Acute Leukemia Symptoms

Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood. The different kinds of blood cells develop from bone marrow and there are different functions that these cells perform. The white blood cells are part of the body’s immune system and fight germs. Red blood cells are basically oxygen carriers and carry oxygen to various parts of the body. The platelets help in forming blood clots when there is bleeding. These blood cells exist in the blood in a certain proportion and when the bone marrow starts to produce an abnormally large number of abnormal white blood cells, the condition occurs. These cancerous white blood cells are different from normal white blood cells and do not die when they should.

Chronic and acute leukemia are both extremely serious conditions. In the chronic case of blood cancer, the white blood cells can still perform immune system functions that the normal cells are expected to do. However, in an acute condition the white blood cells are incapable of performing any normal function of the white blood cells. Chronic leukemia lymphoma is a specific kind of condition where the lymphoid cells are affected. This condition does not affect children and mainly those above the age of 55 are affected. Other kinds are chronic myeloid, acute lymphcytic and acute myeloid.

Leukemia symptoms depend on the concentration of the abnormal white blood cells and the areas in which they exist. It is even possible that people who suffer from this condition may not show any signs of the disease at all. Some of the symptoms that have been mentioned prior to diagnosis are headaches, disorientation, vomiting, lack of muscle control and seizures. Since blood travels to all parts of the body, other organs can be affected and it is not uncommon to hear that the lungs, heart kidney and testes are affected with this problem.

Diagnosis of the condition involves various tests irrespective of whether the condition is that of acute or chorine leukemia. A physical examination where the doctor checks the lymph nodes, liver and spleen is the first step of a physician check up. Complete blood test that involve blood count are also done as a next step. If the condition exists, then there is likelihood of a larger than normal number of white blood cells to show up. A biopsy is another test that is conducted in which a small tissue is removed from the body so that cancer cells can be traced. In this case, a tissue for the biopsy is mainly taken from the bone marrow. The marrow is removed after a local anesthesia is given.

Treatment options for the condition involve chemotherapy, biological therapy, targeted therapy and radiation. The latest treatment option is the stem cell therapy. The specific choice of treatment depends on whether your condition is acute or chronic. It also depends on your age and whether cancer cells have been found in the cerebrospinal fluid. Those with an acute condition obviously need immediate attention and the treatment option target the removal of all cancer cells immediately. This is the process of remission that needs to be followed by other therapies that involve maintenance and prevention of a relapse. In leukemia that is chronic the doctor may actually decide to watch and wait for some time before prescribing a specific treatment.