Leukemia begins in the bone marrow and spreads to other parts of the body. Both children and adults can develop leukemia and at this time there is no real means of prevention for the disease.
Causes of leukemia are unknown, but researchers believe that smoking accounts for 20% of a type of leukemia that affects adults called adult acute myelocytic leukemia (AML).Radiation exposure is another factor of leukemia development.
A Quick Lesson About Blood
In order to understand leukemia better, it is helpful to know a little bit about blood.
Blood is composed of three different parts:
- Red blood cells
- White blood cells
- Platelets
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells carry oxygen away from the lungs to other parts in the body. They also carry away carbon dioxide, as well. Carbon dioxide is a waste product from cells. A condition called anemia, is caused by a shortage of red blood cells. Anemia produces fatigue, shortness of breath, and general weakness.
White Blood Cells
White blood cells fight off foreign bodies like infections, bacteria and germs. They also have the ability to fight cancer.
Platelets
Under a microscope platelets resemble plates, thus the name "platelets". Platelets aid in the prevention of bleeding caused by bruises and cuts. Platelets are tiny pieces that have broken off from bone marrow cells.
Bone Marrow
Inside of our bones there is a spongy type of material called bone marrow. Bone marrow is a factory for all different types of blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). When we are born, bone marrow is found in almost all of our bones, but as we grow it is only found in certain bones.
All bone marrow cells are formed from a stem cell. A stem cell is an cell in its early stage, that will later on become turn into one of two different cells: lymphocytes, or myeloid stem cells.
These stem cells are not to be confused with the embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells form tissues. The cells we are discussing only involve cellular change.
There are several different types of lekemia. What type of cell is excessive in the body defines what kind of leukemia a person has developed.
