THE TYPES OF LEUKEMIA

The types of leukemia include :

Grouped by how quickly the disease develops and gets worse.

Chronic leukemia

Early in the disease, the abnormal blood cells can still dotheir work, and people with chronic leukemia may not have any symptoms. Slowly,chronic leukemia gets worse. It causes symptoms as the number of leukemia cellsin the blood rises.

Hairy cell leukemia isa rare type of chronic leukemia. This booklet does not deal with hairy cellleukemia or other rare types of leukemia.

Acute leukemia

The blood cells are very abnormal. They cannot carry outtheir normal work. The number of abnormal cells increases rapidly. Acuteleukemia worsens quickly.

Grouped by the type of white blood cell that is affected.

Leukemia can arise in lymphoid cells or myeloid cells. Leukemia that affects lymphoid cells iscalled lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia that affects myeloid cellsis called myeloid leukemia ormyelogenous leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia ( chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, CLL )

Accounts for about 7,000 new cases of leukemia each year.Most often, people diagnosed with the disease are over age 55. It almost neveraffects children.

Chronic myeloid leukemia ( chronic myelogenous leukemia, CML )

Accounts for about 4,400 new cases of leukemia each year. Itaffects mainly adults.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia ( acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL )

Accounts for about 3,800 new cases of leukemia each year. Itis the most common type of leukemia in young children. It also affects adults.

Acute myeloid leukemia ( acute myelogenous leukemia, AML )

Accounts for about 10,600 new cases of leukemia each year.It occurs in both adults and children.

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