What do leukemia cells do

Leukemia can be either acute or chronic. Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly than acute leukemia, which requires immediate treatment. Leukemia is also classified as lymphocytic or myelogenous. Lymphocytic leukemia refers to abnormal cell growth in the marrow cells that become lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that plays a role in the immune system. In myelogenous leukemia, abnormal cell growth occurs in the marrow cells that mature into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

There are four broad classifications of leukemia:. Leukemia occurs in both adults and children. Decades of research have led to vastly improved outcomes for children diagnosed with ALL. Although experts are uncertain about the causes of leukemia, they have identified several risk factors that include the following:.

Your doctor will conduct a complete blood count CBC to determine if you have leukemia. This test may reveal if you have leukemic cells. Abnormal levels of white blood cells and abnormally low red blood cell or platelet counts can also indicate leukemia. The presence of immature white blood cells, or myeloblasts, in the blood and bone marrow is also used to stage AML and CML. A number of other tests can be used to determine the progression of the disease:.

The long-term outlook for people who have leukemia depends on the type of cancer they have and their stage at diagnosis. Some factors, like older age, past history of blood disorders, and chromosome mutations, can negatively affect the outlook. According to the NCI, the number of leukemia deaths has been falling on average 1.

The 5-year survival rate or percent of people surviving at least 5 years after receiving a diagnosis was 65 percent from to Work with your medical team to treat leukemia and find out your specific outlook. Read this article in Spanish. White blood cells, or WBCs, are an important part of your immune system. They help fight infections by attacking bacteria, viruses, and germs.

Here's what you need to know about the link between leukemia and anemia. Blood cell disorders impair the formation and function of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Learn about the common symptoms of leukemia in children. These are the best leukemia blogs of the year. They are making a difference in spreading education and compassion. EBV isn't directly connected with leukemia, but it is linked to a higher risk of a few other types of cancer.

Find out more about the virus and…. A person with leukemia may experience rashes, bruising, and other skin symptoms. We explain why this happens and include pictures to help you identify…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. A Guide to Leukemia. What are the symptoms of leukemia? The types of leukemia. Risk factors for leukemia. Treating leukemia.

Diagnosing leukemia. Long-term outlook. Acute leukemia affects adults and children. Chronic leukemia rarely affects children. Leukemia is usually not inherited. It tends to happen to people without any family history of the disease. Some forms of leukemia, though, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, strike close relatives in the same family.

In people who develop acute leukemia, immature white blood cells multiply quickly in the bone marrow. Over time, they crowd out healthy cells. This can cause unexpected or excessive bleeding or infections. When the cancerous white blood cells reach high numbers, they can spread to other organs, causing damage.

This is especially true in acute myeloid leukemia. Both acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia have many subtypes. The treatment and prognosis may vary somewhat, depending on the subtype. Chronic leukemia is when the body produces too many blood cells that are only partially developed. These cells often cannot function like mature blood cells. Chronic leukemia usually develops more slowly and is a less dramatic illness than acute leukemia.

There are two main types of chronic leukemia:. Both chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia have subtypes.

They also share some characteristics with other forms of leukemia. The treatment and prognosis may vary depending on the subtype.

Lymphatic and myelogenous leukemias are the most common. However, cancers of other types of bone marrow cells can develop. Megakaryocytic leukemia arises from megakaryocytes, cells that form platelets. Platelets help blood to clot. Another rare form of leukemia is erythroleukemia. It arises from cells that that form red blood cells. Like chronic and acute leukemias, rare forms of the disease can be categorized into subtypes. The subtype depends on what markers the cells carry on their surface.

Leukemia can sometimes take a while to diagnose because many of its symptoms accompany the flu and other common medical problems. Your doctor may not suspect leukemia based on your symptoms alone. However, during your physical examination, he or she may find that you have swollen lymph nodes or an enlarged liver or spleen.

Routine blood tests, especially blood cell counts, may yield abnormal results. Genetic tests can help determine exactly what type of leukemia you have. These sophisticated tests may also offer clues as to how you will respond to a particular therapy.

The treatment of leukemia aims to wipe out the cancerous white blood cells. But this usually means killing healthy white blood cells and harming the body's ability to fight infection. The treatment of acute leukemia does not depend on how far the disease has advanced but on the person's condition.

Has the person just been diagnosed with the disease? Or has the disease come back after remission a period when the disease is controlled?

If acute lymphocytic leukemia returns, different doses of various chemotherapy drugs are used to combat the disease. Several years of chemotherapy may be needed to keep the leukemia in remission.

Some people may receive a bone marrow transplant. With acute myeloid leukemia, treatment generally depends on the person's age and overall health. It also depends on his or her blood cell counts.