Leukemia means cancer that affects blood cells. Leukemia begins inside the bone marrow, where blood cell production takes place. There are different types of blood cells but leukemia usually targets white blood cells. These white blood cells fight infections. When these cells begin to grow abnormally, it impairs their infection-fighting function. Leukemia can be chronic or acute. Chronic leukemia develops at a slower pace than acute leukemia. Further classification of leukemia is based on the type of blood cells affected by the disease. The leukemia that targets white blood cells (lymphocytes) is called lymphocytic leukemia. Myelogenous leukemia targets red blood cells, granulocytes or platelets. Types of Leukemia Based on different classifications of the disease, there are several types of leukemia. • Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) This is the most commonly-occurring leukemia. It mostly occurs in children but can affect anyone. • Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) This type of leukemia can affect people of all groups but most commonly is seen in adults. • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) It can develop in adults without manifesting any signs of the disease for long periods of time. • Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) The symptoms may not show for years but then escalate quickly.

Cancer can be a deadly disease which leaves people with many complications if they do manage to undergo treatment to get over the same. There are many kinds of this disease which can afflict many people in many different ways, the world over. Leukemia is a kind of cancer that affects the body and the blood, in particular. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia is a kind of cancer that affects the blood and the bone marrow of the patient. Let us find out more about the same. • Causes: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia is a slowly progressing disease which can remain with you for your entire life, despite numerous measures and treatments. With effective treatment, it may simply go into remission, but it never really leaves the body. There are many causes which can trigger the rise of this disease. While most other forms of cancer emanate from faulty genes and a family history of that kind of cancer, or even constant smoking, drinking and other such lifestyle choices, chronic Myelogenous Leukemia springs from exposure to radiation which may have been conducted at very high levels. • Symptoms: The symptoms of this disease will depend on the various phases of the same. The three basic phases of this disease include the chronic phase, the accelerated phase and the blastic phase.

Cancer can affect any part of your body. Chronic myelogenous leukaemia refers to the type of cancer that attacks the bone marrow and blood cells. This is also known as chronic myeloid leukaemia. This type of cancer usually affects elderly people. In cases of chronic myelogenous leukaemia, genetic abnormalities in the blood cells cause chromosomes to switch places and create abnormal connections. The white blood cells created as a result of this are known as leukaemia cells. There is no known cause for this chromosomal abnormality but being exposed to radiation can increase a person’s risk of suffering from this condition. There are three stages of chronic myelogenous leukaemia; the chronic phase, accelerated phase, and blastic phase. Progression of the disease from one stage to another is usually very slow. Of these, the chronic phase is the first stage of cancer and is the easiest to treat. Most people do not show any symptoms of cancer in this stage. In the second phase, the number of unhealthy white blood cells increases. Symptoms that begin appearing in the accelerated phase include: • Fatigue • Persistent fever • Easy bruising • Excessive sweating at night • Shortness of breath • Unexplained weight loss • Loss of appetite • Swelling and pain on the left side of the abdomen • Pain in the bones • Stroke • Change in vision • Ringing sensation in the ears • Prolonged erections In the third phase or blastic phase, the leukaemia cells begin to crowd out healthy white blood cells and platelets.

Leukemia is a type of cancer that begins in the blooding-forming tissues of the body such as the bone marrow. The cancer causes white blood cells to grow abnormally. The exact cause of leukemia is not known. Some risk factors include genetics, exposure to certain chemicals and radiation or bone marrow disorders. Types of leukemia Leukemia that progresses slowly is termed as chromic leukemia and if the disease progresses rapidly, it is referred to as acute leukemia. Leukemia is also classified depending on the type of blood cell affected by the disease. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) affects a type of white blood cell called lymphocyte and develops at a faster rate. Chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL) affects lymphocytes and develops slowly. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) affects a type of white blood cells known as granulocytes and develops fast. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) affects granulocytes and develops slowly. Symptoms of leukemia Leukemia symptoms begin to appear as the production of white blood cells is disturbed in the bone marrow. The lack of white blood cells in the body can lead to the following symptoms Frequent or persistent infections are a classic sign of leukemia as white blood cells stop functioning properly due to the cancer.