College Essay On Leukemia

999 Words4 Pages

Leukemia is a powerful and physically draining disease. Leukemia can strike all ages and both genders. According to Mayo Clinic Staff, leukemia is a cancer of the blood and of the bone marrow; it can also affect the lymphatic system (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). According to National Cancer Institute, about 1.5% of men and women in the United States will be diagnosed with leukemia at some point in their lifetime (“SEER Cancer Statistics Factsheets,” 2016). Leukemia is a cancer of the body’s blood forming tissues. This type of cancer is highly researched, and improvements are being made on treatments, Depending on which body process leukemia has affected will determine the symptoms one will have. According to American Cancer Society, shortness of red blood cells could cause fatigueness , weakness , coldness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath and pale skin. Having a shortage of white blood cells means it could cause more infections and if one has or receives an infection, it will be harder for the patient to fight it off. The infection may never go away or infection will keep coming after infection. Low …show more content…

According to American Cancer Society, doctors will run numerous tests to conclude an accurate diagnosis of leukemia. The doctor will first look for any physical signs, such as pale skin from anemia, swollen lymph nodes, and enlargement of the spleen or liver. After receiving all the information, the doctor will start blood tests to confirm. The blood tests will show if there are an abnormal amount of white blood cells or if platelet counts are abnormal. The last option the doctors may choose would be a bone marrow test. (American Cancer Society, 2016). Bone marrow testing is a test that is done with a needle injected into the hipbone to look at the characteristics of leukemic cells. Doctors believe they will show a true and accurate

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