Leukemia
Also known as: blood cancer, AML, ALL, CML, CLL
A cancer of the white blood cells that begins in the bone marrow.
Definition
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, where abnormal white blood cells multiply uncontrollably and crowd out the normal cells. Patients may present with fatigue from anemia, bruising or bleeding from low platelets, and infections from neutropenia.
The four main types are acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), each with very different behaviour and treatment. Diagnosis relies on the CBC, blood film, flow cytometry and a bone-marrow biopsy. Treatment may include chemotherapy, targeted therapy (such as TKIs for CML), immunotherapy and stem-cell transplantation.
See also
- Hematologic Malignancy — A cancer that arises in the blood, bone marrow or lymphatic system.
- Bone Marrow Biopsy — A procedure that samples the spongy tissue inside a bone to look for blood-cell disorders.
- Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) — Oral targeted drugs that block specific growth signals inside cancer cells.
- Stem Cell Transplant — Replacing diseased or damaged bone marrow with healthy blood-forming stem cells.
- Neutropenia — A low neutrophil count that increases the risk of serious infection during chemotherapy.
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Medically reviewed by
Dr. Rehan Abdullah
Dr. Rehan Abdullah is a dual-trained clinical and radiation oncologist with over a decade of experience treating both solid tumours and hematologic malignancies. He serves as Consultant Oncologist at INMOL Hospital and sees patients at Farooq Hospital and Healthnox Medical Center, Lahore. Read full profile →
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