What part of the body does leukemia affect?

Leukemia starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow), but often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system and other organs.
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How does leukemia affect the body?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the body's blood-forming cells in the bone marrow and lymphatic system. It can take one of several forms and spread at different rates, but most types of leukemia disrupt the production of healthy white blood cells that are designed to multiply, fight infections and die off.
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Where does leukemia occur in the body?

Leukemia occurs when the bone marrow makes abnormal blood cells, usually white blood cells, which do not function as they should. The abnormal cells survive longer, build up in large numbers, and enter the bloodstream.
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What part of the skeletal system does leukemia affect?

Leukemia is a cancer that develops in bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside most bones. In patients with leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal cells do not work the same way as healthy white blood cells.
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What were your first signs of leukemia?

Early Symptoms of Leukemia
  • Fatigue.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Bone/joint pain.
  • Headaches.
  • Fever, chills.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Night sweats.
  • Abdominal discomfort.
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LEUKEMIA, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.



Does leukemia affect the kidneys?

Kidney involvement in leukemia and lymphoma can be quite extensive. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is quite prevalent in these patients, with prerenal and acute tubular necrosis being the most common etiologies. However other prerenal, intrinsic, and obstructive etiologies are possible.
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How do you feel when you have leukemia?

Common leukemia signs and symptoms include: Fever or chills. Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections.
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What can trigger leukemia?

Risk factors that can cause leukemia
  • A genetic predisposition.
  • Down syndrome.
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Exposure to petrochemicals, such as benzene.
  • Extensive exposure to artificial ionizing radiation.
  • Alkylating chemotherapy agents administered to treat other types of cancer.
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What are the 4 types of leukemia?

There are 4 main types of leukemia, based on whether they are acute or chronic, and myeloid or lymphocytic:
  • Acute myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia (AML)
  • Chronic myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia (CML)
  • Acute lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia (ALL)
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
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What are the 5 stages of leukemia?

What are the stages of CLL?
  • Stage 0. The blood has too many white blood cells called lymphocytes. This is called lymphocytosis. ...
  • Stage I. The blood has too many lymphocytes. ...
  • Stage II. The blood has too many lymphocytes. ...
  • Stage III. The blood has too many lymphocytes. ...
  • Stage IV. The blood has too many lymphocytes.
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What is the first stage of leukemia?

Stages of Chronic Leukemia

Stage 1 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 2 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic. He or she may also have enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 3 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic.
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How painful is leukemia?

This pain can range from a dull ache to severe pain and discomfort. Leukemia can destroy the white blood cells that help fight off infections. As a result, people with the condition can experience higher rates of infection and fever due to low white blood cell counts.
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Which type of leukemia is most fatal?

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most fatal type of leukemia. The five-year survival rate (how many people will be alive five years after diagnosis) for AML is 29.5%. Leukemia is a cancer that usually affects white blood cells, though it can start in other types of blood cells.
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How is leukemia diagnosed?

A diagnosis of leukemia is usually made by analyzing a patient's blood sample through a complete blood count (CBC) or microscopic evaluation of the blood, or by using flow cytometry.
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Who is most at risk of leukemia?

Age – Generally speaking, individuals over the age of 65 are more at risk for leukemia. Demographics – While anyone can conceivably develop leukemia, white males are statistically most susceptible.
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What are 5 risk factors for leukemia?

Specific risk factors for leukemia include:
  • Exposure to cancer-causing agents. ...
  • Smoking. ...
  • History of radiation therapy or chemotherapy. ...
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes. ...
  • Rare genetic syndromes. ...
  • Family history.
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Does leukemia come on suddenly?

Acute leukemia may cause signs and symptoms that are similar to the flu. They come on suddenly within days or weeks. Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually.
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Does leukemia make your back hurt?

Although bone pain is the most common of these symptoms in leukaemia, according to our patient survey, muscle pain or back pain can precede a leukaemia diagnosis in 11% and 13% of cases, respectively.
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Does leukemia show up in blood work?

Blood tests.

By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.
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What do leukemia red spots look like?

Leukemia cutis appears as red or purplish red, and it occasionally looks dark red or brown. It affects the outer skin layer, the inner skin layer, and the layer of tissue beneath the skin. The rash can involve flushed skin, plaques, and scaly lesions. It most commonly appears on the trunk, arms, and legs.
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Does leukemia affect the urinary system?

The most common imaging pattern of kidney involvement in leukemia is nephromegaly, which can affect one or both kidneys and results from diffuse or nodular parenchymal infiltration by leukemic cells [17, 18].
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Can leukemia be cured?

As with other types of cancer, there's currently no cure for leukemia. People with leukemia sometimes experience remission, a state after diagnosis and treatment in which the cancer is no longer detected in the body. However, the cancer may recur due to cells that remain in your body.
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Does leukemia cause heart problems?

Acute myeloid leukemia can cause heart failure, most commonly because the medications that doctors use to treat it can cause permanent heart damage. Less commonly, leukemia cells can travel to the heart and damage cells or reduce the number of cells that deliver blood and oxygen to the heart.
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Does leukemia cause leg pain?

Bone pain can occur in leukemia patients when the bone marrow expands from the accumulation of abnormal white blood cells and may manifest as a sharp pain or a dull pain, depending on the location. The long bones of the legs and arms are the most common location to experience this pain.
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