Health
The 10 Most Common Cancers: Know The Signs and Symptoms
The 10 Most Common Cancers: Know The Signs and Symptoms
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Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. Depending on where this cancer develops and how far it has progressed, leukemia is given one of four classifications:
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – the most common type of leukemia. Fast growing, this cancer develops in partially mature red and white blood cells which become prone to infection.
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) – Known to grow slowly then quickly jump in growth and aggression, CML makes up about 15 percent of leukemia cases. This is the only class of leukemia known to be linked to abnormalities in DNA structuring.
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) – An accumulation of mutated white blood cells that gather in bone marrow. Typically affecting those aged under 15 and over 45, this form of leukemia spreads cancerous white blood cells to various parts of the body such as the liver, brain and lymph nodes.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) – The slowest growing of the blood cancers, CLL can take several years to become serious. As this cancer grows, healthy blood cells are crowded out, causing a greater risk of infection within the body.
Symptoms to be on the lookout for concerning leukemia include an increase of infections, loss of weight, easy bruising and unexplained nosebleeds. Other visible signs include swollen lymph nodes around the groin, neck and armpits as well as a condition called petechiae: red, tiny spots appearing on the skin.
