Types of leukaemia
There are two main types of leukaemia, acute (fast growing) and chronic (slow growing).
Acute leukaemia
In acute leukaemia your bone marrow makes immature white cells called blast cells. These develop quickly in large amounts, leaving little space for healthy cells. As a result, symptoms can worsen quickly, and aggressive treatment is usually required.
Types of acute leukaemia
Symptoms of acute leukaemia
- Dizziness
- Feeling cold constantly
- Breathlessness
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Night sweats
- Bone, back or abdominal pain
- Feeling tired for no reason
- Infections that won’t go away
- Weight loss without trying
Chronic leukaemia
In chronic leukaemia the cells are more mature and grow slowly. You may not have any symptoms, or your symptoms may gradually get worse over time. Sometimes it is years before you need treatment, or some people never require it.
Types of chronic leukaemia
Symptoms of chronic leukaemia
- Feeling tired for no reason
- Night sweats
- Breathlessness
- Unintentional weight-loss
- Fever without infection
- Pain or full feeling in the abdomen
Causes of leukaemia
In most cases the cause of leukaemia is unknown. There are some risk factors that may increase your risk of developing leukaemia. Such as:
- age
- previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- high levels of radiation exposure
- exposure to dangerous chemicals
- smoking
- blood disorders
- genetic disorders.
