Leukemia: Early Signs and Treatments

According to the American Cancer Society, over 60,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with a form of leukemia in 2020. In fact, every three minutes, a person receives a diagnosis. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood with changes occurring first in the bone marrow, with a significant increase in abnormal blood cells.

Types of Leukemia

After the disease progression, leukemia can be classified into acute or chronic.

Acute Leukemia

Acute leukemia is a common occurrence in children. Within the bone marrow, there is a rapid development of immature blood cells. These affect its healthy functioning, with both the levels of hemoglobin and platelets decreasing. The condition requires immediate treatment to prevent the fulminant progression and the transportation of malignant cells to other organs through the bloodstream.

Chronic Leukemia

Chronic leukemia is often diagnosed in older people and it has a slow progression. In fact, it might take months or even years until the first symptoms are noticeable. The changes take place in the bone marrow as well. However, unlike in the acute form, there is an increase of mature white cells, with an abnormal structure. The condition might be monitored long-term, which is recommended for symptomatic patients.

It is also possible to classify leukemia according to the type of blood cell that displays the malignant changes.

Lymphocytic Leukemia

With this leukemia, the cells that are the precursors to lymphocytes, which are responsible for fighting infection within the body, are affected. The most common type is the B-cell leukemia.

Myelogenous Leukemia

Patients who are diagnosed with this form of leukemia present malignant changes in the precursors of red blood cells, white cells, or platelets.

Other Types

There are also other types of this disease, such as hairy cell leukemia, adult T-cell leukemia, and T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia. Some patients present a condition called transient leukemia – encountered in patients who suffer from genetic syndromes – that progresses to acute leukemia.

Early Signs and Symptoms

These are some of the most common signs and symptoms appearing at an early stage of leukemia:

• Bruising and bleeding, caused by abnormal clotting
• Anemia, leading to pale skin and dyspnea
• Enlarged liver or spleen
• Higher risk of infection (abnormal functioning of the immune system
• Fatigue, fever, chills, and night sweats
• Unintentional weight loss & loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Unspecific symptoms: dizziness, tinnitus, and headaches.

Treatment

General treatment measures include medication, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplant. Thankfully, today, patients with leukemia enjoy a higher survival rate. For example, children diagnosed with acute leukemia have a 5-year survival rate of 85%.

Acute Leukemia

Treatment measures include:

• Combination of medication and chemotherapy
• Chemotherapy may be administered regularly for several months, then intermittently up to two years
• Antibiotics during chemotherapy to protect against infection
• Blood and platelet transfusions to compensate for the low count of healthy blood cells (to address bleeding, also as preventative measure)
• Medication to control adverse reactions to treatment
• Allogeneic stem cell transplant (from donor), CAR T-cell therapy (risky, recommended only in case of treatment-resistant forms).

Chronic Leukemia

Treatment measures are generally more conservative due to the slow progression of the disease, but include:

• Patients with symptoms, such as fever, night sweats, or weight loss, will be placed on treatment (otherwise monitored)
• Oral chemotherapy is the standard treatment, but bone marrow transplant and allogeneic stem cell transplant are recommended for severe cases
• Imatinib (medication) increases the overall rate of survival and chances of remission in the long-term

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, please consult a professional medical practitioner. Leukemia can be treatable, and an early diagnosis can increase a patient’s survival rate in a meaningful way.