{"id":1238,"date":"2019-04-05T06:52:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T06:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/classof2022.fountainheadschools.org\/?p=1238"},"modified":"2019-04-05T06:52:57","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T06:52:57","slug":"leukemia-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classof2022.fountainheadschools.org\/?p=1238","title":{"rendered":"Leukemia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blood has three types of cells: White blood cells that fight infection, Red blood cells that carry oxygen, and Platelets that help blood to clot.<\/span> Every day, billions of new blood cells are made in the Bone marrow, most of the red cells. But when you have leukemia, your body makes more white\u00a0cells than it needs.\u00a0<\/span>There are two main types of white blood cells in your body: lymphoid cells and myeloid cells. Leukemia can happen in either type.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any of the blood-forming or lymphoid cells can turn into a leukemic cell. Once that happens, the cell reproduces to form man<\/span>y new cancer cells. Eventually, these cells can overwhelm the bone marrow, spill out into the bloodstream and spread to other organs.<\/p>\n

There are four common types of leukemia based on how quickly the disease develops and the type of white blood cell that is affected. In acute leukemia blood cells are very abnormal, increase rapidly and worsen quickly. In chronic leukemia the abnormal blood cells can still do their work early in the disease but slowly get worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

The four common types of leukemia are:<\/span><\/p>\n

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia<\/b> (most often occurs in those older than age 55 and almost never in c<\/span>hildren);<\/p>\n

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia<\/b> (affects mainly adults);<\/span><\/p>\n

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia <\/b>(most common type of leukemia in young children but also may affect adults); and<\/span><\/p>\n

Acute Myeloid Leukemia <\/b>(occurs in bot<\/span>h adults and children).<\/p>\n

These leukemia cells can\u2019t fight infection the way normal white blood cells do. And because there are so many of them, they start to affect the way your major organs work. Eventually, there aren\u2019t enough red blood cells to supply oxygen, enough platelets to clot the blood, or enough normal white blood cells to fight infection.No one knows exactly what causes leukemia. People who have it have certain abnormal chromosomes, but the chromosomes don\u2019t cause Leukemia.<\/p>\n

In short, Leukemia\u00a0is a\u00a0cancer<\/a> of your blood cells<\/a> caused by a rise in the number of white blood cells<\/a> in\u00a0your body. They crowd out the red blood cells and Platelets your body needs to be healthy; and all those extra white blood cells don\u2019t work right either, hindering the body’s ability to fight infection.\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Causes and Risk Factors<\/strong><\/p>\n

The exact cause of leukemia is not known. Studies have found the following risk factors for leukemia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Radiation:<\/b> People exposed to very high levels of radiation are much more likely to develop leukemia. These high levels of radiation may have been caused by atomic bomb explosions, nuclear power plant accidents and medical treatment using radiation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exposure to chemicals:<\/b> Exposure to high levels of chemicals in the work place, including benzene and formaldehyde, can cause leukemia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smoking: <\/b>Smoking is a proven risk factor for acute myeloid leukemia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Drugs: <\/b>Drugs with alkylating agents, commonly used in chemotherapy, are associated with the development of leukemia after long-term therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Genetic disorders:<\/b> Certain genetic disorders like Down syndrome may increase the risk of developing leukemia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Depending on the number of abnormal cells and where these cells collect, patients with leukemia may have a number of symptoms. Common symptoms of leukemia may include:<\/span><\/p>\n