Different
Types of Leukemia
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
Acute lymphocytic leukemia, also called acute lymphoblastic
leukemia and acute lymphoid leukemia, is a common leukemia.
About 4,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United
States. Most cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occur
in children under age 10, but it can appear in all age groups.
ALL is an acute leukemia, which means it is a disease that worsens
quickly.
ALL is not inherited. It is caused by a change in the cells
in the bone marrow. In most cases the cause is unknown but a
few environmental factors are linked with ALL such as high doses
of radiation and exposure to toxins before birth or in early
childhood.
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myeloid
or chronic myelocytic leukemia, is a relatively uncommon leukemia,
with about 5,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United
States. Most cases of CML occur in adults, but about 2 percent
of all CML cases occur in children. Although, CML is not an
inherited, it has a genetic component.
It is caused by a change in a chromosome called the Philadelphia
chromosome in bone marrow cells that leads to overproduction
of white blood cells. As the "chronic" in its name
implies, CML usually develops slowly, although it can progress
to a fast-growing "accelerated phase." Although chemotherapy
can induce long periods of remission (periods when white blood
cell counts and symptoms are reduced), stem cell transplantation
is currently the only known cure for CML.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form
of adult leukemia, accounting for approximately 7,000 new
cases a year in the United States. Men are twice as likely
to develop CLL as women. The key risk factor is age: over
75 percent of CLL cases are diagnosed after age sixty.
CLL is a progressive disease for which no cure is available.
The cancer produces abnormal white blood cells that are very
long-lived. Instead of the rapid accumulation of white blood
cells that characterizes acute forms of the disease, CLL cells
are thought to slowly accumulate because of a longer life
span. Eventually, the leukemic cells crowd out healthy white
blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells.
Because the cancer progresses at such a slow rate, and given
the lack of a cure, treatment is usually delayed until symptoms
develop. Watchful waiting, or the careful monitoring of progression
and symptoms, is often recommended.
Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL)
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is an uncommon cancer of the blood.
It can be one of the causes of low numbers of normal blood
cells. The disease is caused by the abnormal growth of B cells
that can look "hairy" under the microscope because
they have fine projections coming from their surface.
The cause of this disease is unknown. It affects men 5 times
more often than women, and the average age of onset is 55.
Hairy cell leukemia is rare and only accounts for about 2%
of the leukemias diagnosed each year.
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Leukemia Cancer Information