Health Information

Leukemia

Topic Overview

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. It starts in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside most bones. Bone marrow is where blood cells are made.

Reference White blood cells Opens New Window help your body fight infection.
Reference Red blood cells Opens New Window carry oxygen to all parts of your body.
Reference Platelets Opens New Window help your blood clot.

When you have leukemia, the bone marrow starts to make a lot of abnormal white blood cells, called leukemia cells. They don't do the work of normal white blood cells. They grow faster than normal cells, and they don't stop growing when they should.

Over time, leukemia cells can crowd out the normal blood cells. This can lead to serious problems such as Reference anemia Opens New Window, bleeding, and infections. Leukemia cells can also spread to the Reference lymph nodes Opens New Window or other organs and cause swelling or pain.

Are there different types of leukemia?

There are several different types of leukemia. In general, leukemia is grouped by how fast it gets worse and what kind of white blood cell it affects.

It may be acute or chronic. Acute leukemia gets worse very fast and may make you feel sick right away. Chronic leukemia gets worse slowly and may not cause symptoms for years.
It may be lymphocytic or myelogenous. Lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Myelogenous leukemia affects white blood cells called myelocytes.

The four main types of leukemia are:

There are less common leukemias, such as Reference hairy cell leukemia Opens New Window. There are also subtypes of leukemia, such as Reference acute promyelocytic leukemia Opens New Window (a subtype of AML).

What causes leukemia?

Experts don't know what causes leukemia. Some things may increase your risk, such as being exposed to large amounts of radiation and being exposed to certain chemicals at work, such as benzene.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may depend on what type of leukemia you have, but common symptoms include:

Fever and night sweats.
Headaches.
Bruising or bleeding easily.
Bone or joint pain.
A swollen or painful belly from an enlarged Reference spleen Opens New Window Reference Opens New Window.
Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, neck, or groin.
Getting a lot of infections.
Feeling very tired or weak.
Losing weight and not feeling hungry.

How is leukemia diagnosed?

To find out if you have leukemia, a doctor will:

Ask questions about your past health and symptoms.
Do a physical exam. The doctor will look for swollen lymph nodes and check to see if your spleen or liver is enlarged.
Order blood tests. Leukemia causes a high level of white blood cells and low levels of other types of blood cells.

If your blood tests aren't normal, the doctor may want to do a Reference bone marrow biopsy Opens New Window. This test lets the doctor look at cells from inside your bone. This can give key information about what type of leukemia it is so you can get the right treatment.

How is it treated?

What type of treatment you need will depend on many things, including what kind of leukemia you have, how far along it is, and your age and overall health.

If you have acute leukemia, you will need quick treatment to stop the rapid growth of leukemia cells.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia may not need to be treated until you have symptoms. But chronic myelogenous leukemia will probably be treated right away.

Treatments for leukemia include:

Reference Chemotherapy Opens New Window. This is the main treatment for most types of leukemia.
Reference Radiation Opens New Window.
Reference Stem cell transplant Opens New Window. Stem cells can rebuild your supply of normal blood cells and boost your immune system.
Reference Biological therapy Opens New Window. This is the use of special medicines that improve your body's natural defenses against cancer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning about leukemia:	Reference What is leukemia? Reference What causes it? Reference Can I prevent it? Reference What are the symptoms? Reference What increases my chances of getting leukemia? Reference What happens in leukemia?
Being diagnosed:	Reference How will my doctor diagnose leukemia? Reference What is a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy?
Getting treatment:	Reference How is leukemia treated? Reference What type of medicines will I need to take? Reference What is radiation therapy? Reference What is an autologous stem cell transplant? Reference What is an allogeneic stem cell transplant? Reference What is a clinical trial? Reference When is surgery needed?
Ongoing concerns:	Reference When should I call my doctor?
Living with leukemia:	Reference What can I do at home to ease my symptoms or manage the side effects of treatment? Reference Reference How can I control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy?
End-of-life issues:	Reference How can I prepare for end-of-life issues?

By:	Reference Healthwise Staff	Last Revised: Reference October 22, 2012
Medical Review:	Reference Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Reference Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.