Types of leukemia
Leukemia can be divided into 4 types. It is first classified as acute or chronic.
Chronic LeukemiaIn chronic leukemia, the leukemia cells come from mature, abnormal cells. The cells thrive for too long and accumulate. The cells tend to grow very slowly.
Acute Leukemia
Acute leukemia, on the other hand, was developed from early cells, called "blasts". Blasts are young cells that divide frequently. In acute leukemia cells, they don't stop dividing like their normal counterparts do.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
In acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), the original acute leukemia cell goes on to form about a trillion more leukemia cells. These cells are described as "nonfunctional" because they do not work like normal cells. They also crowd out the normal cells in the marrow; in turn, this causes a decrease in the number of new normal cells made in the marrow. This further results in low red cell counts (anemia). The lack of normal white cells impairs the body's ability to fight infections.
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the leukemia cell that starts the disease makes blood cells (red cells, white cells and platelets) that function almost like normal cells. The number of red cells is usually less than normal, resulting in anemia. But many white cells and sometimes many platelets are still made. Even though the white cells are nearly normal in how they work, their counts are high and continue to rise. If untreated, the white cell count can rise so high that blood flow slows down and anemia becomes severe.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the leukemia cell that starts the disease makes too many lymphocytes that do not function. These cells replace normal cells in the marrow and lymph nodes. They interfere with the work of normal lymphocytes, which weakens the patient's immune response. The high number of leukemia cells in the marrow may crowd out normal blood-forming cells and lead to a low red cell count (anemia). A very high number of leukemia cells building up in the marrow also can lead to low platelet counts. Unlike the other three types of leukemia, some patients with CLL may have disease that does not progress for a long time.
Chronic LeukemiaIn chronic leukemia, the leukemia cells come from mature, abnormal cells. The cells thrive for too long and accumulate. The cells tend to grow very slowly.
Acute Leukemia
Acute leukemia, on the other hand, was developed from early cells, called "blasts". Blasts are young cells that divide frequently. In acute leukemia cells, they don't stop dividing like their normal counterparts do.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
In acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), the original acute leukemia cell goes on to form about a trillion more leukemia cells. These cells are described as "nonfunctional" because they do not work like normal cells. They also crowd out the normal cells in the marrow; in turn, this causes a decrease in the number of new normal cells made in the marrow. This further results in low red cell counts (anemia). The lack of normal white cells impairs the body's ability to fight infections.
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the leukemia cell that starts the disease makes blood cells (red cells, white cells and platelets) that function almost like normal cells. The number of red cells is usually less than normal, resulting in anemia. But many white cells and sometimes many platelets are still made. Even though the white cells are nearly normal in how they work, their counts are high and continue to rise. If untreated, the white cell count can rise so high that blood flow slows down and anemia becomes severe.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the leukemia cell that starts the disease makes too many lymphocytes that do not function. These cells replace normal cells in the marrow and lymph nodes. They interfere with the work of normal lymphocytes, which weakens the patient's immune response. The high number of leukemia cells in the marrow may crowd out normal blood-forming cells and lead to a low red cell count (anemia). A very high number of leukemia cells building up in the marrow also can lead to low platelet counts. Unlike the other three types of leukemia, some patients with CLL may have disease that does not progress for a long time.
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