Blood Cancer or Leukemia

What are the symptoms of Blood Cancer or Leukemia?

Symptoms may vary, depending upon the type of leukemia. However, some commonly observed symptoms are:

• Chills with fever
• Enlargement of lymph nodes (which feel as bumps under the skin), liver or spleen
• Excess sweating at night
• Fatigue and weakness
• Frequent nosebleeds
• Pain or tenderness in bones
• Severe and frequent infections
• Small red spots on skin
• Tendency to bleed or bruise easily
• Unintended weight loss

What are the risk factors for Blood Cancer or Leukemia?

Some factors that can increase the risk of developing leukemia include:

• Previous cancer treatment
• Genetic disorders
• Exposure to certain chemicals
• Smoking
• Certain viral infections
• Inherited genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Fanconi anemia, Bloom syndrome etc.
• Family history of leukemia

How is Blood Cancer or Leukemia diagnosed?

At times, leukemia may be detected during a routine blood test, even in absence of any symptoms. However, if there is any sign or symptom and/or risk factor suggesting leukemia, visit a hematologists or oncologists immediately. The diagnosis of leukemia is confirmed with:

• Detailed medical history
• Physical examination
• Tests:
  • – Blood tests: For CLL, the patient must have at least 5,000/mm³of monoclonal lymphocytes (sometimes called a monoclonal lymphocytosis).
  • – Bone marrow test/biopsy: A sample of bone marrow of the hipbone is removed and tested for the presence of leukemia cells.

What is the survival rate for Blood Cancer or Leukemia?

The survival rate is an estimate that can guide you if you can live through a few years. The percentage of survival rates indicate how many people have lived at least so far after diagnosis. For example, a 5-year survival rate of 90% indicates 9 in 10 cancer patients lived for a minimum 5 years after being diagnosed.

Survival rates for childhood leukemia:

• 5-year survival rate for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) – more than 85%.
• 5-year survival rate for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) – 60 – 70%. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a subtype of AML, has a higher survival rate of 80%.
• 5-year survival rate for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML): 50%.
• 5-year survival rate for chronic leukemias: For chronic leukemias, which are rare in children, 5-year survival rates are less helpful. Furthermore, with effective medicines, survival rates are higher than previously reported values (60% to 80%).

Survival Rates for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Highly effective medicines are available only since 2001. According to the large CML study, 90% of the patients showed normal WBCs and chromosome after 5 years on medication.

To know more about leukemia (blood cancer) and its treatment, you can request a callback and our leukemia specialist will call you and answer all your queries.