User:Mr. Ibrahem/Leukemia
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leukemia, also spelled leukaemia, is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells.[8] These blood cells are not fully developed and are called blasts or leukemia cells.[2] Symptoms may include bleeding and bruising, feeling tired, fever, and an increased risk of infections.[2] These symptoms occur due to a lack of normal blood cells.[2] Diagnosis is typically made by blood tests or bone marrow biopsy.[2]
Mr. Ibrahem/Leukemia | |
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Other names | Leukaemia |
A Wright's stained bone marrow aspirate smear from a person with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. | |
Pronunciation | |
Specialty | Hematology and oncology |
Symptoms | Bleeding, bruising, feeling tired, fever, increased risk of infections[2] |
Usual onset | All ages,[3] most common in 60s and 70s[4] |
Causes | Inherited and environmental factors[5] |
Risk factors | Smoking, family history, ionizing radiation, some chemicals, prior chemotherapy, Down syndrome.[3][5] |
Diagnostic method | Blood tests, bone marrow biopsy[2] |
Treatment | Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, bone marrow transplant, supportive care[3] |
Prognosis | Five-year survival rate 57% (USA)[4] |
Frequency | 2.3 million (2015)[6] |
Deaths | 353,500 (2015)[7] |
The exact cause of leukemia is unknown.[5] A combination of genetic factors and environmental (non-inherited) factors are believed to play a role.[5] Risk factors include smoking, ionizing radiation, some chemicals (such as benzene), prior chemotherapy, and Down syndrome.[5][3] People with a family history of leukemia are also at higher risk.[3] There are four main types of leukemia—acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)—as well as a number of less common types.[3][9] Leukemias and lymphomas both belong to a broader group of tumors that affect the blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid system, known as tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues.[10][11]
Treatment may involve some combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and bone marrow transplant, in addition to supportive care and palliative care as needed.[3] Certain types of leukemia may be managed with watchful waiting.[3] The success of treatment depends on the type of leukemia and the age of the person. Outcomes have improved in the developed world.[9] Five-year survival rate is 57% in the United States.[4] In children under 15, the five-year survival rate is greater than 60% to 90%, depending on the type of leukemia.[12] In children with acute leukemia who are cancer-free after five years, the cancer is unlikely to return.[12]
In 2015, leukemia was present in 2.3 million people worldwide and caused 353,500 deaths.[6][7] In 2012 it newly developed in 352,000 people.[9] It is the most common type of cancer in children, with three-quarters of leukemia cases in children being the acute lymphoblastic type.[3] However, over 90% of all leukemias are diagnosed in adults, with CLL and AML being most common in adults.[3][13] It occurs more commonly in the developed world.[9]