Concept and Etiology
Leukemia is a disease of the hematopoietic stem cells of the body.
The resulting consequences include a proliferation of lymphoblasts in
the peripheral blood flow and bone marrow. As these malignant cells
being to accumulate, the homeostasis of the cardiovascular and
hematopoietic systems is disrupted. The body is no longer able to
maintain adequate levels of critical blood cell counts such as white
blood cells (Terwilliger & Abdul-Hay, 2017).
Classification
Classification of leukemia is primarily based on morphological,
genetic, and blood cell histopathological examinations. The World
Health Organization (WHO) established a set of criteria for the
classification of all three types of B lymphoblastic, Burkitt-cell
Leukemia, and T lymphoblastic leukemia in 1994. Since then, several
updates based on advancements in genetics have refined the
classification system in both adults and children (Terwilliger & Abdul-
Hay, 2017).
Signs and symptoms
In children, common signs of acute leukemia can include
bleeding, lethargy, and fever, although these are non-specific and
require further examination. Symptoms of acute leukemia can be
present in the musculoskeletal system, or lymphatic system, or an
enlarged spleen or liver. In adults, symptoms include chest pain,
excessive bleeding or bruising, and symptoms related to
thrombocytopenia (Kuykendall et al., 2018).
Diagnostic tests
Diagnosis of leukemia involves conducting complete blood cell
counts, measurements of creatinine levels, coagulation studies, liver
function tests, and serum electrolyte measurements. Any imbalances
or abnormal results here are indicators of disease presence
(Terwilliger & Abdul-Hay, 2017).
References
Binder, M., Nandakumar, B., Rajkumar, S. V., Kapoor, P., Buadi, F. K.,
Dingli, D., Lacy, M. Q., Gertz, M. A., Hayman, S. R., Leung, N., Fonder,
A., Hobbs, M., Hwa, Y. L., Muchtar, E., Warsame, R., Kourelis, T. V.,
Gonsalves, W. I., Russell, S., Lin, Y., … Kumar, S. K. (2021). Mortality
trends in multiple myeloma after the introduction of novel therapies
in the United States. Leukemia, 35(11).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-021-01453-5
Kuykendall, A., Duployez, N., Boissel, N., Lancet, J. E., & Welch, J. S.
(2018). Acute Myeloid Leukemia: The Good, the Bad, and the
Ugly. American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book, 38, 555–
573. https://doi.org/10.1200/EDBK_199519
Terwilliger, T., & Abdul-Hay, M. (2017). Acute lymphoblastic
leukemia: A comprehensive review and 2017 update. Blood Cancer
Journal, 7(6), e577–e577. https://doi.org/10.1038/bcj.2017.53
