Leukemia is a form of malignant cancer that starts by affecting the organs responsible for producing blood cells and the blood. These include the bone marrow and the lymphatic organs. When someone has leukemia, these organs are no longer able to control the quality and quantity of white blood cells, which means that the blood becomes full of abnormal white cells, known as leukocytes or leukemia cells. These cells, being abnormal, are not able to do what they should do, which includes protecting the body against bacteria and viruses.
In a healthy person, the body creates a certain number of cells that have a specific life cycle. Once a cell dies, a new cell to replace it is created. However, in the case of someone with leukemia, something in this process goes wrong, which means that the cells don't develop as they should, and don't die either. And because they do not die, they start to take over the blood. For patients who have leukemia, therefore, they no longer have protection against various diseases. As a result, even the simplest infection can have deadly consequences.
The exact signs and symptoms vary depending on the type of leukemia and on the patients. Usually, people experience:
– Generalized weakness and fatigue
– Unexplainable weight loss
– Unexpected and sudden fever
– Very frequent and hard to cure viral infections
– Pain in the bones
– Blood in urine and sudden bleeding in other parts of the body
Most people who speak of leukemia mean acute leukemia, which is most often found in children. However, in adults, it is more common for people to have chronic leukemia, particularly chronic myelogenous leukemia. It is very important to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you suspect leukemia in yourself or a loved one, because the cancer rapidly spreads and can have a very poor prognosis if it is caught too late.
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia or CML Treatments:
Chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML treatments will vary depending on the stage of the cancer. The aim of the treatment is to lower the production of white blood cells. If the patient responds properly, the treatment will continue. However, treatments can appear to be successful, only for the cancer to return several years later. This is why patients must continue to return to their physicians for many years to receive further treatmen to ensure that all remaining dysfunctional blood cells are killed.
Usually, chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML treatments include radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In addition, bone marrow transplants may also be successful in some cases. Unfortunately, the treatment can be quite harsh and have many unwanted side effects, particularly on patients who are already in a weakened state. Thus, some patients will not survive either the treatment or the disease. That being said, the survival rate, which is the percentage of people who are still alive five years after diagnosis, has been increasing steadily over the past few years, leaving many to be hopeful that a complete cure for this disease will soon be found.