Leukemia is a dangerous form of the disease known as cancer. It affects the white blood cells from the body. These cells fight the dangerous viruses and bacteria that enter the organism, so if they become abnormal the body will be very weakened and exposed to infections.
There are several types of leukemia and the treatment may vary depending on the type. The two main forms of the illness are acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Chronic leukemia is milder, not all the white blood cells are defective and the disease advances much slower than acute leukemia.
Acute leukemia occurs when the disease has advanced and none of the white blood cells are normal anymore. It advances very quickly, but in some cases it's easier to treat than chronic leukemia.
Thousands of cases of acute leukemia are discovered every year only in the USA. Quite a large number of cases are found at young children, usually around 4 years old. The good news is that more and more of these cases are cured as time passes, and doctors are continuously researching new medication and treatment methods.
The causes of acute leukemia are unknown, the only thing that scientists know is that some people are at a higher risk of getting this illness than others. People exposed to radiations or chemicals have the highest risk of acute leukemia. Also, risks can be increased by hereditary factors. The child can receive defective genes from his mother, which can lead to acute leukemia.
The disease does not have some specific symptoms that occur at all patients that have it, because it weakens the defense system and then the viruses that enter the body do the damage. The symptoms mainly depend on these viruses.
However, it is known that most of the people with leukemia are easily bruised and they also easily bleed out of the nose and gums.
A weak defense system is also accompanied by a general sensation of fatigue, but leukemia is not the only disease that weakens the defense system.
Finally, many leukemia patients experience weight loss.
If a patient experiences any of the common symptoms then he/she should visit the doctor for a complete physical examination and some special tests. If the results indicate leukemia then the chemotherapy starts soon. The survivability rate keeps increasing so you can keep your hopes up.
Doctors are continuously trying to find a cure for cancer, and we can only hope that one of these days a breakthrough will bring us the good news. The most important thing about acute leukemia is to detect it as soon as possible and treat it immediately before it starts spreading in the whole body.
For more resources on different leukemia related issues like childhood leukemia, acute leukemia and many more visit www.leukemia-guide.com . |
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