What is leukameia. How is it caused?

Answer 1

What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a type of cancer. Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All cancers begin in cells, which make up blood and other tissues. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. Leukemia is cancer that begins in blood cells.

Normal Blood Cells

Blood cells form in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft material in the center of most bones.

Immature blood cells are called stem cells and blasts. Most blood cells mature in the bone marrow and then move into the blood vessels. Blood that flows through the blood vessels and heart is called the peripheral blood.

The bone marrow makes different types of blood cells. Each type has a special function:

White blood cells help fight infection.
Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body.
Platelets help form blood clots that control bleeding.
Leukemia Cells

In people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. The abnormal cells are leukemia cells. At first, leukemia cells function almost normally. In time, they may crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. This makes it hard for blood to do its work.

Who is at risk for Leukemia?

No one knows the exact causes of leukemia. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets this disease and another does not. However, research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop leukemia. A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease.

Studies have found the following risk factors for leukemia:

Very high levels of radiation — People exposed to very high levels of radiation are much more likely than others to develop leukemia. Very high levels of radiation have been caused by atomic bomb explosions (such as those in Japan during World War II) and nuclear power plant accidents (such as the Chernobyl [also called Chornobyl] accident in 1986).
Medical treatment that uses radiation can be another source of high-level exposure. Radiation used for diagnosis, however, exposes people to much lower levels of radiation and is not linked to leukemia.

Working with certain chemicals — Exposure to high levels of benzene in the workplace can cause leukemia. Benzene is used widely in the chemical industry. Formaldehyde is also used by the chemical industry. Workers exposed to formaldehyde also may be at greater risk of leukemia.
Chemotherapy — Cancer patients treated with certain cancer-fighting drugs sometimes later develop leukemia. For example, drugs known as alkylating agents are associated with the development of leukemia many years later.
Down syndrome and certain other genetic diseases—Some diseases caused by abnormal chromosomes may increase the risk of leukemia.
Human T-cell leukemia virus-I (HTLV-I)—This virus causes a rare type of chronic lymphocytic leukemia known as human T-cell leukemia. However, leukemia does not appear to be contagious.
Myelodysplastic syndrome — People with this blood disease are at increased risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia.
In the past, some studies suggested exposure to electromagnetic fields as another possible risk factor for leukemia. Electromagnetic fields are a type of low-energy radiation that comes from power lines and electric appliances. However, results from recent studies show that the evidence is weak for electromagnetic fields as a risk factor.

Most people who have known risk factors do not get leukemia. On the other hand, many who do get the disease have none of these risk factors. People who think they may be at risk of leukemia should discuss this concern with their doctor. The doctor may suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups.

What are symptoms of leukemia?

Like all blood cells, leukemia cells travel through the body. Depending on the number of abnormal cells and where these cells collect, patients with leukemia may have a number of symptoms.

Common symptoms of leukemia:

Fevers or night sweats
Frequent infections
Feeling weak or tired
Headache
Bleeding and bruising easily (bleeding gums, purplish patches in the skin, or tiny red spots under the skin)
Pain in the bones or joints
Swelling or discomfort in the abdomen (from an enlarged spleen)
Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck or armpit
Weight loss

Answer 2

Leukemia's are "cancers" of the blood cells.There are 4 main types myelogenous and lymphocytic, acute or chronic. Exposure to chemicals,such as benzine,radiation,certain genetic disorders,such as"Downs Syndrome"and"Fanconi's anemia are more likely to develop this disease,and there are many spontaneous onsets having no known causes. Treatment is with "chemo",radiation,Bone Marrow Transplants and sometimes surgery,.Survival rates are increasing every year,once a death sentence,50-85 % survival rate is now the norm.Leukemia is not contagious,and you can't "get" leukemia from coming in contact with a patients blood nor is it hereditary. Take care. SW RNP

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Leukemia is a broad term, covering any disease involved with abnormal proliferation of white blood cells in the blood stream (white blood cells= leukocytes). There is at least one form caused by a virus but it is extremely rare. Most of them are of unknown origin, like other forms of cancer. There is no way to prevent getting it, but it is rare in any case.

Answer 5

Leukameia is a desiese in the blood.When my aunt died of it my dad explained it this way:the white blood cells infect the red to weaken them and then they take over the weakened red blood cells thus also taking away oxegen from the body.It's mostly hereditary,but you can get it if you have contact blood contact with someone who has it.You can not get it from having sex.

Answer 6

it is cause in blood.