About leukemia
What should people know about leukemia?
Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. Blood is made up of a fluid, called plasma, and three types of cells that are made in the bone marrow. Each has its own function:
- white blood cells (also called WBCs or leukocytes) – these cells help the body fight infections and diseases.
- red blood cells (also called RBCs or erythrocytes) – these cells carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body and take carbon dioxide back to the lungs.
- platelets (also called thrombocytes) – these cells help form blood clots that control bleeding.
When someone has leukemia, the body makes large numbers of abnormal blood cells. In most types of leukemia, the abnormal cells are white blood cells. Leukemia cells look different from normal blood cells and do not work as they should.
The most common types of leukemia are:
- acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) – the most common type of leukemia in children. It also affects adults, especially those age 65 and older.
- acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – this disease occurs in both adults and children and is sometimes called acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.
- chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) – this disease most commonly affects adults over age 55 and rarely occurs in children.
- chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) – this disease occurs mainly in adults, but a small number of children also get this form of leukemia.
Who gets leukemia?
Each year in New York State, about 1,500 men and 1,200 women (including children) get leukemia. In New York, more than 750 men and 600 women, again including children, die from this disease each year.
Although it is often thought of as a children's disease, most cases of leukemia occur in older adults. Leukemia is ten times more common in adults than in children and more than half of all leukemia cases occur in people over the age of 65.
The five year survival for leukemia has tripled in the past 40 years. For children, the improvement in survival has been even more dramatic. In 1960, only 4% of children with the most common form of childhood leukemia (ALL) lived five years. Now, the five year survival rate for children with this disease (ALL) is greater than 85%.
What causes leukemia?
At this time, we do not know exactly what causes most leukemias. People with Downs syndrome and certain other genetic abnormalities get leukemia more frequently. Certain unusual forms of leukemia are caused by a rare virus. Long term workplace exposure to benzene, a chemical, and exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation (such as atomic bombs) have been associated with the development of leukemia. Also people treated with certain anti-cancer drugs or radiation treatment are at greater risk of getting leukemia. Researchers believe that up to 20% of acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) are caused by smoking.
What can I do to reduce my chances of getting leukemia?
If you currently smoke, you can reduce your risk of acute myeloid leukemia by stopping smoking. If you don't smoke now, don't start. If you work in a high risk job, be aware of health and safety rules and follow them. Avoiding unnecessary radiation is important for the prevention of many types of cancer.
