Understanding Leukemia: Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

Leukemia is a blood cancer impacting the bone marrow, where blood cells are produced. It mainly affects white blood cells, disrupting their ability to fight infections. The disease presents with various symptoms, which can differ based on the leukemia type. Some forms show no early signs, while others progress rapidly. Recognizable symptoms include night sweats, fever, fatigue, weight loss, frequent infections, bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, abdominal discomfort, headaches, easy bruising, shortness of breath, and tiny skin spots called petechiae. When the central nervous system is involved, symptoms like nausea, confusion, seizures, and muscle control issues may occur. Leukemia can also damage organs such as lungs, heart, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.

Causes and Risk Factors

The exact origins of leukemia remain unclear, but factors like genetic changes and environmental exposures are believed to contribute. It develops when DNA in a bone marrow cell mutates, causing abnormal functioning. Increased risks are linked to previous cancer treatments like radiation or chemotherapy, genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and neurofibromatosis, family history of leukemia, exposure to chemicals like benzene found in gasoline and industrial processes, and smoking cigarettes, which elevates the risk of acute myelogenous leukemia.