تويت
Leukaemia
Leukaemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and white blood cells. There are two types of leukaemia:
• Acute, where the leukaemia progresses rapidly and aggressively and needs immediate treatment.
• Chronic, where the leukaemia progresses slowly, over the course of many years. Whether you require immediate treatment for chronic leukaemia will depend on the type of leukaemia that you have.
This article focuses on acute leukaemia.
Bone marrow
All the blood cells in your body are produced in your bone marrow. Bone marrow is a spongy material inside the bones. It is important because it produces special cells known as stem cells.
Stem cells are very useful because they have the ability to create other specialised cells that carry out important functions. The stem cells in bone marrow produce three important types of blood cells:
• Red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body.
• White blood cells, which help fight infection.
• Platelets, which help stop bleeding.
Normally, your bone marrow will produce stem cells and these then mature into 'adult' blood cells. With acute leukaemia, the affected bone marrow begins to release a large number of immature white blood cells known as blast cells.
These immature white blood cells begin to disrupt the normal balance of cells in the blood. This means the body does not have enough red blood cells or platelet cells. This can cause symptoms of anaemia, such as tiredness, and lead to excessive bleeding.
Because the white blood cells aren't properly formed they're less effective at fighting bacteria and viruses, making the body more vulnerable to infection.
If you have acute leukaemia and the condition is not treated, you will not be able to survive because your blood supply will not function properly.
White blood cells
There are two types of white blood cell:
• Lymphocytes, which are mostly used to fight viral infections.
• Myeloid cells, which have a number of different functions, including fighting bacterial infections, defending the body against parasites and preventing the spread of tissue damage.
Types of acute leukaemia
There are two main types of acute leukaemia:
• Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which is a cancer of the myeloid cells.
• Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which is a cancer of the lymphocytes.
How common is acute leukaemia?
An average of 2,400 new cases of acute leukaemia are diagnosed every year in England and Wales.
Unlike other types of leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is most common in children. About 85% of cases of ALL occur in children under 15, with the majority of cases developing in children aged between two and five. Approximately one in every 2,000 children will develop ALL.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is more common in older people, with most cases occurring in people who are 50 or over. For reasons that are not understood, acute leukaemia is more common in boys and men than in girls and women.
Treating acute leukaemia
Despite being more aggressive than chronic leukaemia, acute leukaemia is easier to treat. Treatment involves chemotherapy and several other medications. More severe cases may require a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.
Prognosis
The outlook for children with ALL is usually good. Almost all children will achieve a remission from symptoms and 80% of them will be completely cured. The outlook for adults with ALL is less promising: only 40% of cases will be completely cured.
The outlook for people with AML varies because there are a number of sub-types of AML, some of which are more challenging to treat than others. Some types of AML have a 75% cure rate, and others only have a 20% cure rate. Younger people with the condition tend to have a better outcome than older people
Leukaemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and white blood cells. There are two types of leukaemia:
• Acute, where the leukaemia progresses rapidly and aggressively and needs immediate treatment.
• Chronic, where the leukaemia progresses slowly, over the course of many years. Whether you require immediate treatment for chronic leukaemia will depend on the type of leukaemia that you have.
This article focuses on acute leukaemia.
Bone marrow
All the blood cells in your body are produced in your bone marrow. Bone marrow is a spongy material inside the bones. It is important because it produces special cells known as stem cells.
Stem cells are very useful because they have the ability to create other specialised cells that carry out important functions. The stem cells in bone marrow produce three important types of blood cells:
• Red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body.
• White blood cells, which help fight infection.
• Platelets, which help stop bleeding.
Normally, your bone marrow will produce stem cells and these then mature into 'adult' blood cells. With acute leukaemia, the affected bone marrow begins to release a large number of immature white blood cells known as blast cells.
These immature white blood cells begin to disrupt the normal balance of cells in the blood. This means the body does not have enough red blood cells or platelet cells. This can cause symptoms of anaemia, such as tiredness, and lead to excessive bleeding.
Because the white blood cells aren't properly formed they're less effective at fighting bacteria and viruses, making the body more vulnerable to infection.
If you have acute leukaemia and the condition is not treated, you will not be able to survive because your blood supply will not function properly.
White blood cells
There are two types of white blood cell:
• Lymphocytes, which are mostly used to fight viral infections.
• Myeloid cells, which have a number of different functions, including fighting bacterial infections, defending the body against parasites and preventing the spread of tissue damage.
Types of acute leukaemia
There are two main types of acute leukaemia:
• Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which is a cancer of the myeloid cells.
• Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which is a cancer of the lymphocytes.
How common is acute leukaemia?
An average of 2,400 new cases of acute leukaemia are diagnosed every year in England and Wales.
Unlike other types of leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is most common in children. About 85% of cases of ALL occur in children under 15, with the majority of cases developing in children aged between two and five. Approximately one in every 2,000 children will develop ALL.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is more common in older people, with most cases occurring in people who are 50 or over. For reasons that are not understood, acute leukaemia is more common in boys and men than in girls and women.
Treating acute leukaemia
Despite being more aggressive than chronic leukaemia, acute leukaemia is easier to treat. Treatment involves chemotherapy and several other medications. More severe cases may require a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.
Prognosis
The outlook for children with ALL is usually good. Almost all children will achieve a remission from symptoms and 80% of them will be completely cured. The outlook for adults with ALL is less promising: only 40% of cases will be completely cured.
The outlook for people with AML varies because there are a number of sub-types of AML, some of which are more challenging to treat than others. Some types of AML have a 75% cure rate, and others only have a 20% cure rate. Younger people with the condition tend to have a better outcome than older people
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