Leukemia is a type of cancer that Affects the bone marrow and lymphatic tissues. All cancers begin in cells that make-blood and other tissues. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells that the body needs. When cells grow old, the cells die and new cells take their place.However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong, New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. This discrepancy is called leukemia, roomates in the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells are cells eventually persuaded the other.
What Causes It?
Doctors can not always explain why one person develops leukemia while others avoid the disease. However, we know that people with certain risk factors are more Likely to develop leukemia.The study found that people who are exposed to very high radiation and industrial chemicals (such as benzene and formaldehyde) are at a greater risk of leukemia.In addition, Patients treated with anti-cancer drugs (such as materials alkylation) sometimes develop leukemia several years. And Patients infected with the virus of human T-cell leukemia (T-cell leukemia virus HTLV-I/Human-I) are also susceptible to this disease. Other risk factors include people with certain genetic (eg, Down syndrome) or certain blood disorders (such as myelodysplastic syndrome).
Symptom
Like all blood cells, leukemia cells travel through the body. Depending on the number of abnormal cells and where these cells collect, Patients with leukemia have a number of common symptoms include:
• Fever or night sweats
• Frequent infections
• Feeling weak or tired
• Headache
• Easy bleeding and bruising (bleeding gums, purplish patches in the skin, or tiny red spots under the skin)
• Pain in the bones or joints
• Swelling or discomfort in the abdomen (from an enlarged spleen)• Swelling, especially in the neck or armpit
• Losing weight
Diagnosis
If you have a symptom or screening results leading to leukemia, doctors must Determine whether it originates from cancer or other health conditions. You will be asked to undergo blood tests and diagnostic procedures following:
- Physical examination - the doctor will check for swelling in the lymph nodes, lymph nodes, spleen and liver.
- Blood tests - laboratory will examine the number of blood cells. Leukemia causes white blood cells to very high levels, and platelet counts and hemoglobin in red blood cells decreases. Laboratory tests will also examine Whether there blood for signs of abnormalities in the liver and / or kidneys.
- Biopsy - The doctor will lift the bone marrow from the hipbone or another large bone. The pathologist will then examine the sample under a microscope to look for cancer cells. This method is called a biopsy, roomates is the best way to find out if there are leukemia cells in the bone marrow.
- Cytogenetics - laboratory will examine the chromosomes of cells from samples of peripheral blood, bone marrow, or lymph nodes.
- processus spinosus - using a long, thin needle, the doctor will slowly take the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that fills the spaces in the brain and spinal cord). This procedure takes about 30 minutes and is performed under local anesthesia. The patient must lie flat for several hours afterward to keep from getting a headache. The lab checks the fluid cells if there are signs of leukemia or other diseases.
- chest x-ray - X-rays can reveal signs of disease in the chest.
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