Cancer enters your body when cells begin to grow out of control. There are various types of cancer and cells in almost every part of the body can become cancer. Leukemia is a type of cancer which starts in the cells, then develops into different types of blood cells. It starts in early forms of white blood cells. There are different types of leukemia which can be divided into acute and chronic. Acute is fast growing and chronic is slow growing.

An Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is a type of leukemia which progresses quickly and if not treated, will be fatal in a couple of months. Acute means fast growing and lymphatic means it develops from the early forms of lymphocytes, which is a type of white blood cell. It all starts in the bone marrow and leukemia cells start to invade the body quickly. They can spread to other parts of the body. Some cancers also start in the organs and then spread to the bone marrow, but they are not leukemia.

There are other types of cancer which start in lymphocytes and are known as lymphomas. Leukemias affect blood and bone marrow and lymphomas affect lymph nodes and other organs. It can sometimes be difficult to tell if a cancer of lymphocytes is lymphoma or leukemia. If at least 20% of the bone marrow has cancerous lymphocytes, the disease is considered to be leukemia. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and children below the age of five are at the highest risk. It can also occur in adults.

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ALL can increase the chances of bleeding and developing infections in the body. Its symptoms include:

In order to diagnose ALL, the doctor must complete a physical exam and also conduct bone marrow tests and blood tests. Doctors are likely to ask about bone pain, since it is the most common symptom of ALL. Here are a few tests doctors carry out.

The doctor might order a blood count, and people who have ALL may have a blood count which shows low platelet count and a low hemoglobin count. The WBC may or may not have increased. A blood smear might show immature cells circulating in the blood, which are usually found in bone marrow.

This process involves taking a sample of the bone marrow from your breastbone or the pelvis. It is an ideal way to test for increased growth in marrow tissue and reduced production of red blood cells.

An X-ray of the chest can allow the doctor to see if the mediastinum, that is the middle partition of the chest is widened. Further, a CT scan can help the doctor estimate whether the cancer has spread to the spinal cord, brain or to any other part of the body.

There are other tests like a spinal tap, which is used to check if cancer cells have spread around the spinal fluid. Tests on the serum urea and liver function might also be done.

The treatment will help bring the count back to normal. When this happens and the bone marrow looks normal, the cancer is in remission. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia can be treated through chemotherapy. You might be asked to stay at the hospital for a few weeks in the first treatment. Later, you can continue the treatment as an outpatient.

For those with a low WBC count, you will be asked to spend time in an isolation room. It ensures that you are protected from contagious diseases and other problems. If leukemia does not respond to chemotherapy, a bone marrow or stem cell transplant might be recommended. The transplanted marrow can be taken from a sibling who is a complete match.There are high chances of cancer remission in case of children.

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Criss Angel's Son Has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, But What Is It? - Moms

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