Like all blood cells, leukemia cells travel through the body. The
symptoms of leukemia depend on the number of leukemia cells and where
these cells collect in the body.
People with chronic leukemia may not have symptoms. The doctor may find the
disease during a routine blood test.
People with acute leukemia usually go to their doctor because they feel sick.
If the brain is affected, they may have headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of
muscle control, or seizures. Leukemia also can affect other parts of the body
such as the digestive tract, kidneys, lungs, heart, or testes.
Common symptoms of chronic or acute leukemia may include:
Swollen lymph nodes that usually don't hurt (especially lymph nodes in the
neck or armpit)
Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer.
An infection or other health problems may also cause these symptoms. Only a
doctor can tell for sure.
Anyone with these symptoms should tell the doctor so that problems can be
diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Diagnosis
Doctors sometimes find leukemia after a routine blood test. If you have
symptoms that suggest leukemia, your doctor will try to find out what's
causing the problems. Your doctor may ask about your personal and family
medical history.
You may have one or more of the following tests:
Physical exam: Your doctor checks for swollen lymph nodes, spleen, or liver.
Blood tests: The lab does a complete blood count to check the number of white
blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Leukemia causes a very high level
of white blood cells. It may also cause low levels of platelets and hemoglobin,
which is found inside red blood cells.
Biopsy: Your doctor removes tissue to look for cancer cells. A biopsy is the
only sure way to know whether leukemia cells are in your bone marrow. Before the
sample is taken, local anesthesia is used to numb the area. This helps reduce
the pain. Your doctor removes some bone marrow from your hipbone or another
large bone. A pathologist uses a microscope to check the tissue for leukemia
cells.
There are two ways your doctor can obtain bone marrow. Some people will have
both procedures during the same visit:
Bone marrow aspiration: The doctor uses a
thick, hollow needle to remove samples of bone marrow.
Bone marrow biopsy: The
doctor uses a very thick, hollow needle to remove a small piece of bone and bone
marrow.
Other Tests
The tests that your doctor orders for you depend on your symptoms and type of
leukemia. You may have other tests:
Cytogenetics: The lab looks at the chromosomes of cells from samples of
blood, bone marrow, or lymph nodes. If abnormal chromosomes are found, the test
can show what type of leukemia you have. For example, people with CML have an
abnormal chromosome called the Philadelphia chromosome.
Spinal tap: Your doctor may remove some of the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid
that fills the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord). The doctor uses
a long, thin needle to remove fluid from the lower spine. The procedure takes
about 30 minutes and is performed with local anesthesia. You must lie flat for
several hours afterward to keep from getting a headache. The lab checks the
fluid for leukemia cells or other signs of problems.
Chest x-ray: An x-ray can show swollen lymph nodes or other signs of disease
in your chest.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having a bone marrow aspiration or biopsy:
Will you remove the sample of bone marrow from
the hip or from another bone?
Where will I go for this procedure?
Will I have to do anything to prepare for it?
How long will it take? Will I be awake?
Will it hurt? What will you do to prevent or control the pain?
Are there any risks? What are the chances of infection or bleeding after
the procedure?
How long will it take me to recover?
How soon will I know the results? Who will explain them to me?
If I do have leukemia, who will talk to me about next steps? When?
Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased.
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition characterized by chronic inflammation of body tissues caused by autoimmune disease. Lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous
system. When only the skin is involved, the condition is called discoid lupus.
When internal organs are involved, the condition is called systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE).
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, a vital part of the body's immune system. Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, coughing, weakness, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal pain. Treatment depends on which type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma you have, the stage of the cancer, your age, how fast the cancer is growing, and whether you have other health problems.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which irritation of the wrist's median nerve causes tingling and numbness of the thumb, index, and the middle fingers. This condition is known as tarsal tunnel syndrome in the ankles and feet. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome depends on the severity of the symptoms and the nature of any disease that might be causing the symptoms.
Hodgkin's disease is a cancer of the lymphatic system with symptoms that include unexplained, recurring fevers, unexplained weight loss, itchy skin, and painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, and groin. Treatment for adult Hodgkin's disease depends on the staging of the disease, the lymph nodes' size, and the health of the patient.
The spleen enlarges if it is asked to do excessive work in filtering or manufacturing blood cells, if there is abnormal blood flow to it, or if it is invaded with abnormal cells or deposits. Symptoms of an enlarged spleen may include weakness and fatigue, easy bleeding, and poor white blood cell function. Treatment of an enlarged spleen is focused toward the cause of the splenomegaly. Surgery may be required to remove the spleen.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that results in the presence of an additional third chromosome 21, also referred to as trisomy 21. Most individuals with Down syndrome have widely recognizable physical characteristics. The severity of Down syndrome ranges from mild to severe. Diagnostic testing for Down syndrome include amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, and percutaneous umbilical cord sampling. The most common risk factor for Down syndrome is a woman's age.
Thrombocytopenia refers to a decreased number of platelets in the blood. There are many causes of thrombocytopenia such as decreased platelet production (viral infections for example rubella, mumps, chickenpox, hepatitis C, and HIV); increased platelet destruction or consumption (for example sulfonamide antibiotics, heparin, blood transfusions, and lupus); or increased splenic sequestration (enlarged spleen due to conditions for example liver disease, blood cancers, and more). Treatment of thrombocytopenia depends on the cause.
Eye floaters are deposits or condensation that forms in the eye's vitreous humor. These deposits cast shadows on the retina, and as the eye moves, the deposits shift position, making it appear as though the shadows are moving or floating.
Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart. The causes of pericarditis include injury from heart attack, heart surgery, trauma; viral or fungal infection, HIV, tumors, mixed connective tissue disease, metabolic disease, medication reactions, or idiopathic. Treatment for pericarditis is generally medication, however, sometimes surgery is necessary.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Eosinophilic fasciitis is a skin disease that causes thickening and inflammation of the skin and fascia. Symptoms include redness, warmth, and hardening of the skin, as well as occasional tissue and joint pain. Treatment for eosinophilic fasciitis aims to eliminate inflammation through the use of aspirin, NSAIDs, and cortisone. Aggressive forms of eosinophilic fasciitis may require the use of immune suppression medications.
Stem cells are referred to as undifferentiated cells due to the fact that they have not yet committed to a developmental path to form specific organ tissue. There are a variety of types of stem cells to include embryonic, fetal, adult peripheral blood, umbilical cord, and induced pluripotent stem cells.
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children. Symptoms and signs include fever, easy bruising, bone or joint pain, weakness, loss of appetite, and painless lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin. Treatment depends upon staging and may include chemotherapy, radiation, or stem cell transplant.
Cancer RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the