Kinds Of Leukemia

Learn about kinds of leukemia. One kind of cancer that spreads quite fast is leukemia, also known as bone marrow cancer. The bone marrow is the site of blood formation, and when these cells are afflicted with malignancy, leukemia may arise. A healthy person is able to combat infection, effectively receive oxygen on the cellular level and show stable blood clotting, while a person with leukemia shows abnormality in these things. Specialists in leukemia diseases are the most qualified to do a thorough analysis of the type of leukemia a person has.

There are various kinds of leukemia, and these have been studied extensively by experts. Different classifications and diagnosis procedures are undertaken to find out whether a person is afflicted with leukemia or not, and to find out which type of leukemia the person has. Here are the primary types of leukemia: acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia.

The most general classification of leukemia is that which takes into account the speed by which the disease progresses. Using this criterion, leukemia can be classified as acute or chronic.

The acute type of leukemia progresses quickly, in that a person who has it may feel fine one day and feel very sick the next day. Diagnosis for this and other kinds of leukemia can be difficult because there are a thousand other explanations for a person feeling unwell, and by the time the diagnosis points to leukemia, the symptoms will have progressed to the terminal phase. Leukemia cells in the bloodstream are poor substitutes for white blood cells, leading to the quick loss of resistance to disease.

Chronic leukemia progresses gradually and the person afflicted with the disease may not show any symptoms for months and even years. For this reason, the routine tests needed for

Leukemia can also be classified according to the type of WBC (white blood cell) affected. The kinds of leukemia could either be myelogenous or lymphocytic. Lymphotic leukemia is also known as lymphoblastic leukemia, and this condition has a huge impact in the production and function of lymphocytes. Myelogenous leukemia is another type, and this affects myelocytes.

Another way of classifying the kinds of leukemia is taking note of the common sufferers of this disease. Common types that occur mostly in adults include chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia. Any deviation from this norm, for instance a child who contracts the disease, can be considered a rare condition.

Among younger adults and children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the common type. Leukemia that develops during the childhood years also include acute myelogenous leukemia. In general, myeloid leukemia diseases occur while the body is developing. Other examples of myeloid type leukemia diseases include chronic myelogenous leukemia, as well as juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia.

Subtypes of these common kinds of leukemia may also occur, but these are considered rare cases that need further observation. Hairy cell leukemia is one type that is not so common. Other rare types include acute promyelocytic leukemia, which is another subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia.