DiagnosisPhysical Exam: Pale skin from anemia, swelling of your lymph nodes, and enlargement of your liver and spleen could be signs of Leukemia.
Blood Test: A sample of blood will be taken and sent off to a lab where they will examine the number of white blood cells. Abnormally high number of these cells indicates Leukemia. Bone Marrow Test: A doctor will directly remove bone marrow from your body. The sample will be sent to a lab where it will be examined for the cancer cells.
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TreatmentsChemotherapy/ Radiation Therapy: Type of Cancer treatment that uses types of medical drugs to destroy cancer cells in the body. In this type of treatment, radiation, much like an x-ray, is used and put into the human body in order to destroy cancer cells. But this also affects healthy cells that are a part of the way your hair grows, your intestines, and inside the lining of the mouth, causing side affects. This usually stops though when Chemotherapy stops.
Stem Cell Transplants: Also known as bone marrow transplant, this type of treatment involves using a needle to extract unhealthy/ Cancer contaminated stem cells in the bone marrow, and replacing them with healthy stem cells that are cancer free. This treatment can take at most an hour. Life ExpectancyThere are three phases of Leukemia, with each becoming worse and worse. Survival rate is measured in five-year intervals. Data shows that fifty nine percent of those diagnosed are still alive five years later. Those diagnosed with Leukemia go through many treatments of chemotherapy and occasionally stem cell transplants.
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