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Leukemia

Definition

Leukemia is the name used to describe a group of blood diseases, more specifically, disorders of the tissues that manufacture blood, especially the bone marrow. Healthy white blood cells are important in the body's ability to fight infection by bacteria and viruses. With leukemia, abnormal and immature white blood cells are produced which result in decreased production of normal cells and a failure to fight infection. They also affect the production of normal red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body, and platelets, which help the blood to clot.

Getting Diagnosed / Treatment

Leukemia is treated at the U-M Cancer Center in the Adult Hematology Clinic.

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How quickly does leukemia develop?

Leukemia can develop slowly or very quickly. When it develops slowly it is called chronic leukemia, and when it develops quickly it is called acute leukemia. Acute leukemia is the type most often found in children.

What causes leukemia?

The causes of most cases of leukemia are not known.

What symptoms are used to diagnose leukemia?

Leukemia can be difficult to diagnose early because the symptoms often look like those of other, less serious, conditions. Early symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, paleness, bruising easily and repeated infections.

How is leukemia treated?

The main form of treatment is chemotherapy, which consists of a variety of anti-cancer drugs often given in combination, depending on the type and course of the illness. The drugs function to destroy the leukemic cells while returning the body's blood count to normal, a process doctors call remission.

After a diagnosis of acute leukemia is made, treatment is usually begun at once. With chronic leukemia it may not be necessary to start treatment right away. People can experience side-effects from chemotherapy, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and hair loss. But once treatment is stopped, the side effects disappear. Some forms of leukemia are treated with radiotherapy in addition to chemotherapy.

One method of treating leukemia is bone marrow transplantation. In this procedure, bone marrow - the soft, spongy tissue inside bones that helps manufacture red blood cells - is removed from a donor and transplanted by intravenous injection into the patient who has been given a very high dose of chemotherapy. The donor is usually a blood relative, but in some cases, the bone marrow of the patient is used. The marrow is removed early in the illness or during remission.

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