Dentists and primary care physicians have the opportunity, during regular checkups, to see abnormal tissue changes and to detect cancer at an early, curable stage. Principal methods are radiation therapy and surgery. Chemotherapy is being studied as an adjunct to surgery in advanced disease. Fatigue, paleness, weight loss, repeated infections, bruising easily, and nosebleeds or other hemorrhages. In children, these symptoms can appear suddenly.
Chronic leukemia can progress slowly and with few symptoms.
Causes of most cases are unknown. Persons with Down syndrome and certain other genetic abnormalities have higher than normal incidence of leukemia. It has also been linked to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation and to certain chemicals such as benzene, a commercially used toxic liquid that is also present in lead-free gasoline. When a physician does suspect leukemia, diagnosis can be made using blood tests and biopsy of the bone marrow. Chemotherapy is the most effective method of treating leukemia.