A Closer Look at Leukemia
What exactly is leukemia? The answer is: it is a cancer of the blood.
Blood is composed of three types of cells-red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets-and plasma, the fluid in which these cells float.
Leukemia occurs when hematopoietic stem cells produced in the bone marrow (bone marrow) grow abnormally and become leukemic cells.
Types of Leukemia
Leukemia can be broadly divided into two types, depending on the “cancerous” nature of the leukemia cells and the speed at which the disease progresses.
Acute leukemia: In this disease, leukemia cells rapidly proliferate and destroy normal blood cells.
If treatment is not initiated as soon as possible, the disease can be fatal.
Acute leukemia occurs most often in childhood, but adults can also develop the disease.
Chronic leukemia: A disease in which leukemia cells slowly proliferate and gradually degrade the function of normal blood cells.
It progresses more slowly than acute leukemia, but without treatment, the leukemia cells proliferate further, increasing the likelihood that the disease will progress to acute leukemia.
→Chronic leukemia occurs more frequently in adults.
Symptoms of Leukemia
Symptoms of leukemia depend on the type of leukemia, the degree of progression, and the patient’s general condition,
They depend on the type of leukemia, the degree of progression, and the patient’s general condition.
Symptoms are summarized below.
Symptoms of anemia
Fatigue
Pale complexion
Dizziness
Shortness of breath
headache
Symptoms of infection
Fever
Common cold
mouth ulcers
Skin infection
Bleeding Symptoms
Gingival bleeding
Nasal bleeding
Subcutaneous bleeding
Bloody stools
Other symptoms
Enlarged liver and spleen
Enlarged lymph nodes
bone pain
Causes of Leukemia
The exact cause of leukemia is not known,
It is believed to be caused by a complex combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
Genetic factors: People with chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome and certain genetic mutations are at increased risk of developing leukemia.
Environmental factors: Exposure to radiation, exposure to chemicals, and certain infections (such as EB virus infection) may increase the risk of leukemia.
Lifestyle: Smoking has been shown to increase the risk of acute myeloid leukemia. It is best not to smoke if possible.
Treatment of Leukemia
The treatment of leukemia is,
vary, depending on the “type” of leukemia, the degree of progression, and the patient’s general condition,
The main treatment methods include the following
Chemotherapy → drug therapy using anticancer agents to kill leukemia cells
Radiation therapy → high energy radiation therapy to kill leukemia cells
Bone marrow transplantation → transplanting bone marrow from a donor so that leukemia cells are replaced by normal bone marrow cells
Medical System and Treatment Methods
After suffering from leukemia, one’s life depends largely on the medical system.
In developed countries, there are more opportunities to receive the latest treatments and survival rates are higher.
In developing countries, on the other hand, many patients do not have access to proper treatment due to the lack of medical systems, and survival rates may be lower.
Treatment options and effectiveness may vary by country or region.
After having leukemia
After suffering from leukemia varies greatly, depending on the “type of leukemia,” the “degree of progression,” and the treatment,
Thanks to advances in modern treatment technology, a cure can be expected in many cases.
Age of Onset of Leukemia and Gender Differences
Leukemia can occur in all age groups, but is more common in children and the elderly.
Childhood: Acute lymphocytic leukemia, in particular, is the most common leukemia in childhood.
Elderly: Chronic myelogenous leukemia, in particular, is the most common leukemia in the elderly.
The gender difference depends on the type of leukemia.
Acute leukemia: There is little difference between men and women.
Chronic leukemia: Men have a slightly higher incidence than women.
Differences in Leukemia between Japanese and Foreign Nationals
Leukemia is a blood cancer,
It is a cancer of the blood and affects people all over the world, not just the Japanese.
There are some differences in the incidence of leukemia between Japanese and non-Japanese, the types of leukemia, and the aftermath of the disease.
Overall Incidence
The Japanese have a slightly lower incidence of leukemia than the global average.
According to 2020 data, there are approximately 20,000 new cases of leukemia per year in Japan, which equates to approximately 20 cases per 100,000 people.
In contrast, the annual number of new cases of leukemia in the world is about 3 million, or about 40 per 100,000 people.
Childhood Leukemia
There is no significant difference in the incidence of childhood leukemia between Japan, Europe, and the United States.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common childhood leukemia, accounting for about 75% of all childhood leukemias in Japan, Europe, and the United States.
Adult Leukemia
With regard to adult leukemia, there are differences in incidence rates between Japan, Europe, and the United States.
In particular, the incidence of chronic myelogenous leukemia is said to be lower in Japan than in the West.
On the other hand, the incidence of acute myeloid leukemia is almost the same in Japan as in the West.
Race
Racial differences in the incidence, type, and prognosis of leukemia may also exist.
At this time, however, there is not enough research on the relationship between race and leukemia.
I hope this article will be of some help to you.
