Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects your blood cells and bone marrow. As with other types of cancer, there’s currently no cure for leukemia. People with leukemia sometimes experience remission, a state after diagnosis and treatment in which the cancer is no longer detected in the body.
How does a person get leukemia?
How does leukemia form? Some scientists believe that leukemia results from an as-of-yet undetermined combination of genetic and environmental factors that can lead to mutations in the cells that make up the bone marrow. These mutations, known as leukemic changes, cause the cells to grow and divide very rapidly.
How long can you live with leukemia?
Today, the average five-year survival rate for all types of leukemia is 65.8%. That means about 69 of every 100 people with leukemia are likely to live at least five years after diagnosis. Many people will live much longer than five years.
How does leukemia begin?
Leukemia starts when the DNA of a single cell in the bone marrow changes (mutates) and can’t develop and function normally. Treatments for leukemia depend on the type of leukemia you have, your age and overall health, and if the leukemia has spread to other organs or tissues.
How long can you have leukemia without knowing?
The white cells in the blood grow very quickly, over a matter of days to weeks. Sometimes a patient with acute leukemia has no symptoms or has normal blood work even a few weeks or months before the diagnosis. The change can be quite dramatic.
How do I check myself for leukemia?
A blood test showing an abnormal white cell count may suggest the diagnosis. To confirm the diagnosis and identify the specific type of leukemia, a needle biopsy and aspiration of bone marrow from a pelvic bone will need to be done to test for leukemic cells, DNA markers, and chromosome changes in the bone marrow.
