What is leukemia?
Leukemia is a blood disease in which the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells (leukemic blast cells or leukemia cells). These cells divide, reproducing themselves, which causes a proliferation of altered cells that do not die as they age, so that they accumulate and crowd out normal cells. In this way, healthy cells are diminished, with the consequent problems in the transport of oxygen to the tissues, in the healing of infections or in the control of hemorrhages. The fact that immature and abnormal cells proliferate in the blood makes leukemia a type of blood cancer.
There are several types of leukemia:
- Acute myeloid leukemia
- Chronic myeloid leukemia
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer, which affects the whole body.
Prognosis of the disease
The prognosis of leukemia varies depending on the type of leukemia and the age of the patient, although it is generally considered a serious disease. Thus, young children diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia and patients with acute myeloid leukemia have a good prognosis for recovery. Patients over 50 years of age may need chemotherapy to put the disease behind them.
On the other hand, chronic leukemia cannot be completely cured, but progresses slowly and can be treated to slow its progression. The prognosis in this disease is worse in patients who are very anemic, and in many cases the only chance of survival is a bone marrow transplant.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of leukemia vary according to the type of leukemia. Thus, the most frequent are:
- Acute myeloid leukemia: causes tiredness, loss of appetite and weight loss, fever and night sweats.
- Chronic myeloid leukemia: causes weakness, sweating for no apparent reason, loss of appetite and weight, and fever.
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia: causes dizziness, weakness and tiredness, difficulty breathing, recurrent infections, easy bruising, fever and frequent bleeding from the nose and gums.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: also presents with weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever or night sweats, in addition to enlarged lymph nodes and abdominal pain.
In addition, other symptoms include:
- Bone pain, due to the multiplication of leukemic cells in the skeletal system.
- Anemia, which is accompanied by pallor, fatigue and poor exercise tolerance, due to the decrease in red blood cells.
- Skin spots or petechiae and sporadic bleeding as a result of reduced platelet counts.
Medical tests for leukemia
The diagnosis of leukemia can be made in three phases, which are performed as soon as symptoms begin:
First, the physical examination is performed, in which the physician will assess the pallor of the skin, swollen glands or the volume of the spleen and liver. If irregularities are found, a blood test is performed to determine if there are abnormal levels of white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets. To further determine the diagnosis, a bone marrow analysis may be performed by removing a small sample from the hip bone with a fine needle.
What are the causes of leukemia?
A specific cause for leukemia cannot usually be established. However, there are a number of risk factors that can be considered causes:
- Previous history of other cancers and the fact of having received chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which can cause cellular alterations that lead to secondary leukemia.
- Genetic disorders, such as Down’s Syndrome, which increase the possibility of developing leukemia.
- Being exposed to some toxic agents (environmental, professional or associated) or toxic habits such as smoking.
- Family history, in some very specific cases.
Can it be prevented?
There is currently no way to prevent leukemia. On the other hand, it is recommended to lead a healthy life without toxic habits, which will help in the prevention of other cancers and to better face the recommended treatment.
Treatments for leukemia
The basic treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy, a procedure in which drugs are injected to destroy cancer cells. The treatment has 4 phases:
- Induction into remission: this lasts between four and five weeks and attempts to destroy as many cancer cells as possible. Symptoms may disappear but not the disease.
- Consolidation: lasts two to three weeks.
- Maintenance: must be carried out until three years of treatment have been completed.
Which specialist treats it?
The hematologist is the specialist in charge of pathologies that affect the blood, as is the case of leukemia.