Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is one kind of blood and bone marrow cancer, where the sponge-like tissues inside the bone, the area where blood cells get made. The term acute is used in this condition because the disease progresses really fast and creates blood cells that are immature instead of the mature ones. The term lymphocytic refers to the white blood cells. This condition is also termed as lymphoblastic leukemia.
ALL or acute lymphocytic leukemia is highly common in children and can be cured to a god degree with treatments. Acute lymphocytic leukemia can also develop in the adults, where the chances of cure are reduced to a great degree.
There are several signs and symptoms indicating leukemia including, gums bleeding, pain in the bone, fever, frequent infections, severe and frequent nose bleeding, lumps in and around groin, abdomen, armpits, and neck, skin becoming pale, short breaths, general decrease, fatigue or weakness.
In case you find these symptoms, make immediate appointment with your child paediatrician. Most of the signs imitate that of flu, where the flu signs in case doesn’t improve, you need to consult your physicians.
This condition occurs when one or more cells in the bone marrow develop changes or mutations in the DNA or genetic material. The DNA of a cell contains those instructions that inform a cell what activities it should do. In case of acute lymphocytic leukemia, mutations instruct the bone marrow cell that it should continue to grow and divide.
In such a case the production of blood cells goes out of control. The bone marrow brings about immature cells, which gets developed into leukemic WBC also known as lymphoblasts. These damaging or abnormal cells are not able to function properly, further can build up and outnumber the healthy cells. The causes behind DNA mutations that lead to acute lymphocytic leukemia are not clear.
Those factors that could increase the risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia are:
History of cancer treatment in the past: Children also adults with the history of some types of radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be at a higher risk of developing this condition.
Radiation exposure: People who are exposed to really high levels of radiation, like those who survived a nuclear reactor accident, or were exposed to radiation of some kind.
Genetic conditions: There is an increased risk if there are certain genetic disorders.
Coming in contact with chemicals: If the person or child has come in contact with benzene, an oil that is a solvent used in industries, cigarettes, oil refineries, certain cleaning products, paint strippers and detergents.
Acute symptoms of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia could be vague and include fatigue, fever, weight loss with loss of appetite, night sweats, tiny red spots found just underneath the skin, stomach pain,
Many symptoms may happen owing to the body reacting to lack of healthy cells. Leukemia, usually crowds the healthy cells out of the bone marrow. When the body lacks red blood cells, may bring about symptoms of anemia with signs of weakness or fatigue, light-headedness or dizziness, feeling cold, and feeling short of breath.
Shortage of white blood cells may result in fevers, higher chances of infections than in general, etc.
A lack in platelets – platelets are tiny cells that enable blood clot, may cause a lot of bruises without a clear cause, frequent nose bleeding that is severe, bleeding of the gums, or other extremely unusual bleeding, like bleeding out of minor cuts.
Based on where these leukemia cells are positioned, there could also be a full or swollen stomach from the breeding of cancer cells in the spleen or liver. There could be enlarged lymph nodes in certain areas like the neck or your groin, under the arms, or even over your collar bone. You could experience pain in the joint or bone, experience headache trouble in balancing, end up with seizures, vomiting, or blurred vision in case the cancer has gone to your brain. It could result in trouble breathing in case it spreads to the chest.
Like all other departments at Cura, the Cancer, Tumour, and Blood department too has some of the best physicians and medical staffs working. Our aim at Cura is to provide a complete healthy demeanour to our patients. We take proper tests for the patients coming with possible symptoms of ALL. Our labs are laced with the best equipments in the world and we are one of the best is diagnosis conditions as serious as ALL even at its nascent stage. The treatment administered by our medical team is all one of best. We ensure complete sanitizing of our Hospital premises so that no infection is spread to the patient and his/her attendants.
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