When a body of the person starts producing the abnormal amount of white blood cells it crowds out the healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and the plasma cells. There are multiple symptoms that reflect the presence of this condition including the fatigue, loss of appetite and high fever etc.
The cancer of the bone marrow or the lymphatic system of the person is called leukemia. There are multiple kinds of blood cancers that can affect both children and adults. In leukemia mainly the white blood cells of the patient are affected. When the person suffers from this condition their body starts to produce the abnormal type of white blood cells. Due to which they are unable to perform their usual function of fighting the infection. The causes, symptoms and treatment of leukemia depend upon the kind of leukemia the patient is suffering from. Through the course of this article we will take a look at the various aspects of leukemia.
Causes of leukemia
There are no exact causes of leukemia however there are multiple factors that are often associated with the development of this condition. Some of these risk factors include the following-
- The patient has a family history of leukemia
- Smoking
- Presence of genetic disorders
- Blood disorders
- Exposure to radiations
- The patient has previously undergone the treatment of cancer.
Symptoms of Leukemia
There are no obvious symptoms of leukemia in the early stage of this condition. However, when this condition become severe the below mentioned signs and symptoms starts to appear-
- Sweating in excess specifically during the time of night.
- Unreasonable fatigue and weakness
- Unreasonable weight loss
- Pain in bones and tenderness
- Liver enlargement or spleen
- Fever or chills
- Red patches on the skin called the petechiae
- Easy bleeding and bruising
- Infection frequent
Treatment of leukemia
The leukemia treatment in India largely depends upon the stage and the type of leukemia the patient is suffering from. This condition is treated by the hematologist oncologist who can use any of the below mentioned methods of treatment.
- Chemotherapy- This is one of the most commonly used treatment option for any type of cancer. In the method the drug is injected into the person through the IV or given to him through his mouth. This drug is used to kill the cancerous cells in the patient.
- Radiation therapy- In this treatment method the high-energy radiations are used to damage the existing leukemia cells and also stop their further growth.
- Stem Cell Transplantation- This is a treatment method in which the diseased bone marrow of the patient is replaced with the healthy bone marrow of the patient himself or the donor. This procedure is commonly known as the bone marrow transplant.
- Targeted Therapy- It is therapy that is used to target the cancerous cells in particular and kill them without affecting the surrounding healthy cells.
- Biological or immune therapy- In this therapy the immune system of the person is boosted to fight and kill the cancerous cells.
