Signs of Leukemia

Leukemia is a life-threatening disease and it could be a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. This type of cancer is characterized by an abnormal rise in the white blood cells. Pathologically and clinically leukemia is classified into different categories. First, it's widely classified into two categories, namely; acute and chronic leukemia. While acute leukemia mostly occurs in children, chronic leukemia is found to be affecting mostly adults.

In case of acute leukemia, immature blood cells tend to increase abnormally at a rapid rate, an abnormal increase in the numbers mean that they crowd up in the bone marrow making the bone marrow incapable of producing healthy blood cells that are essential for the body. If not treated immediately, the immature cells goes into the bloodstream and reaches all the other vital organs of the body.

Now in case of chronic leukemia, it could take months or years to develop and therefore it may be required to monitor the nature of the abnormal increase of white blood cells for a while to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the treatment. Although the increased growth of white blood cells consists of abnormal cells; they are relatively mature as compared to in case of acute leukemia. The disease is further divided into two categories, lymphocytic and myelogenous leukemia. This sub division is based on the type of blood cell that is affected.

Signs and Symptoms of Leukemia

In Children

Studies conducted by the American Cancer Society suggests that the most common type that affects children is, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), it is found in children between the age of 2 and 4 years. Another form, that usually affects the teenagers is acute myelogenous leukemia that could also start at; as early an age of 2 years. Pediatric or childhood leukemia are acquired genetically from a parent and a defect or damage of the immune system of a child increases the risk of his/her chances of developing this deadly disease. Irregular functioning of the bone marrow is one of the early indications. Every child may experience different symptoms. However, given below are different warning signs that are commonly observed in children.

• The child may appear to be pale or anemic because of the inability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells sue to the crowding up of abnormal cells in it.
• White blood cells help fight infections but in a child with leukopenia, although the count of cells may seem very high, the cells are immature and unhealthy and therefore they don't aid in fighting infections resulting in bacterial and viral infections and the kid may often experience fever, cough etc.
• When one of the components of blood called platelets are unable to be produced, the child is more susceptible to bruising and bleeding.
• If abnormal cells accumulate in the kidney, spleen or liver, they expand and become enlarged and this could cause severe abdominal pain also resulting in weight loss due to loss of appetite.
• Difficulty in breathing, chest congestion can be noticed due to the growth of tumors in the lungs.
• Pain in the bone and joints may also be experienced as the bone marrow becomes overcrowded.
• The abnormal cells tend to accumulate in lymph nodes that filters the blood and cause swelling. Such swellings may appear in areas such as in the neck or chest, in the groin and also under the arms.

In Adults

The signs of leukemia in children and adults are more or less the same but the pain could be more intense and the severity of the symptoms is greater. Given below are the different leukemia signs in adults that may seem to vary slightly but mostly are similar.

• Headaches and seizures
• Fatigue or weakness
• Severe pain in the joints and bone
• Severe abdominal pain leading to loss of appetite and weight loss respectively
• Shortness of breath and coughing incessantly
• Blurred vision
• Inability to balance
• Tenderness and swelling of the lymph nodes
• More prone to cuts and bruises.
• Loss of muscle control

There are different treatment options available these days because of which leukemia survival rate has increased over a period of time and with the right diagnosis and appropriate treatment, many affected by leukemia are able to lead better quality years of their lives. Studies are continued in this pursuit and that may help even more to improve the condition of those affected.