Leukemia, often known as blood cancer, is something we hear about a lot these days. But not too long ago, it wasn’t as common in conversations. Did you know that leukemia can affect anyone, not just children? Many people think of leukemia as a childhood disease, but the truth is, it can happen to adults too. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, and it doesn’t discriminate by age. Whether you’re young or old, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms, so you can catch it early and get the right treatment. Let’s take a closer look at what leukemia is and how it can impact people of all ages.
What is Leukemia?
Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells (also called leukocytes or WBCs) fight infections and other diseases. Here’s an easy way to grasp it:
- Blood Basics: Your blood is made up of several types of cells, including red blood cells (which transport oxygen), white blood cells (which fight infections), and platelets (which aid in clotting).
- Bone Marrow: The bone marrow functions like a factory, producing these blood cells.
- What Happens in Leukemia: In leukemia, the bone marrow starts making a large number of abnormal white blood cells. These cells don’t work properly to fight infections and can crowd out the normal blood cells.
- Symptoms: Because of this, people with leukemia may feel very tired, get infections often, bruise or bleed easily, and may experience other symptoms like fever or weight loss.
- Types: There are different types of leukemia, depending on which blood cells are affected and how quickly the disease progresses. Some types are more common in children, while others are more common in adults.
- Treatment: Treatment for leukemia often includes chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells), radiation therapy, and sometimes a bone marrow transplant (replacing the diseased bone marrow with healthy marrow).
- Identifying diagnosis: Regular health checkups are important for overall health, but they usually include standard screenings and tests that may not uncover leukemia unless signs are present. However, if someone develops symptoms that could indicate leukemia, such as unexplained exhaustion, recurrent infections, easy bruising or bleeding, or unexplained weight loss, they should consult a doctor right once, regardless of when their last exam was.
What Study Says about Leukemia in Adults?
Leukemia can make anyone sick, whether they’re kids or grown-ups. Usually, it’s found more in older folks, around 70 years old on average. But it’s also the most common cancer for kids below 15, making up about 30% of all cancers they get. In America, around 3,000 kids get leukemia every year, especially those between 2 to 6 years old. Boys and white kids are more likely to get leukemia compared to girls and kids of other races.
According to the American Cancer Society, adults are more prone to leukemia than children. Leukemia has different types, and some are more common in certain age groups. It’s seen more in boys than girls. There are different kinds of leukemia that affect different age groups:
- ALL is most common in kids between 2 to 8 years.
- AML can occur at any age, but mostly seen in kids below 2 and teenagers.
- CML is commonly found in teenagers.
- JMML affects babies and little kids.
Survival Rates:
A 2018 study indicated that adults in the United States had improved their chances of surviving five years with leukemia over the past 30 years. It increased from 33% in 1975 to 59% in 2005. In 2018, around 6.9 out of every 100,000 persons developed leukemia, with a lifetime risk of 1.5%.
Treatment Results:
A study in 2024 discovered that people with a kind of leukemia called acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) do the best and have the highest chance of staying alive when they get treated at a special center that knows a lot about the illness. Even though adults don’t get ALL as much as kids, they are more likely to die from it because of how the disease works and because they might be frailer.
Things that Make Leukemia More Likely:
Studies have shown that some things make it more likely for someone to get leukemia, like:
- Having had cancer treatment before, especially radiation or chemotherapy
- Smoking or being near people who smoke
- Being around certain chemicals used in factories
Other Leukemia Studies:
There are also other studies going on about leukemia, like:
- Figuring out what changes in genes are common in different types of leukemia
- Finding out what happens to parts of chromosomes in leukemia
- In early 2023, the FDA approved a new medicine called zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) for people with a kind of leukemia called CLL, when it comes back after they’ve already been treated once.
What Causes Leukemia?
Leukemia is a complex disease, and the specific cause is unknown. However, a number of variables may contribute to its development:
- Genetic mutations: Changes in the DNA of blood cells, particularly in genes that control cell growth and division, can cause leukemia. These mutations may develop spontaneously or be inherited.
- Radiation exposure: High amounts of ionizing radiation, such as those used in radiation therapy or atomic bomb blasts, have been associated to an increased risk of developing leukemia.
- Chemical exposure: Certain chemicals, such as benzene and formaldehyde, can increase the chance of getting leukemia.
- Certain medical treatments: Some chemotherapy drugs and certain types of cancer treatments can increase the risk of developing leukemia as a secondary cancer.
- Viral infections: In some cases, viral infections, such as the human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1) or the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), have been associated with an increased risk of developing certain types of leukemia.
- Family history: While most cases of leukemia occur sporadically, having a family history of the disease may slightly increase the risk.
It is crucial to remember that not everyone who is exposed to these risk factors will acquire leukemia, and leukemia can occur in people who have no recognized risk factors. Furthermore, different forms of leukemia may have distinct underlying causes. Ongoing research seeks to better understand the intricate interplay of genetic, environmental, and other factors in the genesis of leukemia.
References
- Kids Health – https://kidshealth.org/ – Leukemia
- Mayo Clinic – https://www.mayoclinic.org/ – Leukemia
- Cleveland Clinic – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/- Leukemia
