The Basics
Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate � �
What is leukemia? " � Leukemia is a type of blood cancer. Blood is made up of different types of cells. These cells are made in the middle of your bones, in a part called the bone marrow. � �
When people have leukemia, their bone marrow makes abnormal blood cells instead of normal blood cells. These abnormal blood cells grow out of control, get into the blood, and travel around the body. Sometimes, these cells collect in certain parts of the body. � �
When the bone marrow makes abnormal blood cells, it does not make the normal blood cells a persons body needs. This can cause symptoms. � �
There are different types of leukemia. Some types grow very slowly, and others grow much faster. Sometimes, people have a type of leukemia that is slow-growing at first and later becomes fast-growing. � �
What are the symptoms of leukemia? " � Leukemia does not always cause symptoms, especially at first. When it does cause symptoms, the most common ones include: � �
- Feeling very tired and weak
- Bleeding more easily than normal
- Getting sick from infections more easily than normal
These symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not leukemia. But if you have these symptoms, you should let your doctor or nurse know. � �
Is there a test for leukemia? " � Yes. Your doctor or nurse can use different tests to diagnose leukemia. These include: � �
- Blood tests
- Bone marrow biopsy " � A doctor will take a very small sample of the bone marrow. Then another doctor will look at the cells under a microscope to see if cancer cells are present.
Your doctor or nurse will also do an exam and ask about your symptoms. � �
How is leukemia treated? " � Doctors can treat leukemia in different ways. Sometimes, doctors treat leukemia right away. Other times, if the leukemia is slow-growing and not causing symptoms, doctors might watch it closely until treatment is needed. � �
The right treatment for you will depend on the type of leukemia you have, where it has spread, your age, and your other health problems. � �
Treatment for leukemia can include 1 or more of the following: � �
- Chemotherapy " � Chemotherapy is the term doctors use to describe a group of medicines that kill cancer cells.
- Radiation therapy " � Radiation kills cancer cells.
- Bone marrow transplant " � This treatment replaces cells in the bone marrow that are killed by chemotherapy or radiation. These "donor " � cells can come from different places, including:
- You " � Your cells can be taken out of your bone marrow before your treatment is completed and put back in after you have completed chemotherapy or radiation treatment
- People who are related to you, and whose blood matches yours
- People who are not related to you, but whose blood matches yours
- Blood (which matches yours) from a newborn baby's umbilical cord
- Surgery " � Sometimes, treatment includes surgery to remove an organ called the spleen.
What happens after treatment? " � After treatment, you will be checked every so often to see if the leukemia comes back. Regular follow up tests include talking with your doctor, exams, and blood tests. Sometimes, the doctor will also do a bone marrow biopsy. � �
What happens if the leukemia comes back? " � If the leukemia comes back, you might have more chemotherapy, radiation, or bone marrow transplantation. � �
What else should I do? " � It is important to follow all your doctors ' instructions about visits and tests. It's also important to talk to your doctor about any side effects or problems you have during treatment. � �
Getting treated for leukemia involves making many choices, such as what treatment to have and when. � �
Always let your doctors and nurses know how you feel about a treatment. Any time you are offered a treatment, ask: � �
- What are the benefits of this treatment? Is it likely to help me live longer? Will it reduce or prevent symptoms?
- What are the downsides to this treatment?
- Are there other options besides this treatment?
- What happens if I do not have this treatment?
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. � �
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. � �
Topic 15491 Version 7.0 � �
Release: 22.8 - C22.208 � �
� � 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �
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� � 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �