Leukemia
Leukemia as a cancer of blood cells
Leukemia – is a type of cancer that affects the tissue that forms blood (bone marrow). The red blood cells, platelets and especially white blood cells or leukocytes are multiplicatied in abnormal high amount. Leukemia cells are immature, useless and dysfunctional. They don't die when they should. It causes excessive number of cells that is harmful for normal work of blood system.
Leukemia is an illness that precede a number of diseases and turns into hematological neoplasms, when from affected bone marrow through the blood cancer spreads to the lymph and also interfere lymph nodes. Or it may start from lymph nodes and progress to the bone marrow.
As a result of leukemia abnormal blood cells may cause malignant tumors in other parts of the body (the digestive tract, lungs, kidneys, heart or testes). The immune system becomes weak: white blood cells can’t successfully fight with pathogens. And simple infections are more dangerous for the organism. Patients may often suffer from diarrhea, sores in the mouth and even pneumonia or opportunistic infections.
The way of treatment and the successfulness of cure for the patient depend on the type of Leukemia. Hairy cell leukemia is incurable, but easily treatable. And acute myelogenous leukemia is treated with imatinib or other drugs, and the survival rate is only 40%.
The effectiveness of treatment depends on early detection of symptoms. Thats why it’s very important to take constantly inspections of the organism.