What causes acute leukemia and what are its symptoms

Acute leukemia is a type of tumor that originates in the human bone marrow. It is a serious disease and has a high chance of death if not treated. Acute leukemia is more common in children and seriously endangers the healthy growth of newborns. So what causes this severe acute leukemia? How can we judge whether we have leukemia based on the symptoms in our daily life?

How does acute leukemia occur?

The cause of acute leukemia is still unclear, but there is a lot of evidence that it is related to certain viral infections, or excessive exposure to radioactive substances and certain chemicals such as benzene. However, external factors always work through internal factors, so the patient's own low immune function is the main condition for the onset of the disease. Strengthening physical fitness can reduce the invasion of carcinogenic factors.

1. Radiation factors: There is conclusive evidence that various ionizing radiation conditions can cause human leukemia, such as X-rays and r-rays. The occurrence of leukemia depends on the dose of radiation absorbed by the human body, with the whole body or part of the body receiving moderate doses.

2. Genetic factors: The incidence of leukemia in people with chromosomal abnormalities is higher than that in normal people. For example, the incidence of leukemia in children with trisomy 21 before the age of 10 is 1/74, and the incidence of Fanconi syndrome within the age of 21 is 1/12. When a family member develops leukemia, the chance of his or her close relatives developing the disease is more than four times higher than the average person. These facts show that the cause of leukemia may be related to genetics. Recent studies have confirmed that numerical abnormalities such as an increase or decrease in the number of chromosomes, as well as structural abnormalities such as translocation, inversion, and deletion, can cause abnormalities in the structure and expression of genes. Gene expression and/or gene inactivation is one of the bases of cell malignancy.

What are the symptoms of acute leukemia?

1. Enlargement of the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes: In acute lymphocytic leukemia, enlargement of the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes is more obvious, while in chronic myeloid leukemia, enlargement of the spleen is more obvious.

2. Anemia: It is the most common early symptom and may progressively worsen. The child's complexion and skin mucous membranes are pale, he is weak and has a poor appetite.

3. Fever: This is the most common first symptom. Due to the lack of normal white blood cells, especially mature granulocytes, the body's normal defense function is impaired, so infection can cause fever.

4. Bleeding: More than half of the children have bleeding to varying degrees, mainly manifested as bleeding in the nasal mucosa, oral cavity, gums and skin. In severe cases, internal organs and intracranial bleeding occur, which can often result in the death of the child.

5. Leukemia cells infiltrate the central nervous system: Meningeal leukemia may occur, and the child will experience headaches, nausea, vomiting, and even convulsions and coma.

Is having leukemia a death sentence?

Leukemia is a type of cancer, but it is not a terminal illness. For some types of leukemia, such as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML), about 85% of patients survive at least 5 years; almost half of patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) under the age of 60 also survive at least 5 years; and childhood cancers are often more curable than adult tumors. Overall five-year survival rate is a term often used in cancer statistics. For some cancers, if there is no recurrence within five years of initial diagnosis, the chance of recurrence after that is very small.

Can chemotherapy not cure leukemia? Is bone marrow transplantation the best option for leukemia?

Chemotherapy is the main treatment for leukemia. This drug treatment uses chemicals to kill leukemia cells. Stem cell transplantation involves first using high-dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy to destroy the diseased bone marrow, and then injecting hematopoietic stem cells to help the patient rebuild the bone marrow. In addition to chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation, common leukemia treatments include biological therapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, etc. The specific treatment plan should be determined by the doctor based on factors such as the patient's age, overall health, type of leukemia, whether it has spread to other parts of the body, etc. Never believe in traditional medicine that has not been scientifically verified and so-called "secret recipes" or "prescriptions" from the folks, so as not to delay or interfere with regular treatment.