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Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chance of getting leukemia, of surviving a certain period of time, or of being cured. However, statistics show what happens to large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, statistics can't be used to predict what will happen to a particular person.
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Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming cells. It begins in your bone marrow. That's the spongy substance inside your bones that makes blood cells. The cancer spreads quickly to the blood and, over time, to other organs and parts of the body. Leukemia is not a single disease. It is complex, consisting of several types and subtypes, each with a different treatment plan and prognosis. The type you have, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is a slowly growing type that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes.
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Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chance of getting leukemia, of surviving for a certain time period, or of being cured. However, statistics show what happens to large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, statistics can't be used to predict what will happen to any one person.
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Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming cells. It begins in your bone marrow. That's the spongy substance inside your bones that makes blood cells. The cancer spreads quickly to the blood and, over time, to other organs and parts of the body. Leukemia is not a single disease. There are several types, each with a different treatment plan and prognosis. The type you have, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), is a slowly spreading type that occurs when immature white blood cells, called blasts, are released into the bloodstream.
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Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chances of getting cancer or of being cured. Statistics show what happens with large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, statistics cannot be used to know or predict what will happen to a particular person.
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Certain factors can make one person more likely to get leukemia than another person. These are called risk factors. Although such risk factors do exist, a person who has one or more risk factors will not necessarily get leukemia. In fact, a person can have all the risk factors and still not get leukemia, or he or she can have no known risk factors and still get the disease.
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Normal white blood cells help the body fight infections. Because leukemia cells are abnormal, they do not function as normal cells do. People with leukemia often find out about their disease because they may have fevers and infections.
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To better understand what is happening inside you, it helps to learn about the basic makeup of your blood. Your blood is a vital part of your body. It contains proteins, hormones, antibodies, and nutritional products, including sugars and fats. The blood circulates these substances throughout your body's veins and arteries. Your blood also contains these 3 types of living cells.
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The hallmark of leukemia is often an increase in the number of white blood cells. It's ironic that mass production of white blood cells--your body's infection fighters--actually causes you harm. The problem is that the white blood cells made when you have leukemia may not function normally. When your body makes too many leukemic white blood cells, it doesn't make enough normal ones to fight infection. This decrease in the strength of your immune system is called immunosuppression. A weaker immune system means you are at a greater risk of getting both common infections you encounter in everyday life as well as uncommon ones.
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You have just been told, "You have leukemia.” With these 3 words, you may feel that your world has stopped. It's scary to hear. However, knowledge is powerful. It can help make a difference in how you handle your experience with leukemia.
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