Leukemia
What is Leukemia?
Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects your blood and bone marrow. The bone marrow is the soft tissue inside your bones where blood cells are made. When you have leukemia, your body produces too many abnormal white blood cells that don't work properly.
These abnormal cells crowd out healthy blood cells in your bone marrow. This makes it hard for your body to produce enough normal red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. White blood cells fight infections. Platelets help your blood clot when you get injured.
There are several types of leukemia. Some grow slowly over years, while others develop quickly and need immediate treatment. Acute leukemias happen fast and require urgent care. Chronic leukemias develop more slowly over time. The type you have determines your symptoms and treatment plan.
Symptoms
- Frequent infections or fevers
- Feeling very tired or weak
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Unexplained weight loss
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groin
- Pain or tenderness in your bones
- Night sweats
- Tiny red spots on your skin called petechiae
- Pale skin
- Shortness of breath during normal activities
Some people with chronic leukemia have no symptoms in the early stages. The condition may be found during routine blood work for other reasons. This is why regular testing is important for catching changes early.
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Causes and risk factors
Leukemia happens when DNA changes occur in your bone marrow cells. These changes cause cells to grow out of control and not die when they should. Scientists don't know exactly what causes these DNA changes in most cases. Risk factors include exposure to high levels of radiation, certain chemicals like benzene, smoking, and previous chemotherapy or radiation treatment for other cancers. Some genetic disorders also increase your risk.
Having a family history of leukemia can raise your risk slightly. Getting older increases risk for some types of leukemia. Men develop leukemia more often than women. Most people who get leukemia don't have any known risk factors. Many risk factors cannot be changed, but avoiding tobacco and limiting exposure to harmful chemicals can help reduce risk.
How it's diagnosed
Doctors use blood tests to detect leukemia. A complete blood count measures your white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. People with leukemia often have very high white blood cell counts and low red blood cell or platelet counts. Blood tests can also show abnormal cells called blasts in your bloodstream. Additional markers like lysozyme levels and specific white blood cell types help identify the type of leukemia.
Rite Aid offers blood testing that measures key markers associated with leukemia. Our panel checks your white blood cell count, absolute lymphocytes, absolute neutrophils, and other important blood cell measurements. If your blood tests show concerning results, your doctor will likely order a bone marrow biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. This test examines cells directly from your bone marrow.
Treatment options
- Chemotherapy to kill cancer cells throughout your body
- Targeted therapy drugs that attack specific features of cancer cells
- Radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells in specific areas
- Immunotherapy to help your immune system recognize and fight cancer cells
- Stem cell transplant to replace diseased bone marrow with healthy cells
- Supportive care including antibiotics to prevent infections
- Blood transfusions to manage low blood cell counts
- Eating a nutrient-rich diet to support your body during treatment
- Gentle exercise when possible to maintain strength and energy
- Working with a cancer care team including oncologists and hematologists
Concerned about Leukemia? Get tested at Rite Aid.
- Simple blood draw at your nearest lab
- Results in days, not weeks
- Share results with your doctor
Frequently asked questions
Early signs often include feeling unusually tired, getting frequent infections, and bruising easily. You might notice swollen lymph nodes or experience unexplained fevers and night sweats. Some people with chronic leukemia have no symptoms at first and only find out through routine blood work.
Yes, leukemia often shows up on a standard complete blood count. This test measures your white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Abnormal numbers or the presence of blast cells in your blood can indicate leukemia and prompt further testing.
Leukemia causes your bone marrow to produce too many abnormal white blood cells. These cells don't mature properly and accumulate in your blood and bone marrow. Unlike healthy white blood cells that fight infection effectively, these abnormal cells don't work correctly and crowd out healthy blood cells.
No, many people with leukemia survive and live for years after treatment. Survival rates depend on the type of leukemia, your age, and overall health. Some types of leukemia are very treatable, especially when caught early. Advances in treatment have improved outcomes significantly over the past decades.
Most healthy adults should get blood work at least once per year. If you have risk factors or a family history of leukemia, talk with your doctor about more frequent testing. Regular monitoring helps catch changes in blood cell counts early when treatment is most effective.
Acute leukemia develops quickly and requires immediate treatment. The abnormal cells are immature and multiply rapidly. Chronic leukemia develops slowly over months or years and may not need immediate treatment. The abnormal cells are more mature and accumulate gradually.
Most leukemia cases cannot be prevented because the causes are unknown. However, avoiding tobacco reduces your risk. Limiting exposure to benzene and other harmful chemicals at work can also help. Maintaining overall health through good nutrition and regular checkups supports early detection.
High vitamin B12 levels can occur with leukemia because abnormal white blood cells produce and release excess vitamin B12 into your bloodstream. This is especially common with certain types of leukemia. Your doctor will look at vitamin B12 along with other blood markers to understand what's happening.
Lysozyme is an enzyme produced by white blood cells. High lysozyme levels can indicate leukemia, particularly acute myeloid leukemia. When your body overproduces abnormal white blood cells, lysozyme levels rise. Doctors use this marker along with other tests to diagnose and classify leukemia types.
Yes, leukemia can relapse after successful treatment. This happens when cancer cells that survived treatment begin growing again. Regular blood tests after treatment help detect relapse early. Your doctor will create a monitoring schedule based on your leukemia type and treatment response.