Leukemia

Leukemia is the type of cancer that develops either in the blood stream or in the bone marrow. Basically, leukemia causes the uncontrollable growth of white blood cells. Leukemia is also covering a very wide spectrum of blood diseases.

Leukemia caused by asbestos exposure

Exposure to asbestos does not cause leukemia on its own, but it does increase the risk of developing such a deadly cancer. Usually, the asbestos fibers present in the body of the person will lead to acute myelogenous leukemia, if the person would have developed the disease anyway. This is the only link found by researchers, the fact that it makes the cancer much worse. Asbestos exposure can also cause mesothelioma at the same time it worsens leukemia.

Leukemia symptoms

Leukemia causes very specific symptoms to the victim, and this allows it to be discovered very early, helping the physician treat the person more efficiently. Here is a set of symptoms that are specific to leukemia:

  • Bruising (occurring at even the smallest bump in furniture or a friendly tap on the shoulder)
  • Excessive bleeding (even from the smallest cut on the finger)
  • Anemia
  • Weight loss
  • Constant weakness and fatigue
In some cases thorough medical testing will be required to determine if the person actually suffers from leukemia.

Leukemia phases

Be it chronic lymphocytic leukemia, feline leukemia or chronic myelogenous leukemia, all types of leukemia evolve in stages, similar to mesothelioma cancer. This is because they use similar staging systems. However, because leukemia has already reached the blood stream and the bone marrow, doctors usually use other techniques to determine how advanced the asbestos disease is. The general phasing system is divided into the following three periods of development:

  • Chronic phase (usually only mild symptoms are experienced because less than 10 percent of the blood or bone marrow are affected)
  • Accelerated phase (Fever, poor appetite and significant weight loss are the main symptoms in this phase. Between 10 and 20 percent of the blood or bone marrow is affected)
  • Acute phase (The blasts make up more than 20 percent of the blood or bone marrow and symptoms will only worsen, but no new ones will appear)

Leukemia treatment

Treating leukemia is very difficult because the given treatment is required to control the growth of white blood cells without stopping it completely. Basic treatment is similar to other types of cancer, but advanced methods may be used in certain circumstances that are developed specifically for leukemia patients.

Leukemia types

Doctors are guiding their treatment methods according to four main types of leukemia, ALL (or Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), AML (or Acute Myelogenous Leukemia), CLL (or Chronic Lymphoblastic Leukemia) or CML (or Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia). Each type mentioned above is split in several subtypes, depending on many factors. Doctors will only describe the main type of leukemia you are suffering from.
 

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