia is referred to as chronic, there is a surplus growth of white blood cells. They enter the bloodstream and infect the body over a long period of time. This type of leukemia can be observed for long periods of time in order to ensure the most effective type of treatment.

Lymphocytic leukemia is when the cancer affects lymphoid cells. Myelogenous leukemia is when the cancer affects myeloid cells.