Leukemia: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
اللوكيميا (سرطان الدم)
Leukemia (blood cancer) is a cancer of blood cells and bone marrow, in which the marrow makes abnormal white cells that crowd out healthy cells. Its types are acute and chronic, and symptoms include fatigue, infections, and bleeding. Treatment includes chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and bone-marrow transplant depending on the type.
What is Leukemia?
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming tissues, especially the bone marrow and lymphatic system. The disease begins when blood cells — usually white blood cells — transform and start to grow and divide uncontrollably, producing immature, non-functional cells that accumulate and crowd out healthy blood cells.
Leukemia is classified by how fast it develops (acute and fast, or chronic and slow) and the type of cell affected (myeloid or lymphoid), giving four main types that differ greatly in patients' ages, disease behavior, and treatment. Some, like acute lymphoblastic leukemia, are common in children and curable at high rates, while others affect adults and older people.
Most leukemia symptoms result from a shortage of healthy blood cells: anemia causes fatigue and pallor, low platelets cause bleeding and bruising, and a lack of healthy white cells causes recurrent infections. Leukemia treatment has advanced greatly in recent decades thanks to chemotherapy, targeted and immune therapies, and bone-marrow transplant, improving the chances of cure or long-term control in many types.
Symptoms
- Fatigue, pallor, and weakness (anemia).
- Recurrent infections and fever.
- Easy bruising and bleeding and bleeding gums.
- Enlarged lymph nodes or spleen.
- Night sweats, weight loss, and bone pain.
Causes
- Mutations in bone-marrow cells leading to uncontrolled growth.
- Genetic factors and some inherited syndromes.
- Prior exposure to radiation, chemotherapy, or chemicals such as benzene.
Risk factors
- Prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- Some genetic disorders such as Down syndrome.
- Smoking (linked to some types).
- Occupational exposure to benzene.
Diagnosis
- Complete blood count and blood smear.
- Bone-marrow examination (aspirate and biopsy).
- Genetic and chromosomal tests to determine the type and treatment.
Treatment
By type
- Chemotherapy, the basis of treating acute types.
- Targeted therapies that have turned some chronic types into a disease managed with daily pills.
- Immunotherapy and bone-marrow transplant in selected cases.
The plan is set by a hematology-oncology specialist. This content is educational and does not replace medical advice.
Complications
- Serious infection from weakened immunity.
- Severe bleeding from low platelets.
- Spread to other organs and the nervous system.
Prevention
- There is no proven prevention for most types.
- Avoiding smoking and benzene exposure.
- Noting symptoms early and seeing a doctor.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor for persistent fatigue and pallor, recurrent infections, unexplained bleeding and bruising, enlarged lymph nodes, or night sweats and weight loss. Book an appointment with a hematologist on ClinicsJo to evaluate the blood test.