Acute Leukemia - Types and Facts

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new york city, New York, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) August 30, 2011 -- August 30, 2011 - Leukemia is a cancer of blood cells whose cause has not been determined yet, but the risk factors which can associated with this condition have been identified. Docturs.com offers detailed information on the various types of leukemia and facts related to it.

There are four categories of leukemia and they are divided on the basis of the rapid development of the disease (whether it is acute or chronic) and also the type of blood cell affected (lymphocytes or myelocytes). The four main types of leukemia are AML - acute myelocytic leukemia, ALL - acute lymphocytic leukemia, CML - chronic myelocytic leukemia and CLL - chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Due to leukemia, the bone marrow produces all abnormal white blood cells and they are called leukemia cells. The normal blood cells die regularly but leukemia cells do not and they increase and outnumber the normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets and hence, the normal blood cells find it difficult to do their work.

The types of leukemia are grouped on the quick development of the disease and how soon it gets worse. The condition may be either acute - which may get worse quickly or chronic – wherein the condition worsens slowly. The grouping can also be done on the basis of the type of white blood cell that is affected. Leukemia can start in lymphoid or myeloid cells and that affecting the former is called lymphoid, lymphocytic, or lymphoblastic leukemia while the latter may be known as called myeloid, myelogenous, or myeloblastic leukemia.

Acute leukemia can be further divided into ALL - acute lymphocytic/lymphoblastic leukemia and AML - acute myeloid leukemia. ALL affects lymphoid cells while AML affects myeloid cells but both grow rapidly. While ALL accounts for around 5000 new cases each year, AML has 13000 new cases and it can occur in both adults and children. ALL is common in young children but it can also affect adults.

The healthcare experts, while treating acute leukemia, take into consideration many factors like its types, features of the cells, spread of the disease, prior history of treatment and the age and health of the patient. The leukemia patients are highly exposed to development of infections, bleeding and anemia. Other symptoms may be weight loss, fever without cause, easy bruising and night sweats. The treatment is mostly done with chemotherapy or radiation therapy and/or bone marrow transplantation. Unfortunately, as the definite cause of this condition is not known, there is no way for its prevention as well.

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For more information visit http://docturs.com/dd/pg/groups/19687/acute-leukaemia/ for acute leukaemia and healthcare experts.

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