Different Types and Symptoms of Leukemia
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that causes abnormal development of the white blood cells (WBCs). WBCs are disease and infection-fighting components of the blood. Excessive and abnormal growth of cancerous WBCs crowd out the normal functioning cells in the body. Here is a list of the symptoms of different types of leukemia and the types of leukemia you should know about. Types of leukemia 1. Acute myelogenous leukemia Also called AML, this is one of the most common types of leukemia that mostly affects children and adults. In the United States, about 21,000 cases are diagnosed every year. The five-year survival rate for AML is less than 30%. 2. Chronic myelogenous leukemia Also called CML, this type of leukemia affects adults over 65 years of age and has a slightly better survival rate of about 66%. About 8,900 new cases are diagnosed every year. 3. Acute lymphocytic leukemia Also called ALL, this is a type of leukemia that affects children and teenagers. More than 50% of cases are diagnosed in individuals under the age of 20. About 5,900 cases are identified every year. The symptoms of different types of leukemia vary depending on the severity of the condition.