LEUKAEMIAS
The group of leukaemias is divided into categories depending on where they originate and whether they are fast or slow growing. They all affect the cells which are produced in the bone marrow
(and/or the lymph nodes) which then form the red and white blood cells. There are four main types of leukaemia:
chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a slow growing cancer of one type of white cell, the lymphocytes;
chronic granulocytic (or myeloid) leukaemia (CGL or CML) is a slow growing cancer of another type of white cell, the granulocytes;
acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a faster growing cancer of the lymphocytes;
acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a faster growing cancer of the granulocytes.
The lymphocytes and granulocytes are different types of white cell whose purpose is to help the body to fight infection. If your white cells are not working efficiently, then your body will have difficulty fighting off infections. The more acute forms of leukaemia produce very immature white cells which can be identified in the bloodstream.
It is important to be aware that the words ‘chronic’ and ‘acute’ refer to how quickly the cancer grows, not to how ‘bad’ the cancer is. Chronic types tend to affect adults more than children, and acute types children more than adults.
Chronic leukaemias may produce no symptoms at all for some time, as they are slow growing. All of the leukaemias are likely to be diagnosed by a blood test and possibly a bone marrow sample, with additional tests such as X-rays and scans to check whether any other organs are affected.
Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment in leukaemias. The type varies from simple tablets up to and including a requirement for bone marrow transplantation in some cases. Bone marrow transplantation is a very gruelling treatment, however, and your general medical condition will be important in deciding whether the benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks. Additionally, in some cases, chemicals need to be injected around the spinal cord and radiotherapy given to the brain.
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