What Is Leukemia?
Leukemia is a group of cancers of the blood and blood-forming tissues of the body. The disease typically begins in the bone marrow, which is the spongy material found inside of large bones. Bone marrow produces white blood cells to prevent infection, platelets to help blood clot, and red blood cells to carry oxygen and other materials throughout the body.
When someone has leukemia, their bone marrow rapidly produces abnormal cells — typically white blood cells (also called leukocytes) – that do not function properly. These abnormal cells often move into the bloodstream, where they can then spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and central nervous system.
The leukemia team at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center treats patients with expert clinical care and leading-edge treatments. From diagnosis and treatment – including stem cell transplant if necessary – through survivorship and beyond, our compassionate clinical team supports patients every step of the way in their care journey.
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Learn more about virtual visitWhy Choose UH Seidman Cancer Center for Leukemia Treatment?
- UH Seidman Cancer Center is one of the best cancer hospitals in the country according to U.S. News & World Report for over 20 years.
- UH Seidman Cancer Center was one of the first hospitals in the U.S. to offer bone marrow transplants, performing its first transplant in 1976.
- Our Stem Cell Transplant Program has offered advanced bone marrow and cord blood transplant services for more than 45 years. Since the program’s inception, we’ve performed over 3,500 stem cell transplants.
- UH Seidman Cancer Center is part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of 54 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country. The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center has an “Exceptional” rating from the NCI, a distinction currently held by only seven NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers.
- UH Seidman Cancer Center has a 30-bed inpatient unit specializing in the treatment of leukemia and other hematologic malignancies.
How Is Leukemia Classified?
There are many types of leukemia. One way in which leukemias are classified is by the two types of blood cells most affected: lymphocytes and myeloid cells.
- Lymphocytic or lymphoid leukemias: Also known as lymphoid or lymphoblastic leukemias, these cancers affect the lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell that develops in the bone marrow. Specific types of lymphocytic leukemias include:
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL): ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer.
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): CLL is the most common form of leukemia in adults. Because CLL it is a cancer of B-cell lymphocytes, the World Health Organization classifies CLL as a subtype of lymphoma.
- Myeloid leukemias: Also called myelocytic, myelogenous or non-lymphocytic leukemias, these cancers begin in early myeloid cells, which are cells that mature into certain types white blood cells (other than lymphocytes), red blood cells and platelet-making cells (megakaryocytes). Specific types of myeloid leukemia and related cancers include:
In addition to the type of affected blood cells, leukemia is classified according to the disease’s rate of progression. Specifically, leukemias are often classified as “acute” or “chronic”:
- Acute leukemias progress rapidly and causes immature, functionless blood cells to reproduce and accumulate in the bone marrow, decreasing the marrow’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.
- Chronic leukemias grow slowly and causes the accumulation of more mature-looking cancer cells.
Patients with chronic leukemia do not experience the same symptoms as patients with acute leukemia, and treatment for the two types differs. Both types of leukemia can spread to other parts of the body and be life-threatening if left untreated.
Types of Leukemia
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
- B-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma
- T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
- Polycythemia vera
- Essential thrombocythemia
- Primary myelofibrosis
- Mastocytosis
- Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms
- Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
- Atypical chronic myeloid leukemia
- Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with thrombocytosis
- Premalignant clonal cytopenias and myelodysplastic syndromes
- Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS)
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm
- Acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage
- Mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL)
- Undifferentiated Leukemia
- Leukemia Causes and Risk Factors
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Experts do not yet understand the exact causes of leukemia, though many scientists suspect the disease occurs due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, we do know of certain risk factors associated with the disease, including:
- Chemical exposure: Contact with certain chemicals is linked with some types of leukemia. For example, exposure to benzene may raise person’s risk.
- Radiation exposure: Exposure to high doses of radiation increases a person risk for ALL, AML and CML.
- Chemotherapy for cancer treatment: Individuals who receive chemotherapy for the treatment of other cancers are at a higher risk of developing AML or MDS at a later time.
- Rare congenital diseases: People born with certain rare congenital disorders, such as Down syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia and Bloom syndrome, have an increased risk of developing acute leukemias.
- Family history: The majority of people who get leukemia do not have a family history of the disease. However, if you have a close relative (parent, sibling or child) with AML, you may be at an increased risk for AML.
- Certain blood disorders: People who have myelodysplastic syndromes or certain other blood disorders have an increased risk of developing AML.
- Age: Most leukemias, especially chronic ones, occur more frequently as people get older. More than half of all leukemia cases are diagnosed in people age 65 or older. An exception is ALL, which is a leukemia that affects children more than adults.
- Gender: Men are at a slightly higher risk for most types of leukemias than women.
- Smoking: Smokers are more likely to get AML than people who do not smoke.
- Signs and Symptoms of Leukemia
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The signs and symptoms of leukemia depend on the type of leukemia, the person’s age and other factors. For instance, people who have a chronic form of leukemia may not have any noticeable symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
The most common symptoms experienced by all leukemia patients prior to diagnosis are:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Easily bruising or bleeding (including nosebleeds and bleeding gums)
- Bone/joint pain or tenderness
- Fever or night sweats
- Frequent infections
Other symptoms may include:
- Pale skin
- Unexplained weight loss
- Pain or full feeling under the ribs on the left side
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarms, groin or stomach
- Swollen gums
- Enlarged spleen or liver
- Petechiae (rash that looks like tiny red spots on the skin) or purplish/darkened skin patches
Other cancers and various noncancerous conditions can cause any of the above symptoms. Always tell your doctor about any symptoms you may have.
- How Is Leukemia Diagnosed?
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A doctor may discover the presence of leukemia in a routine blood test, long before the onset of any symptoms. If that occurs, or if a person displays signs or symptoms associated with leukemia, the following diagnostic exams may be used:
- Physical exam: During a physical example, your doctor will check for physical signs of leukemia, including swelling of your lymph nodes, enlargement of your liver and spleen, and the presence of pale skin caused by anemia.
- Blood tests: A blood sample can show if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets, which could be caused by leukemia. In addition, a blood test may reveal the presence of leukemia cells in the blood, though not all types of leukemia cause leukemia cells to enter the blood.
- Bone marrow test: Your doctor may recommend a procedure in which a bone marrow sample is take from your hipbone. The sample, which is obtained using a needle, is sent to a laboratory for analysis. If leukemia cells are found in the sample, other specialized laboratory tests of the cells can help to determine treatment options.
- Integrated Leukemia Treatment Options
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At UH Seidman Cancer Center, our compassionate team of board-certified and nationally recognized experts develop personalized plans to treat all types of acute and chronic leukemia. Our leukemia team works as part of a hematologic malignancy tumor board to discuss each patient’s treatment plan. Using state-of-the-art technology, improved protocols and the latest targeted therapies, the team collaborates to determine each phase of the treatment to achieve the best outcomes, improving and extending the lives of patients.
Treatment plans can cover a range of therapies, including:
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy
- Bone marrow or stem cell transplant
- Care for immune system issues
- Cancer support services
- Leukemia-specific clinical trials
- Leukemia Prognosis
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Because every leukemia case is unique, predicting the outcome (prognosis) of a specific case can be difficult. While we do not yet have a cure for leukemia, modern advances in treatment make it possible to achieve long-term remission for many people with the disease. In fact, for some patients, their leukemia may never return after treatment. Treatment success depends on a variety of factors, including the type and/or subtype of leukemia, specific mutations seen in the leukemia cells, and the patient’s age and general health.
Clinical Trials Available for Leukemia Patients
Access to innovative treatments, including leukemia-specific clinical trials with targeted agents, gives patients more treatment options. We offer new therapies that are safer, more tolerable and more targeted to leukemia cells to minimize side effects. Our physicians are the principal investigators for many of these cancer clinical trials, offering hope to both newly diagnosed leukemia patients and those who have relapsed.
Clinical Trials for LeukemiaGiving to UH Seidman
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