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Leukemia - What Happens
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
- Topic Overview
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Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When To Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
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- Other Places To Get Help
- References
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Stem cells are made in the bone marrow. Stem cells become:
- White blood cells that help your body fight infection.
- Red blood cells that make sure all your body parts have the oxygen they need.
- Platelets that keep you from bleeding too much.
In most cases of leukemia, there are too many abnormal white blood cells. These leukemia cells crowd out the normal blood cells in your bone marrow and build up in your lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. This makes it hard for your body to fight infections.
When the leukemia cells crowd out your normal cells, your blood cannot do its job. You may bleed or bruise easily, have more infections, and feel very tired. 0
Survival rates are different for each kind of leukemia. A 5-year survival rate is the percentage of people who are still alive 5 years or more after being diagnosed. These numbers do not necessarily show what will happen in your case. The following are estimated 5-year survival rates:1
- For acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 66% in adults and 89% in children
- For acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 23%
- For chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 79%
- For chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), 53%
These numbers come from reports that were done at least 5 years ago, before newer treatments were available. So chances of survival today are likely to be higher than these numbers.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: December 17, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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