Healthy white blood cells are important in the body's ability to fight infection by bacteria and viruses. With leukemia, abnormal and immature white blood cells are produced which result in decreased production of normal cells and a failure to fight infection. They also affect the production of normal red blood cells which carry oxygen throughout the body and platelets which help the blood to clot. Leukemia can develop slowly or very quickly. When it develops slowly it is called chronic leukemia and when it develops quickly it is called acute leukemia.
Acute leukemia is the type most often found in children.
The causes of most cases of leukemia are not known. Leukemia can be difficult to diagnose early because the symptoms often look like those of other, less serious, conditions. Early symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, paleness, bruising easily and repeated infections. Doctors make the diagnosis through blood tests and examinations of bone marrow. Chemotherapy is the most effective treatment and research in leading medical centers in the United States, including the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center , continues to bring about new and better drugs for treating leukemia patients.