Leukemia is a form of blood cancer. There are several different types of leukemia. A few of them are prominent in children, while others are more common in adults. It involves the white blood cells (WBC), which are the primary infection-fighters in the body. In a person with leukemia, the bone marrow produces an abnormal amount of WBCs, which disrupts their normal functioning.

There are several causes and risk factors that make one more prone to developing leukemia than others. These include:

Age
The risk of leukemia heightens as one grow older. For chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the median age of patients is 65 years or more.

Sex
Men are at a greater risk of developing leukemia.

Blood disorders
Idiopathic myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia, and polycythemia vera make one more prone to developing AML.

Smoking
Although not a direct causes, smoking puts one at risk of developing AML.

Congenital syndromes
Bloom syndrome, Down syndrome, Diamond-Blackfan anemia , ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), and Fanconi anemia increase one’s risk of developing AML.

Radiation and chemicals
Radiation and prolonged exposure to chemicals or pesticides also make one more vulnerable to the condition.

History of cancer
If one has had cancer and undergone therapies, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, in the past, then their risk of developing leukemia is higher.

Electromagnetic fields
People, especially children, who live near power lines are at a greater risk of developing this condition.

Let us now take a look at some of the early signs of leukemia.

Poor blood clotting
In leukemia, the person bleeds and bruises easily. Moreover, healing in leukemia patients is slower than usual. A few might even develop petechiae, the appearance of purple and red spots on the body. It is possible that this indicates that blood is not clotting as required. Petechiae occur when the abnormal WBCs crowd the platelets that are responsible for blood clotting.

Anemia
Since the normal red blood cell count is low when one is affected by leukemia, they might even get anemic. It means that a person with leukemia does not have adequate hemoglobin (Hgb) in their blood. Hemoglobin is responsible for iron transportation in the body. Insufficiency of iron can cause pale skin and labored breathing.

Frequent infections
The job of the WBCs is to counter infections. If they do not work right, then the person is prone to frequent infections.

A few other symptoms of leukemia are:

• Fever
• Chills
• Nausea
• Night sweats
• Pain in the bones
• Incomprehensible weight loss
• Fatigue
• Flu-like symptoms
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Enlarged liver or spleen
• Loss of appetite
• Headache