Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer that occurs in the bone marrow, which comes from the abnormal growth of blast cells with unknown cause. The non-stop division of these cells can disturb the production of normal blood cells of the bone marrow. The red blood cells, normal white blood cells, and platelets will reduce, which cause the patient to have anemia, abnormal bleeding, bruising, and greater chance of infections. Moreover, the cancer cells can accumulate in other organs, such as the liver, spleen, and lymph node, which causes the patient to have enlarged lymph node, liver, or spleen. Acute leukemia is considered to be a highly severe cancer, which can be found in all genders and ages, and is common in the elderly. 1 in 10 cancer diagnosis in Thailand is leukemia. Because the abnormal blood cells disturb the production of other types of blood cells, the following symptoms can occur: Reduction of red blood cells, which might cause the patient to have symptoms of anemia, such as fatigue, rapid heartbeat, and dizziness. Reduction of white blood cells, which causes infection easily. Reduction of platelets, which causes abnormal bleeding. Bleeding spots or bruising can be found on the body, including poor blood clotting. Moreover, patients might have a loss of appetite, weight loss, lump on the body, or bone pain. Leukemia – Risk factors and self-care for patients Currently, the true cause for the incidence of the disease has not been found.
