It affects the digestive tract, lungs, Kidneys or other parts of the body and can also collect in the testicles causing edema and swelling. It is one of the most common cancers of children, although it isn't just a children's disease, as many people think.

It is newly diagnosed in about 29,000 adults and 2000 children each year in the United States and has four main types and many sub-types of which only some of them are common among children.

Leukemia that has spread to the brain may produce central nervous system effects, such as headaches, seizures, weakness, blurred vision, balance difficulties, or vomiting and the disease, or the chemotherapy used to treat it, can cause anemia.

ACUTE LEUKEMIA: In its acute form it is characterized by the rapid increase of immature blood cells, but is potentially curable; However only a small number of patients are cured using todays therapy. It begins with one or a few white blood cells that have a lost or damaged DNA sequence and becomes worse quickly and may make you feel sick right away.

It tends to develop suddenly, whereas some chronic varieties may exist for years before they are even diagnosed. Immediate treatment is required due to the rapid progression and accumulation of the malignant cells, which then spill over into the bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body.

Although acute leukemia must be treated immediately, chronic forms are sometimes monitored for some time before treatment begins to ensure maximum effectiveness of therapy.

CHRONIC LEUKEMIA: Chronic leukemia is recognized by excessive build up of relatively mature, but still abnormal, blood cells and can go undetected for many years until it is identified in a routine blood test. It is more common between the ages of 40 and 70 and rarely occurs among young people.

It tends to gets worse slowly and may not cause symptoms for years. Like many other cancers, it is a disease of old age. Doctors often find chronic leukemia during a routine checkup, before there are any noticeable symptoms. In adults, the acute forms occur in those of all ages, whereas the chronic varieties tend to occur in people older than 40 years. Although slow-growing chronic leukemia may also be seen in children, it is very rare, accounting for fewer than 50 cases in children each year in the United States.

TREATMENT: Treatment of leukemia is complex and it depends on your age and health, the type and how far it has spread. Treatment is generally considered necessary when the patient shows signs and symptoms such as low blood cell counts. In general, ALL treatment is divided into several phases. In children, an intensive 6-month treatment program is needed after induction, followed by 2 years of maintenance chemotherapy.

For low risk children, standard treatment usually consists of 3 drugs (prednisone, L-asparaginase, and vincristine) for the first month of treatment. Higher risk patients receive higher drug doses plus treatment with extra chemotherapy drugs. Follow up treatment for all patients usually consists of supportive care, such as intravenous nutrition and treatment with antibiotics taken orally.

In general, the indications for treatment are: declining hemoglobin or platelet count, progression to advance stages of the disease, painful and disease related over-growth of lymph nodes or spleen, lymphocyte doubling time (an indicator of lymphocyte reproduction) occuring in less than twelve months. The over all strategy is to control bone marrow and total body disease while using specific treatment for the central nervous system (CNS), when necessary. Maintenance treatments may be used to prevent re-ocurrence of the disease once remission has been accomplished. Regardless the plan or strategy, it is very important for the patient to understand the treatment that he or she is receiving and the reasons behind it.

CONCLUSION: Leukemia is a cancer of blood forming cells in the bone marrow. These cells crowd out other types of cells produced by the bone marrow, including red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body, and platelets, which are used to form blood clots.

Leukemia cells can spread to the lymph nodes and various other organs causing swelling and or pain and can also accumulate in the kidney, liver and spleen, causing enlargement of these organs. These cells also can affect the lungs and other parts of the body. Acute forms can occur in both children and young adults. Chronic forms usually occurs in older people, but can theoretically occur in any age group.

To date there is no single known cause for all of the different types of leukemia. Studies have linked exposure to chemicals, such as benzene, and hair dyes to the development of some forms of the disease. Viruses have been linked to other forms. Until the cause or causes are discovered, there is no known way to prevent the occurrence of Leukemia. As of 1998, it is estimated that each year, approximately 30,800 individuals will be diagnosed with Leukemia in the United States and 21,700 persons will die of the disease.