how do adults get luckemia?

Question

my mate said that only little kids get lukemia as its a childhood sickness. i saw a programme on the telly where this old man got it and did not know he had it until two days before he was diagnosed.

what i want to know is how do adults get lukeimia when its a childhood sickness?

if its just in the blood can it hurt like real cancer?
you cant feel blood in the body cause its got no nerves so this would not hurt?

Answer 1

Leukaemia of various types, both acute and chronic can affect all age groups. Generally the leukaemia's that affect children are much more virulent than those that affect older people. In fact sometimes in the elderly the leukaemia is so slowly progressive that it is observed rather than treated.

The following types of pain can occur:

Abdominal pain, due to an enlarged spleen or liver.

Pain due to swollen lymph glands (glands in the neck, groin and under the arms).

Bone pain, due to the pressure of cell build-up.

Pain in swollen gums, and occasionally, swollen testicles.

Answer 2

Leukaemia is cancer of the blood forming cells in the bone marrow. About 90% of all leukaemia patients are adults and most forms become more common with advancing age. It can be acute i.e. rapidly developing and this form, if not treated, may be fatal within weeks or months or chronic i.e. slowly developing - some forms of chronic leukaemia may never need treatment.

You can find lots more information at Leukaemia Research Fund (www.lrf.org.uk) or at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America (www.leukemia.org).

I am a haematology biomedical scientist by training and have an MSc in clinical oncology.

Answer 3

It can affect people of all ages.
Children tend to get acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Acute myeloblastic leukaemia is the most common acute leukaemia. It mainly affects adults.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is most common in the over 50s, but younger people occasionally get it.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia can affect all age groups, but it becomes more common as age increases.
We don't really know what causes leukaemia. Research is going on to find out more… but you may be more likely to get acute myeloblastic leukaemia if: you have been exposed to high doses of radiation, you have been exposed to benzene (a chemical in petrol) over a long time or you have had chemotherapy treatment for another cancer.
Exposure to radiation may also increase your risk of getting chronic myeloid leukaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Answer 4

Leukemia or leukaemia (see spelling differences) is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation (production by multiplication) of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes). It is part of the broad group of diseases called hematological neoplasms.

Type: leukemia
in Google and hit return or enter. Then click on the wikipedia link.

Answer 5

Leukaemia is a cancer of the blood , it has no age limit , young and old can die from this horrible disease .. No-one really knows how we get cancer i mean non smokers develop cancers all the time ,.. thats life and at time it sucks .... there u go !

Answer 6

It is another form of cancer. It is most common in younger people but sometimes older people develop it also. By the way it is not an infectious disease. You can not catch it from anyone else.

Answer 7

it is not a childhood illness. it is also very common in adults with prolonged exposure to petro chemicals a high risk factor.the success rate for a cure is greater for children than adults

Answer 8

hello Frankie.well you should look up leukimia. kids get it and also adults its a form of cancer, my brother in law almost died from it, its very serious, you have to have chemotherapy for it,so just go to www.net .co.uk.you will be suprised about it and its certanly not a childish,complaint.

Answer 9

leukemia... i remember having a college schoolmate died of this illness. he never thought he was sickl and we were surprised that after being hospitalized for a week because of high fever he was diagnosed of leukemia and died after a few days. things were really so sudden. there were no symptoms at all. it's still best to have annual checkups to monitor our health condition.

Answer 10

it isn't a childhood sickness. luekemia is a form of cancer and anyone can get cancer.