Leukemia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Most people may have heard of leukemia, but do you know that leukemia is a type of cancer that starts in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside bones that helps make blood cells?
There are different types of leukemia that I'll be providing you with, and each is treated differently. In this article, I'll discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment of leukemia.
What Is Leukemia?
Leukemia is commonly regarded as a type of cancer that starts in the bone marrow, where new blood cells are made.
Leukemia affects white blood cells, which are a key part of the immune system. White blood cells fight infection and help to keep the body healthy.
There are several types of leukemia, and they are classified according to the type of white blood cell that is affected.
What Causes Leukemia?
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. There are several different types of leukemia, but they all start in the bone marrow. New blood cells are formed with the help of the bone marrow.
Leukemia can be caused by something called a mutation. This is a change in the DNA of the blood cells. Mutations can be caused by exposure to radiation, certain chemicals, or viruses.
What Are the Symptoms of Leukemia?
The abnormal white blood cells that characterize leukemia can crowd out healthy blood cells, leading to a variety of possible symptoms.
These can include fatigue, shortness of breath, anemia, bruising, and petechiae (small red or purple spots on the skin caused by bleeding). In severe cases, leukemia can cause serious health problems such as infections, a weakened immune system, and organ damage.
Please, if you are suspecting to have leukemia from any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it will be good to seek medical attention immediately.
How Is Leukemia Treated?
There are a few different ways that leukemia can be treated. The first is chemotherapy, which uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is another option, which uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells.
There are also a few newer treatments that are being used to treat leukemia, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that targets specific genes or proteins that are found in cancer cells. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that helps the body’s immune system to kill cancer cells.
In some cases, a stem cell transplant may also be an option. This is a treatment where healthy stem cells are transplanted into the body to replace the damaged or destroyed stem cells.
Conclusion
Leukemia is a serious blood cancer that can be difficult to treat. There is no one cause of leukemia, but there are several risk factors that can make someone more likely to develop the disease. Symptoms of leukemia can vary depending on the type of leukemia but may include fatigue, fever, and easy bruising or bleeding.
I will always suggest you should seek medical attention if you think you have leukemia. There are several different treatment options available for leukemia, but the best course of treatment will depend on the individual case. With treatment, many people with leukemia can live their normal life again.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/cancer/lymphoma/understanding-leukemia-basics
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/acute-myeloid-leukemia-mutation
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/leukemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20374373
Cancers are very dangerous, and having one like leukemia is highly terrible, managing the condition of course would require instant medical attention once a diagnosis has been made.
The truth is that enough capital is required in managing the illness and not every patient can afford that.
Can Leukemia be inherited by family gene?
Only a few researchers believe that through inherited gene mutations that such can run in families.