LEUKEMIA RISK

Leukemia is a malignant disorder that can be overlooked, and can develop into the acute stage if regular blood test are not performed. This cancer starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream. Bone marrow is where the white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are made. The symptoms are so common to other illnesses, and is usually diagnosed incidentally when blood tests or radiological studies are performed for other indications.
The type of symptoms will depend on the type of leukemia, and how much the cancer that has grown. These common symptoms may include: • Fever and night sweats • Frequent or unusual infections • Weakness and fatigue • Headaches • Bruising of the skin and bleeding from the gums or rectum • Bone pain • Joint pain
• Swelling of the belly or pain on the left side of the belly or in the left shoulder from a swollen spleen.
• Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, neck or groin
• Decreased appetite and weight loss because you feel full and do not want to eat. Leukemia can be acute or chronic. Acute leukemia develops very quickly and can make you feel sick right away. Chronic leukemia gets worse slowly, and there is usually no symptoms for years. The four main types of leukemia are: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). There have been 48,610 estimated new cases, and 23,720 deaths from leukemia in the United States in 2013. According to experts, the cause of leukemia is unknown. Most types of leukemia is not run in families, but in some cases chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is hereditary. With certain genetic conditions, such as Down syndrome, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is more likely to occur. Other risk factors may include: • Smoking or use of other tobacco products. • Exposure to chemicals at the workplace, such as benzene and formaldehyde. • Chemotherapy or radiation used to treat a previous cancer. • Infection with a type of HIV known as HTLV-1. • Other blood disease, such as myelodysplastic syndromes.
With the avoidance of high doses of radiation, exposure to the chemical benzene, tobacco use, or certain types of chemotherapy used in the treatment of other types of cancer, leukemia may be prevented.
The treatment for all forms of acute leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) begins immediately since it spreads very quickly. Although chemotherapy and radiation can be a risk factors, it is also used for treatment of acute leukemia. If by using these methods of treatment does not work, and the acute leukemia gets worse, then a stem cell transplant may be necessary. Most stem cells are donated by someone else, and the goal is to destroy all the cells in the bone marrow, including the leukemia cells, so that they can be replaced with new, normal cells. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is not usually treated right away, since it gets worse more slowly than acute leukemia. Since the form of leukemia develops slowly, and you may have no symptoms, your physician may just watch and wait before starting treatment. When treatment is needed it will be done with radiation, chemotherapy, and with a monoclonal antibody, which can kill the cancer cells or keep them from spreading.
When living with any of the risk factors, call your physician to schedule an appointment with a medical oncologist or hematologist. There are several other health professionals who can evaluate symptoms of leukemia. These professionals are your family medical doctors, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

REFERENCES: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/leukemia http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/leukemia