Leukemia is a cancer that starts in blood stem cells (immature blood cells) in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft, spongy material that fills the centre of most bones.
There are several different types of leukemia. The 4 main types of leukemia are: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
About this Cancer
- According to the Canadian Cancer Society 2024 statistics, it is estimated that 6,600 Canadians will be diagnosed with leukemia (of which 60% are men and 40% are women).
- Of those diagnosed, 46% of the men will die from leukemia, whereas 50% of the women diagnosed will die from it.
Source: Canadian Cancer Society (2024)
The following are symptoms of Leukemia:
- Consistent fatigue
- Fever/Chills
- Night sweats
- Recurrent infections
- Swelling of the lymph nodes; enlargement of liver/spleen
- Unexplained weight loss
- Bone pain/ tenderness
- Bruising/bleeding easily
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Small red spots in the skin
For more information, visit the Mayo Clinic.
The following are risk factors for Leukemia:
- Previous radiation or chemotherapy
- Smoking
- Exposure to benzene or formaldehyde
- Familial history of leukemia
- Genetic disorders (ex: neurofibromatosis, Klinefelter syndrome, Schwachman-Diamond syndrome and Down syndrome).
For more information, visit the Cleveland Clinic.
The following are diagnosis options for Leukemia:
- Medical history & physical examination
- Complete blood count to examine the number of blood cells (red/white) and platelets.
- Blood chemistry tests and Blood clotting factor tests
- Cytochemistry
- Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
- Immunophenotyping
- Flow cytometry
- Immunohistochemistry
- Cytogenetic and molecular studies
- Lumbar puncture
- Lymph node biopsy
- Imaging tests: Chest x-ray, CT scan, MRI, Ultrasound
For more information, visit the Canadian Cancer Society.
Treatment options vary, depending on different factors, including the type of leukemia a patient has. Typical treatment options include:
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy
- Bone marrow transplant
- CAR-T cell therapy
For more information, check out the Mayo Clinic.
Stories from Survivors
- Certainty Takes On A Whole New Meaning When You Are Living With Cancer – Lisa Machado
- Leukemia Didn’t Beat Me. I Beat It! – Jason Clark
If you would like to share your leukemia story, please email us at info@survivornet.ca.
- BaldyLocks
- Battling Roses & Thorns – Life with Cancer
- Change of Perspective
- Constanze’s Sexy Oops – I – GOT – LEUKAEMIA BLOG…
- Embracing My “New Normal” – Life after Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Relapse and Stem-Cell Transplant
- Floppy Hat Faye
- Learning from and about Cancer (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or CLL) By Dr. Brian Koffman
- Life, Interrupted
- Life’s a Beach
- Little Air Bear
- My Blood Hates Me
- Riding the Cancer Coaster: Survival Guide for Teens
- Running for My Life: Fighting Cancer One Step At A Time
- A Spoon Full Of Sugar
- Stem Cell Transplant Journey
- Patient Stories – Emily Whitehead Foundation
Resources
- Eating well with blood cancer
- Food and Nutrition
- Leukemia: Care Instructions – MyHealth Alberta
- Leukemia Prevention: Tips, Facts, and More
- Nutrition and diets for leukemia
- Nutrition Tips for Leukemia Patients: What to Eat and Why
- Reducing your risk for leukemia
- Types of Leukemia
- Ways to Prepare for Leukemia Treatment
- What is Leukemia?
- August 29th, 2024 – New anti-cancer ‘degrader’ targets protein essential to infant leukemia – Van Andel Institute
- August 5th, 2024 – Age impacts pharmacogenomics and treatment outcomes for most common form of leukemia – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- August 1st, 2024 – Targeting protein has potential to treat leukemia, lymphoma – UT Southwestern Medical Center
- July 20th, 2024 – New research discovers a new combination of therapy for people with a type of leukemia, leading them to live longer – Mayo Clinic
- June 20th, 2024 – Acute myeloid leukemia discovery tackles drug-resistant gene mutations – Indiana University
- 2024 – Nanozymes: a new approach for leukemia therapy – Royal Society of Chemistry
- March 16, 2023 – The evolution of acute lymphoblastic leukemia research and therapy at MD Anderson over four decades– Springer Link
- October 6, 2021 – Advances in acute myeloid leukemia – The BMJ
- September 2021 – Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Modern therapies, current challenges and future directions – Science Direct
- April 30, 2021 – Diagnosis and treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia – KoreaMed
- November 20, 2020 – Advances of nanoparticles for leukemia treatment – ACS Publications
- October 30, 2020 – New directions for emerging therapies in acute myeloid leukemia: the next chapter – nature
- August 17, 2020 – Research advances in nanomedicine, immunotherapy, and combination therapy for leukemia – Journal of Leukocyte Biology
- April 1, 2020 – Advances in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia: new drugs and new challenges – AACR Journals
Bladder Cancer Groups
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada:“In the 1950s, five women around a kitchen table decided to make a difference and started raising money for leukemia research, founding what is now known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.” Visit them at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.
- Imagine a Cure for Leukemia:“Imagine a Cure for Leukemia was born in 2006 with the purpose of providing hope, strength and courage to people with leukemia. We fund projects where medical breakthroughs have already been achieved, and where additional money is needed to turn them into better treatments for people.” Visit them at Imagine a Cure for Leukemia.