Leukemia
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
Introduction: What is Leukemia?
2. Leukemia commonly takes place in the white blood cells which help fight infections and diseases.
3.When a person has leukemia, their bone marrow produces white blood cells that don’t properly function.
What Causes Leukemia?
Who Gets Leukemia?
5. Leukemia, like most other cancers, can be diagnosed in anyone.
6. There are certain factors that can increase one’s chance of getting it though.
7. Leukemia is not genetic, however, if there have been multiple people in one’s family that had this type of cancer, their risk of getting leukemia is increased.
There are multiple types of leukemia; some are more common in adults while others are common in children. The same goes for the likelihood of either gender having leukemia. It is diagnosed mostly in adults over fifty-five. Leukemia is more common for people that have been treated for other cancers because they have been exposed to radiation and people who smoke.
Symptoms
fever
chills
sweating a lot (especially at night)
common fatigue
weakness
persistent or severe infections
swollen or bleeding gums
weight loss (without trying)
swollen lymph nodes or tonsils
enlarged liver or spleen
easy bruising or bleeding
headaches
frequent nosebleeds
small red spots on skin (petechiae)
paleness
bone pain or tenderness
How is Leukemia Diagnosed?
8. A doctor will take a complete blood count to see if a person has leukemia cells.
They will also look for an unusual amount of white and red blood cells. If the test was proven positive, the doctor will then perform a biopsy of the bone marrow to find out what type of leukemia the patient has. The type of leukemia depends on the type of blood cell that becomes cancerous (white or red).
What is the Treatment?
What You Can Do If You Have Leukemia?
If you think you may have leukemia, based on recurring symptoms, contact your doctor as they may be able to help.
If you take any medications and you have leukemia, tell your doctor at your next appointment because it may have an effect on your cancer journey.
Take normal health precautions, like washing your hands often, since some leukemias affect your immune system making it difficult to recover from any other sicknesses.
Try to maintain your weight because you’ll likely handle treatments better.
- Make a diet that fits your needs. This diet shouldn’t cause any symptoms of leukemia to occur or side effects of treatment like nausea and loss of appetite.
Can Leukemia Be Cured?
Certain types of leukemia, like acute leukemia, can be cured with treatment while others, like chronic leukemia, are unlikely to be cured.
Is Leukemia Fatal?
What is the Future of Leukemia?
Citations
"Leukemia." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, n.d. Web. 11 June 2015.
"Leukemia." Hematology. American Society of Hematology, 2015. Web. 11 June 2015.
"Leukemia." Cancer. National Cancer Institute, n.d. Web. 11 June 2015.
Suszynski, Marie. "The Optimal Leukemia Diet." Everyday Health. Everyday Health Media, n.d. Web. 11 June 2015.
"Leukemia." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 June 2015.
Staples, Allegra. "Stanford Scientists Reprogram Dangerous Cancer Cells To Immune Cells." DOGOnews. DOGO Media, n.d. Web. 12 June 2015.
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Friday, June 12, 2015