Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that results in abnormal production of blood cells. There are four main types of leukemia - acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia is caused by mutations in blood cell DNA that cause abnormal cell growth and loss of function. Diagnosis involves blood tests, biopsy, and imaging to examine blood cell counts and determine if cancer has spread. Treatment depends on the type of leukemia but may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplantation, biological therapy, or targeted therapy.

1. Leukemia (Blood
Cancer)

2. Leukemia (Blood Cancer)
Leukemia is a cancer of the early blood-forming
cells. Most often, leukemia is a cancer of the
white blood cells, but some leukemia's start in
other blood cell types. A person who has
leukemia suffers from an abnormal production of
blood cells, generally leukocytes (white blood
cells). WBCs are a vital part of your immune
system. They protect your body from invasion by
bacteria, viruses, and fungi, as well as from
abnormal cells and other foreign substances.

3. There are two divisions if leukemias:
 Chronic and acute leukemia-There are several stages of
maturation in a white blood cells lifespan.
 Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that results in the
accumulation of immature, useless cells in the marrow and blood.
They are squeezed out of the bone marrow too early and are not
functional.
 Chronic progresses more slowly and allows more mature, useful
cells to be made. Acute leukemia crowds out the good cells more
quickly than chronic leukemia.
 Lymphocytic and myelogenous leukemia-Leukemias are also
subdivided into the type of affected blood cell.
 If the cancerous transformation occurs in the type of marrow that
makes lymphocytes, the disease is called lymphocytic leukemia. A
lymphocyte is a kind of white blood cell inside the vertebrae immune
system.
 If the cancerous change occurs in the type of marrow cells that go on
to produce red blood cells, other types of white cells, and platelets,
the disease is called
 Rarely seen in children. About 15,000 new cases of CLL are
diagnosed annually. myelogenous leukemia.

4.  Excessive sweating, especially at night (called "night
sweats")
 Fatigue and weakness that don't go away with rest
 Unintentional weight loss
 Bone pain and tenderness
 Painless, swollen lymph nodes (especially in the neck
and armpits)
 Enlargement of the liver or spleen
 Red spots on the skin, called petechiae
 Bleeding and bruising easily
 Fever or chills
 Frequent infections

5. Persons affected by
leukemia
 Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) -Acute
myelogenous leukemia (AML) can occur in children
and adults. About 21,000 new cases of AML are
diagnosed annually .This is the most common form of
leukemia.
 Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) -Acute
lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occurs mostly in children.
About 6,000 new cases of ALL are diagnosed
annually.
 Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) -Chronic
myelogenous leukemia (CML) affects mostly adults.
About 7,000 new cases of CML are diagnosed
annually.
 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)-Chronic
lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is most likely to affect
people over the age of 55. It's very rarely seen in
children. About 15,000 new cases of CLL are

6. Causes of Leukemia
 The exact cause of leukemia is not known, but it
is thought to involve a combination of genetic and
environmental factors.
 Leukemia cells have acquired mutations in their
DNA that cause them to grow abnormally and
lose functions of typical white blood cells.
 It is not clear what causes these mutations to
occur. One type of change in the cells' DNA that
is common in leukemia's is known as a
chromosome translocation

8. Risk factors of Leukemia:
Some of the risk factors may be:
 Artificial ionizing radiation
 Viruses - HTLV-1 (human T-lymphotropic virus) and HIV
(human immunodeficiency virus)
 Benzene and some petrochemicals
 Alkylating chemotherapy agents used in previous
cancers
 Maternal fetal transmission (rare)
 Smoking
 Twins may have a greater risk of having leukemia due to
single gene or multiple gene.
 People with Down syndrome have a significantly higher
risk of developing leukemia, compared with people who
do not have Down syndrome.

9. Treatments of leukemia
There are certain treatments which can be used for treating
leukemia, this are:
 Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill leukemia cells. Depending
on the type of leukemia, patient may take either a single
drug or a combination of different drugs.
 Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to damage
leukemia cells and inhibit their growth. Radiation can be
applied to a specific area or the entire body.
 Stem cell transplantation replaces diseased bone marrow
with healthy bone marrow, either from other part of the
body, or from a donor. This procedure is also called a bone
marrow transplant.
 Biological or immune therapy uses treatments that help the
immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
 Targeted therapy uses medications that take advantage of
vulnerabilities in cancer cells. For example, imatinib
(Gleevec) is a targeted drug that is commonly used against
CML.

10. Diagnosis of Leukemia
The primary diagnosis of leukemia is done by looking at the family history and
by doing physical examination. Certain blood test, biopsy and imaging
techniques are useful for the diagnosis.
 Blood tests -A complete blood count which may determine the number of WCs,
RBCs, and platelets in the blood. The blood is also seen under the microscope in
case of certain cute condition.
 Biopsy- Tissue biopsy is done by taking one marrow or lymph nodes and looking
for it under the microscope.
 Other test can be done, which are:
 Flow cytometry examines the DNA of the cancer cells and determines their
growth rate.
 Liver function tests show whether leukemia cells are affecting or invading the
liver.
 Lumbar puncture is performed by inserting a thin needle between the vertebrae
of your lower back. This allows the doctor to collect spinal fluid and determine if
cancer has spread to the central nervous system.
 Imaging studies, such as X-rays, ultrasounds, and CT scans, help doctors look
for any damage to other organs that's caused by the leukemia.
Leukemia can be controlled if diagnosed in early stage. Certain tests should be
done for diagnosis as soon as a person starts to get early symptoms which may

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