Leukemia: Definition, Types, Risk Factors | Oncologist Delhi

Leukemia is a blood cancer that occurs when abnormal (immature) blood cells (called blasts) accumulate excessively. A large number of these primitive cells will not mature normally, but will become abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal cells cannot perform the normal functions of white blood cells. They squeeze into the bone marrow and overflow into the blood, and then may spread to the liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys and other organs, and enter the cerebrospinal fluid to reach the brain.

In leukemia, cells cannot mature normally, but continue to multiply, and the bone marrow is replaced by these abnormal cells that spill into the blood. Because the bone marrow can no longer produce enough normal blood cells and platelets, anemia, infection, and bruising can occur. Consulting a best oncologist in Delhi NCR will be best options in preventing and getting a early diagnosis.

There are many forms of leukemia. Some forms appear suddenly and develop rapidly within a few days to a few weeks. These are called acute leukemias. Others are less obvious and progress slowly over months to years. These are chronic leukemias. Leukemia is also described in terms of the type of white blood cells involved; granulocytes (formed from immature cells called myeloblasts) or lymphocytes. Leukemia can be divided into four main types:

Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL) - Progress is rapid, replacing healthy cells that produce functional lymphocytes with leukemia cells that cannot mature normally. Leukemia cells are carried in the blood to other organs and tissues, including the brain, liver, lymph nodes, and testes, where they continue to grow and divide. ( Best surgical oncologist in Delhi NCR ).The growth, division, and spread of these leukemia cells can cause many possible symptoms, some of which may resemble flu. Top oncologist in Delhi They include symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, fever, easy bruising or bleeding. Risk factors for ALL include:

1. Being male, white and older than 70 years old

2. Having a history of chemotherapy or radiation exposure .

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) - Also known as acute myeloid leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, it is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Like ALL, AML can cause the bone marrow to overproduce abnormal white blood cells, crowding healthy blood cells and affecting the body's ability to fight infections. Risk factors for AML include:

 1. Being Male

 2. Smoking  

 3. Having past chemotherapy treatment or radiation exposure

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) - It is usually a slow-growing cancer that starts with lymphocytes in the bone marrow and extends into the blood. It may also spread to lymph nodes and organs, such as the liver and spleen. CLL forms when too many abnormal lymphocytes grow, crowding out normal blood cells and making it difficult for the body to fight infections.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), approximately 25% of all leukemia cases are CLL, and approximately one in 175 people may develop CLL in their lifetime. CLL is similar to ALL, but it is chronic rather than acute, which means that it grows more slowly and it takes longer to start causing symptoms.

When it does cause symptoms, these symptoms may include swelling of the lymph nodes (neck, armpit, stomach, or groin), fatigue, fever, infection, weight loss, etc. Various blood tests can be used to help diagnose CLL.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia, starts with hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow and spreads into the blood over time. Eventually, the disease will spread to other parts of the body. CML grows slowly, but once it starts to cause symptoms, these symptoms may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, and an enlarged spleen. About half of CML cases are diagnosed through blood tests before symptoms appear. According to ACS, approximately 15% of leukemias are CML.

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