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Leukemia
Risk factors
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Leukemia is a form of cancer
unlike any other, and one of the more dangerous. The term leukemia
refers to cancers of the white blood cells (also called leukocytes or WBCs).
Leukemia is cancer of your body's blood-forming
tissues, including the bone marrow and lymph system.
The word leukemia means "white blood" in
Greek. The disease usually starts in the white blood
cells.
Under normal circumstances, your white blood
cells are potent infection fighters. These cells
normally grow and divide in an orderly, controlled
way, as your body needs them. But leukemia disrupts
this process.
In people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces
a large number of abnormal white blood cells. They
look different from normal blood cells and don't
function properly. Eventually, they block production
of normal white blood cells, impairing the ability
to fight off infection. Leukemia cells also crowd
out other types of blood cells produced by the bone
marrow, including red blood cells, which carry
oxygen to tissues throughout the body, and
platelets, which help form blood clots that control
bleeding.
Leukemia isn't just a children's disease, as some
people think. Leukemia has four main types and many
subtypes - and only some of them are common among
children. Overall, this form of cancer affects about
10 times as many adults as children. Leukemia is usually fatal without
successful treatment.
Risk factors
These factors place you at an increased risk of developing some types of
leukemia:
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Cancer therapy.
People who've had certain types of chemotherapy and radiation
therapy for other cancers have a slightly greater risk of developing
certain types of leukemia many years later.
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Genetics.
Genetic abnormalities seem to play a role in the development of
leukemia. Certain genetic diseases, such as Down syndrome, are
associated with increased risk of leukemia.
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Exposure to
radiation and certain chemicals.
People exposed to very high levels of radiation, such as survivors
of an atomic bomb blast or a nuclear reactor accident, have an
increased risk of developing leukemia. Exposure to certain
chemicals, such as benzene — which is found in unleaded gasoline,
tobacco smoke and the chemical industry — is also linked to greater
risk of some kinds of leukemia.
However, most people with known risk factors don't get leukemia. And
many people with leukemia have none of these risk factors.
When to seek medical advice
Persistent fatigue, weight loss, easy bruising and bleeding, swollen
lymph glands, and fever are possible indications of leukemia. If you
have these symptoms, see your doctor to determine the underlying cause.
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