A Leukemia test is typically done
to diagnose blood cancer. Leukemia is increasingly becoming one of the most
common types of cancer that is affecting the lives of millions across the
globe. The cancer type is quite fatal in nature and treating it an early stage
is the only way to present a person from losing his/her life.
Types of Leukemia
Typically, there are four
different types of leukemia:-
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia- It mostly affects adults and men rather than children and women. It develops at a very fast pace generally from a fever and breathing problems. Chemotherapy and bone marrow are the two treatment options.
- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia- Gene mutation is what causes this disease to cause cancer in adults. Gleevec is the type of therapy targeted towards the patients.
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia-The young population is generally seen to be affected by this third type of leukemia. It also affects adults but only after the age of 65 years.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia- The last subtype is seen in adult men and not in women or children. The patients have a 5% survival rate after the treatment.
Tests for Leukemia
There are 3 types of tests which
aid in detecting and diagnosing leukemia. They are as follows-:
- Physical Test- Doctors checks for pale skin, swelled lymph nodes and liver or spleen enlargement.
- Blood Tests- They are generally the first and the foremost ways to test whether a person has signs of leukemia or not.
- Bone Marrow Test- The most painful is the third type of test. A small piece of bone marrow is removed from the patient's hipbone using a needle.
X-rays, CT Scans, Lumbar
Puncture, Brain MRI and biopsy are other leukemia test done to check for the
presence of blood cancer.
Treatment Procedures
The type of leukemia the patient
suffers from also determines the type of treatment therapies and procedures
he/she would go through. The top 5 methods to kick the leukemia out of the
patient's body are-:
- Chemotherapy- Painful but effective is what chemotherapy is all about. Injections or pills are given in this procedure. Starting from being easy it is intensified as the procedure ends.
- Radiation therapy- X-rays or other high-power rays are used to vandalize the leukemia cells.
- Biological therapy- Treatments to attack the leukemia cells by making the immune system recognize them is the main step.
- Targeted therapy- As the name suggests, this therapy targets specific areas with drugs and medicines to flush the leukemia cells out of the body.
- Stem Cell Transplant- Replacement of affected bone marrow with a new one is done after intensive chemo and radiation therapies.
Leukemia is a very dangerous
disease and as soon as your body starts showing signs and symptoms of leukemia,
don’t hold yourself back from getting tested and treated. Delay in getting
treated can cost you your life.
