Leukemia
Leukemia refers to a group of red bone marrow cancers in which abnormal white blood cells multiply without control. The gathering of the cancerous white blood cells in red bone marrow interferes with the growth of red blood cells, white blood cells and the platelets. Thus the oxygen carrying capability of the blood lessens, and a person is more prone to infection, and blood clotting is abnormal. In most leukemia’s the cancerous white blood cells spread to the liver, spleen and lymph nodes causing them to enlarge. All leukemia’s show usual symptoms of anemia and also there is occurrence of weight loss, fever, night sweats, excessive bleeding and recurrent infections.
Some causes of leukemia are listed as under-
1) Exposure to radiation or chemotherapy for other cancers
2) Genetic disorders like Down syndrome
3) Smoking
4) Microbes like lymphoma virus 1
Treatment includes-
1) Chemotherapy
2) Stem cell transplantation
3) Radiation
4) Blood transfusion
5) Interferon
6) Antibodies