Did you know, leukaemia is one of the most widespread forms of blood cancer in the world? Leukaemia cells behave like abnormal blood cells, hence it is commonly called blood cancer. Its treatment depends on the type, severity of the condition, patient’s age, gender and overall health. In this article, we are going to discuss all that you need to know about leukaemia.

What Is Leukaemia?

Leukaemia is a form of blood cancer that is characterised by the rapid growth of the blood cells. This unprecedented growth usually occurs in the bone marrow, where most of the blood is produced. These blood cells are also often referred to as abnormal white blood cells since they have no purpose in improving your immunity. Instead of helping your body, these blood cells could potentially impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce blood cells and platelets.

What Are The Various Types Of Leukaemia?

Leukaemia can be of two main types, chronic or acute. While chronic leukaemia generally has a slower progression, acute leukaemia requires immediate medical attention. 

Leukaemia can also be classified as lymphocytic or myelogenous. Lymphocytic leukaemia causes abnormal growth of cells in lymphocytes while myelogenous leukaemia causes a growth in the bone marrow cells that mature into red blood cells. The four major classifications of leukaemia include the following:

1. Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)

ALL is a cancer that primarily affects your blood and bone marrow. It specifically targets your white blood cells which can hamper your body’s ability to combat infections. It is generally more common in children than adults. However, children have higher rates of successful recovery from this disease, compared to adults.

2. Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML)

AML is a relatively uncommon cancer that impacts both the bone marrow and blood. It is characterized by its aggressive nature. If necessary treatment is not provided early, it may become life-threatening, especially for elderly people.

3. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)

CLL is the most common type of blood cancer found in adults. It usually happens when healthy white blood cells in your bone marrow start mutating or change into cancerous cells. These cells multiply and overcrowd healthy blood cells and platelets.

4. Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)

CML is a type of blood cancer that originates in the blood-forming myeloid cells or stem cells in your bone marrow. However, with several innovative therapies, even a life-threatening disease like CML can be treated effectively.

Symptoms Of Leukaemia

Some of the most common symptoms of leukaemia include:

Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)	Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML)	Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)	Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)
Anaemia	Bone, back or abdominal pain	Pain or a sense of fullness under the ribs	Abdominal swelling
Frequent nose bleeds	Tiny red spots on your skin	Fatigue	Discomfort in the upper left part of the belly
Heavy menstrual periods	Wound or sores that won’t go away	Fever	Feeling full despite eating less
Excessive night sweating	Swollen lymph nodes	Unexplained weight loss	Night sweats
Cough	Pale skin
Joint pain	Frequent infections
Loss of appetite	Bruising
Shortness of breath	Weakness

Causes Of Leukaemia

While there is no definite cause of leukaemia, some risk factors may increase your chances of developing the disease. Factors that may increase your risk for leukaemia include: 

Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)	Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML)	Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)	Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)
Being a woman	DNA changes	Family history	Exposure to a high level of radiation
Having white ethnicity	Hereditary genetic disorder	Being a woman
Radiation exposure in the womb or during therapy	Age at or above 65 years	Age at or above 65 years
Viral infections like Epstein-Barr virus or human T-cell leukaemia	Undergone chemotherapy or radiation therapy	Exposure to agent orange (a chemical used during the Vietnam War)
	Bone marrow disorders	Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis
	Smoking

Leukaemia Complications

Several complications associated with leukaemia include:

Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)	Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML)	Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)	Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)
Body imbalance	Anaemia	Anaemia	Genetic mutations
Nausea and vomiting	Thrombocytopenia (extremely low platelets)	Lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system)	Change in myeloid stem cells growing in the bone marrow
Enlarged spleen & liver	Pancytopenia (low number of RBC, WBC, & platelets)	Thrombocytopenia (extremely low platelets)	30% higher risk of developing stomach, thyroid, lung & prostate cancer
Numbness		Autoimmune diseases
Seizures		Increased risk of developing skin, lung & colon cancer
Headaches & distorted vision

Leukaemia Diagnosis

Leukaemia is diagnosed with the help of various blood & imaging tests. These tests include:

Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)	Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML)	Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)	Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)
Complete blood count or CBC test	Complete blood count or CBC test	Complete blood count or CBC test	Complete blood count or CBC test
Bone marrow biopsy	Fluorescence-in-situ- hybridization or FISH	Peripheral blood smear	Bone marrow biopsy
Lymph node biopsy	Karyotype	Genetic tests	Ultrasound
Lumbar puncture	Immuno-histochemistry
Imaging scans like MRI, CT & PET scan
Flow cytometry
Cytogenetic tests
Molecular assays

Annual health checkups can help in the early diagnosis of any medical condition, including cancer. 

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Leukaemia Treatment

Treatment procedures that can be used for leukaemia treatment include:

Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL)	Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML)	Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)	Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML)
Chemotherapy	Chemotherapy	Chemotherapy	Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Targeted therapy	Remission induction therapy	BCL2 inhibitor therapy
Immunotherapy	Consolidation therapy	Monoclonal antibody therapy
Radiation therapy	Maintenance therapy	BTK inhibitor therapy
Bone marrow transplantation	Allogeneic stem cell transplantation	Immunotherapy

Takeaway

There is no cure for leukaemia but it is still possible to achieve long-term remission with proper care and medication. Your doctor plays an invaluable role in ensuring your cancer is being treated effectively. Make sure that you let them know of every change that your body experiences so that they can steer you towards the right direction. If you have any questions,

Consult Apollo’s Oncologists

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Who is at the highest risk of acquiring leukaemia?

People over the age of 65 are typically at a higher risk of leukaemia. However, it may occur in younger adults and children.

2. What is the cost of leukaemia treatment in India?

Entire leukaemia treatment and therapy can cost anywhere from Rs. 10,94,000 to Rs. 22,00,000.

3. What is the survival rate of leukaemia?

The survival rates for all four variations of leukaemia are:

• CLL - 5-year survival rate is around 88%
• ALL - 5-year survival rate is around 71.3%
• CML - 5-year survival rate is around 70.6%
• AML - 5-year survival rate is around 31.7%

4. When should you consult a doctor?

If you experience sudden unexplained weight loss, fever, nausea, dizziness or loss of appetite, you should consult a doctor for further investigation. 

5. What is the newest treatment for leukaemia?

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of a drug named zanubrutinib, which is considered to be an effective form of medication to treat CLL with minimal side effects.

 

Medically reviewed by Dr Sonia Bhatt.