Print
Email
SaveHealthline's Premium Tools
Healthline Part D Plan Selector
Medicare's drug plans are subsidized by the US federal government and offered through insurers.
Advertisement
Marketplace
Licensed from
|
Different types of cancer cells behave differently. So they need different types of treatment. If you have leukemia, it is considered either acute or chronic, depending upon how fast the number of leukemia cells increases. And it is either lymphoid or myeloid, depending upon the type of white blood cell that has turned into leukemia. By looking at these factors, a doctor can classify most cases of leukemia into one of these 4 main types of leukemia. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of these types.
|
|
Your doctor may request tests to learn more about your specific type of leukemia and to see if the leukemia is causing any other problems in your body. This will help your doctor decide on the most effective types of treatment for you. You may need one or more of these tests.
|
|
The way a cancer grows is called its pathophysiology. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the only type of leukemia whose pathophysiology is described in terms of well-defined stages.
|
|
A prognosis is a statement about the prospect of surviving and recovering from a disease. It may seem hard to ask, "Can I survive this?” But it's a question most people have when they learn they have leukemia. Unfortunately, there isn't an easy answer.
|
|
Different types of leukemia cells behave differently. They require different types of treatment. If you have leukemia, it is considered either acute or chronic, depending on how fast the number of leukemia cells increases. And it is either lymphoid or myeloid, depending on the type of white blood cell that has turned into leukemia. By looking at these factors, a doctor can classify most cases of leukemia into one of those 4 main types of leukemia. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is one of those types.
|
|
The following 3 tests help confirm the type of leukemia you have and what your prognosis is. A prognosis is a statement about the prospect of surviving and recovering from a disease.
|
|
Your doctor may request tests to learn more about your specific type of leukemia and to see if the leukemia is causing any other problems in your body. This will help your doctor recommend the most effective types of treatment for you. You may need one or more of these tests.
|
|
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare, slow-growing cancer of the blood that affects 4,000 to 5,000 people in the United States every year. The average age of someone with CML is 66. CML is also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia or chronic granulocytic leukemia.
|
|
The way a cancer spreads is called its pathophysiology. Most types of cancer are staged to communicate the size of the tumor and how far the cancer has spread. But leukemia rarely causes tumors. And because it is in your bone marrow and blood, it has already spread all over your body. With CML, doctors describe its stages using these terms: chronic phase, accelerated phase, blast phase, and relapse phase.
|
|
It may sound harsh to ask the question, "Can I survive this?” But it's a question on most people's minds when they are facing a diagnosis of leukemia. And hearing the answer can be just as hard as asking the question.
|
|
When trying to determine your best course of treatment and your prognosis, your doctor will take into account your phase of leukemia, as well as other factors. A prognosis is a statement about the prospect of surviving and recovering from a disease.
|
|
To find out whether you have leukemia, your doctor does a physical examination and other tests. Sometimes a doctor finds leukemia during a routine exam. This can happen when a person doesn't know about a problem because he or she doesn't have symptoms.
|
|
If your doctor thinks you might have leukemia, you will have a special kind of biopsy. For it, your doctor needs a small sample of bone marrow and bone. The doctor takes these from the inside of your pelvic bone. The procedure is called a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. In some cases, the doctor takes an aspiration from the breastbone instead. A pathologist looks at the sample under a microscope. It may take a few days for the results to come back. Then your doctor knows if you have leukemia.
|
|
The cells that were removed for your biopsy are looked at more closely during special tests. These tests help tell what kind of leukemia you have. The type you have affects your choices for treatment.
|
 |
Once you know you have leukemia, your doctor will likely do more tests. Most people need more than one.
|
|
Leukemia is different from other types of cancer. Most cancers begin as a tumor and spread to other parts of the body. How large the tumor is and how far the cancer spreads determines the stage of the cancer. But leukemia doesn't begin as a tumor. It is in your blood, which means it is already moving throughout your body.
|
|
It's normal to worry about what leukemia will mean for you and your family. You may wonder, "What are my chances of being cured?” and "How long will I live?” The answers to these questions are what you may hear healthcare experts call your prognosis. This is the likely outcome, or course, of your leukemia. Your doctor considers how likely these outcomes are for you when making your prognosis.
|
 |
 |
Home | About | Health Experts | Careers | Site Map | Feedback | Help | Health Tools | Tell a Friend
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2005 - 2008 Healthline Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.