19/02/2019

February Orange: know the main types of leukemia

Leukemia is a malignant disease of white blood cells that, for the most part, has an unknown cause. Data from the National Cancer Institute indicate the occurrence of 10,800 new cases of the disease annually in Brazil, being 5,940 men and 4,860 women.

The month of February is dedicated to the awareness and combat of the disease. According to the hematologist of the Hospital Regional do Câncer de Presidente Prudente (HRCPP), Paula Carrilho, there are several types of leukemia. “The main ones are acute myeloid leukemias, acute lymphoid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia”, she explains.

Acute Mileoid Leukemia develops rapidly and can also affect adults or children.

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia develops slowly and is more common in adults. Treatment can be done with the use of specific medications for a lifetime.

However, Acute Lymphoid Leukemia progresses rapidly and can occur in children or adults. Treatment can be done with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but bone marrow transplantation is also an option when previous treatments fail to cure the disease.

In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia the disease progresses more slowly than in other types of leukemia. The term “lymphocytic” comes from the fact that the cells affected by the disease are white blood cells, or lymphocytes.