Leukemia: what are its symptoms, causes and treatment

Many diseases do not have symptoms or they appear when it is too late, it is best to go to the doctor constantly (Infobae / Jovani Pérez)

Leukemia is cancer of the blood-forming tissues in the body, including the bone marrow and lymphatic system.

There are many types of leukemia. Some forms of leukemia are more common in children. Others take place mainly in adults.

Leukemia usually involves white blood cells. White blood cells are powerful infection fighters; they usually grow and divide in an organized fashion, as the body needs them. But in people who have leukemia, the bone marrow makes too many abnormal white blood cells that don’t work properly.

Treatment for leukemia can be complex, depending on the type of leukemia and other factors. But there are strategies and resources that can help make treatment successful.

Symptoms

The symptoms of leukemia vary depending on the type of leukemia. Common signs and symptoms include the following:
Fever or chills
Persistent fatigue, weakness
Frequent or severe infections
weight loss without trying
swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen
Bleeding and bruising easily
recurrent nosebleeds
Small red spots on the skin (petechia)
Hyperhidrosis, especially at night
Pain or tenderness in the bones

When to see the doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have persistent symptoms or signs that worry you.

The symptoms of leukemia are often imprecise and non-specific. You may miss the early symptoms of leukemia because they resemble those of the flu and other common illnesses.

Sometimes leukemia is found in blood tests ordered for other conditions.

In the event of any discomfort, it is best to see a doctor (Getty Images)

Factors that may increase the risk of developing some types of leukemia include:
Previous oncological treatments. People who have had certain types of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for other types of cancer have a higher risk of developing certain types of leukemia.
Genetic disorders. Genetic abnormalities appear to influence the development of leukemia. Certain genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, are associated with an increased risk of leukemia.
Exposure to certain chemicals. Exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene (found in gasoline and used in the chemical industry), is associated with an increased risk of some types of leukemia.
smoking. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of acute myelogenous leukemia.
Family history of leukemia. If someone in your family has been diagnosed with leukemia, your risk of developing the disease may increase.

However, most people with known risk factors do not develop leukemia. And many people with leukemia do not have any of these factors.

Diagnosis

Each disease has one or more ways to diagnose it in order to detect it and then fight it (File)

Treatment for leukemia depends on many factors. Your doctor determines your leukemia treatment options based on your age and general health, the type of leukemia you have, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system.

Common treatments used to combat leukemia are:

Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the main form of treatment for leukemia. This drug treatment uses chemicals to kill leukemia cells.

Depending on the type you have, you may receive a single medication or a combination of several. These can come in pill form or can be injected directly into a vein.
Targeted therapy. Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities present within cancer cells. By blocking these abnormalities, targeted drug treatments can cause cancer cell death. Your leukemia cells will be tested to see what targeted therapy might be helpful for you.

Radiotherapy. Radiation therapy uses x-rays or other high-energy beams to damage leukemia cells and stop their growth. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a large machine moves around you, directing radiation at specific points on your body.

You may receive radiation to a specific area of ​​the body where there is a buildup of leukemia cells, or you may receive radiation to the whole body. Radiation therapy may be used to prepare for a bone marrow transplant.

Bone marrow transplant. A bone marrow transplant, also called a stem cell transplant, helps restore healthy stem cells by replacing diseased bone marrow with leukemia-free stem cells that will regenerate healthy bone marrow.

Before a bone marrow transplant, you will receive very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy to destroy the bone marrow that causes leukemia. Then, you’ll receive an infusion of blood-forming stem cells that help rebuild your bone marrow.

You can receive stem cells from a donor, or you can use your own stem cells.
Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy uses the immune system to fight cancer. Your body’s disease-fighting immune system may not attack cancer because cancer cells make proteins that help them hide from immune system cells. Immunotherapy works because it interferes with that process.
Immune cell engineering to fight leukemia. A specialized treatment called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy takes the germ-fighting T cells in your body, engineers them to fight cancer, and infuses them back into your body. This therapy may be an option for certain types of leukemia.
clinical trials. Clinical trials are experiments to test new cancer treatments and new ways to apply existing treatments. Although clinical trials offer you or your child the chance to try the latest cancer treatment, the benefits and risks of the treatment may be uncertain. Discuss the benefits and risks of clinical trials with your doctor.

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