Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells, which play a vital role in strengthening our immune system by fighting against infection-causing bacterias. When these cells are infected by cancer, they start to multiply in large numbers and overcrowd the healthy cells, making the immune system weak. Once the symptoms of this condition are noticed, the doctor puts the patient through a series of tests to diagnose the type of leukemia and stage.

Diagnosis for leukemia
The presence of cancer cells is confirmed after the diagnosis, and only then can doctors proceed with treatment methods. If a patient is suffering from chronic leukemia, it will show up in the results of a regular blood checkup even before the symptoms are evident. Once this happens, the doctor will put one through the following tests:

• Physical exam: A physical examination of the patient’s body is done to check for any physical signs of cancer that may be present. Some of the signs that doctors look for during the physical exam are swelling of lymph nodes, swelling in the liver or spleen area, and for pale skin, which is a sign of anemia.
• Blood tests: A blood test is done to check the levels of white, red blood cells and platelets. If the results show abnormal cells, it confirms the presence of leukemia.
• Bone marrow test: This is also called a bone marrow biopsy, where a sample of bone marrow is removed from the hipbone using a long, thin needle. This sample is sent for a microscopic study in a laboratory to confirm the presence of leukemia cells. Once the disease is diagnosed, several other tests are done to determine the type of leukemia and the treatments are based upon that.

Treatments related to the symptoms of different types of leukemia
Treatments for leukemia depends on the type of leukemia, age and health conditions. Some of the common treatments are:

• Chemotherapy: It is the most effective way to treat the condition. In this procedure, the medications are given orally or through IV to patients to destroy cancer cells.
• Biological therapy: In this treatment, the immune system cells are boosted to identify and kill leukemia cells.
• Targeted therapy: The medications given in this therapy attack the cancer cells directly by stopping their growth and destroying them.
• Radiation therapy: In this procedure, high energy beams or X-rays are passed through the patient’s body to kill and stop the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy is also given to patients before a stem cell transplant.
• Stem cell transplant: During a stem cell transplant, infected bone marrow is replaced with healthy bone marrow. The patient goes through high doses of radiation and chemotherapy treatment just before the operation. This procedure helps in eradicating the diseased bone marrow. The stem cells are then replaced by injecting blood-forming stem cells, which help in repairing the bone marrow.