Leukemia is a Type of Cancer

Leukemia is a type of cancer. It kills many individuals each year. There are treatments available for this disease.

Leukemia is a certain type of cancer. Cancer is a disease that causes cells to become abnormal. Normal cells in the body divide and than die when they are no longer needed. Abnormal cells divide more than they should and do not die when they are no longer needed. It begins in the blood or the tissue that forms the blood. Bone marrow forms blood and often this disease starts in bone marrow. Leukemia cancer causes many abnormal blood cells to produce.

There are two types of leukemia cancer: acute leukemia and chronic leukemia.

A person who is diagnosed with chronic leukemia cancer often does not have any symptoms. Leukemia cells in a chronic leukemia patient often can still work as white blood cells. Chronic leukemia slowly worsens over time.

A person who is diagnosed with acute leukemia cancer often does not have leukemia cells that can function as white blood cells. Acute leukemia worsens very quickly.

A regular physical exam might lead a doctor to think a person has leukemia. When this disease is suspected in a patient the doctor will usually order blood work on the patient. A complete blood count that includes the count of the number of white blood cells a person has will often be able to diagnose the disease.

One form of treatment for this disease is radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses radiation to kill leukemia cells. Another form of treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves using drugs to kill leukemia cells. There are also other types of treatments for individuals who have this disease.