Leukemia: what is this and is there a chance for salvation?

Leukemia is a whole group of cancers with uncontrollable growth of cells and different etiologies. Cancer of blood flows with replacement of healthy cells with leukemia, and already against this background serious complications develop, such as severe bleeding, anemia, etc.

Leukemia: what is it?

In their healthy state, cells in the human body divide, mature, perform their basic functions and perish. In place of dead cells are new. Cancer cells also multiply uncontrollably.
Leukemia, as already mentioned, is cancer. In this case, the cells of the bone marrow mutate. Patients with developing blood cancer experience an excess of white blood cells (leukocytes). Unfortunately, the affected cells do not die with time, they constantly circulate throughout the body. This, naturally, leads to an even greater spread of leukemia cells.

Scientists noted that it is in children under 5 years of age most often found leukemia. Symptoms in children are exactly the same as in adults. But the methods of treatment are different. Leukemia is not the most common form of oncology. According to some data, about 25-30 cases per 100 000 are registered for the year.

Leukemia: what is it and what causes it?

No single doctor can give an unambiguous answer to the question of the causes of leukemia. So far, the following possible causative agents of the mutation of healthy blood cells have been identified:

• Radiation radiation;
• Carcinogens;
• heredity;
• Viruses.

Leukemia: what is it and what are its symptoms?

The manifestation of symptoms directly depends on the characteristics and extent of infection with cancer cells. Often in the early stages of leukemia in adults and children is generally without any signs. But with the spread of the disease, patients have the following symptoms:

• A condition similar to influenza (temperature, diarrhea, red throat, vomiting);
• Pain in the bones;
• An increase in the size of the lymph nodes;
• The appearance of bruises on the skin;
• Tachycardia and lethargy;
• stomach ache.

As you can see, the symptoms are diverse, and doctors often mislead them. Often, patients are treated not at all what is required.

Leukemia: what is it and how is it treated?

Treatment is appointed by an oncologist, taking into account all signs, type of disease, stage of injury and general health of the patient.

Note that acute leukemia requires an urgent start of treatment. Due to this, you can achieve remission. This is the name of the condition when the disease recedes. Why not "recovery"? The disease often returns again.

In the case of chronic leukemia, treatment rarely helps to achieve remission. But a certain kind of therapy is applied to it.

The main modern methods of treatment include:

• Chemotherapy;
• Stem cell transplantation ;
• Radiotherapy.

The treatment process is long and painful. Some patients wait for the onset of remission for many months. Now leukemia often gives in to effective treatment. The prognosis for each type of blood cancer is individual.