Cancer On Internet

Approximately 50% of the thirty thousand Americans who are diagnosed with leukemia every year will have acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is an acute form of leukemia that involves the cells of the myeloid lineage, or will have acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), an acute form of leukemia that affects the cells of the lymphoid lineage, which includes T and B lymphocytes.

Acute leukemia is very dangerous since the progression of this type is very rapid, with survival time being measured only in months if there is no immediate treatment. But how should one know if the leukemia is acute before it’s too late?

Unsurprisingly, the symptoms of acute leukemia are the same as the symptoms of normal leukemia, varying only in frequency and degree. Among these are the following:

1. Anemia or lowering of iron count in the blood.

2. Unexplainable and random headaches that seem to range from mild to extremely painful.

3. Sudden weight loss and lack of appetite

4. Small red spots that seem to show under the person’s skin, called petechiae.

5. Wounds that are easily infected or prone to infection.

6. Frequent stomach pains.

The above examples can also show up due to other reasons that are not related to leukemia, some of them coming from common and relatively harmless afflictions such as cold or flu, so it is still important to ask physicians for a more thorough examination. However, if most or all of the above symptoms have been experienced, it is advisable to seek help as soon as possible.