Cancer is made up of over 100 different types of diseases. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood cells. Leukemia is a serious cancer that affects adults and children alike, although different forms of the disease may affect one group more than another. Each year, approximately 27,000 adults and 2,000 children are diagnosed with a form of leukemia.

More about Cancer

Scientists aren’t exactly sure why many of the different types of cancer form. However, they do know that all the forms of cancer have two things in common. Cancer is a disease that involves abnormal cells, which is the first thing all 100 cancer diseases have in common. The second is that these abnormal cells are produced fairly rapidly and in large numbers.

Scientists aren’t positive about why cancers form, but they do know through research that cancers begin by damage to certain cells or mutations of specific cells. These mutated or damaged cells then begin to reproduce rapidly and in larger numbers than would normally be produced. When the cells begin to grow, they may form masses. Or in the case of leukemia, the abnormal cells may spread through the blood to different parts of the body. Leukemia affects thousands of people in the United States each year and requires a consistent treatment routine in order to be effectively taken care of.

In some cases, leukemia may be sent into remission and cured. In others, the cancer will go into remission, and the patient may eventually experience a relapse. For some people, their symptoms may be controlled by treatment, but they will never effectively be cured. Leukemia is serious and can be fatal if not treated as soon as symptoms begin to appear. Even with treatment, many people who are diagnosed with different types of leukemia may not survive.

While several tests can be used to diagnose leukemia, the cancer can also be treated in several different ways, but is usually treated with chemotherapy, radiation, or bone marrow transplant. The effectiveness depends on the severity of the cancer and the patient.