Leukemia Paper Essay Example

Leukemia is a cancer that affects the bone marrow. The bon marrow is the soft spongy center of the bone that produces blood cells. Leukemia is found in white blood cells or leukocytes. The white blood cells help to fight ff infections and other diseases. Normally, cells produce in an orderly way, but people that have leukemia the cell production gets out of control. The marrow produces too many immature white blood cells called blasts. They are differently shaped and can’t carry out their usual duties. When someone has leukemia the white blood cells that form can not help the body fight off infections. With leukemia people might have frequent infections and have flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills. If the cells multiply and move out into the body, they tend to collect in organs like the liver, or the spleen, it may cause pain and swelling. If the cells collect in the central nervous system, and that may causes headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control, it affects red blood cells and platelets, which cause bleeding problems and a disorder called anemia. This causes the person to look pale and feel weak and tired, also bleed or bruise easily, or find that their gums are swollen or bleeding. Leukemia also causes loss of appetite and/or weight loss; tiny red spots under the skin; sweating, especially at night; and bone or joint pain. The Diagnoses of leukemia starts by going to a doctor usually the doctor will not expect leukemia with the symptoms. But, with those symptoms they start by doing a full physical exam and feel for swelling in the liver, the spleen, and the lymph nodes under the arms, in the groin, and the neck. The doctor will most likely do blood work to determine the number of mature. The blood tests might show the person has leukemia, but not what type it is. A bone marrow aspiration test might be needed to check for the blood cells that cause leukemia and to see what type of leukemia it is. This test is done by inserting a