Leukemia
Overview
Leukemia is a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It occurs when the body creates abnormal white blood cells that don’t work properly and build up in the bloodstream.
Common Signs And Symptoms
- Frequent Infections
- Shortness Of Breath
- Paleness Of Skin
- Fever And Chills
- Easy Bruising Or Bleeding
- Weight Loss
- Bone Or Joint Pain And Tenderness
- Fatigue
Types of Leukemia
Leukemia is classified by the type of white blood cells it affects—either lymphocytes or myeloid cells—and how quickly it develops. It may appear suddenly and progress rapidly (acute), or develop gradually over time (chronic).
There are four main types of leukemia, and each one has different subtypes. This helps doctors better understand and treat each person’s specific type of leukemia.
- ALL(Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia)
- AML(Acute Myeloid Leukemia)
- CLL(Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia)
- CML(Chronic Myeloid Leukemia)
Diagnosis Journey
The following tests can be used to confirm a diagnosis of leukemia:
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on the type and stage of leukemia, as well as overall health and personal preferences. Common treatment options include:
- 01ChemotherapyThis uses strong medicine to kill leukemia cells or stop them from growing.
- 02Targeted TherapyMedications that attack specific parts of leukemia cells to stop them from spreading.
- 03Radiation TherapyHigh-energy rays are used to destroy leukemia cells in certain parts of the body.
- 04Stem Cell TransplantAlso called a bone marrow transplant, this replaces unhealthy cells with healthy ones to help the body make normal blood cells again.
- 05ImmunotherapyThis helps the immune system find and fight leukemia cells.
- 06CAR T-cell TherapyThis is a newer treatment that uses a person’s own immune cells to fight leukemia. Special cells called T-cells are taken from the body, changed in a lab to better target leukemia cells and then put back to help the immune system attack the cancer.
Ongoing Research
Leukemia is a disease that requires more effective treatment options. In order to find these new treatments for leukemia, further research is needed. Discover our featured study below for leukemia. If this study is not right for you or a loved one, there are leukemia research studies that are actively recruiting participants. Visit ClinicalTrials.gov to find leukemia research studies near you.
Research & Resources
- Community Groups
- Advocacy Groups
- Podcasts & Websites
- Mental Health & Disability Resources
- Research Articles
- Blood Cancer UnitedFormerly known as The Leukemia Lymphoma SocietyLearn More
- Leukemia Research FoundationLearn More
- Vironexis Announces Complete and Durable Responses in Relapsed/Refractory ALL Patients Treated with VNX-101In the ongoing SENTRY-CD19 trial, all three anti-AAV antibody-naïve patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have achieved MRD-negative complete responses following a single administration of VNX-101
- Ready Made Immune Therapy Effective Against LeukemiaLearn More
- Researchers Uncover Why A Leukemia Treatment Can Cause Problems With Movement And BalanceLearn More
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