Leukemia causes one or more of the kinds of white blood cells to lose their ability to mature. Immature white blood cells are called blasts. Blasts take over the bone marrow and prevent it from making enough normal red and white blood cells and platelets. Risk factors for developing leukemia include genetics and exposure to radiation, chemicals, and drugs, including the ones used to treat other kinds of cancer. Initial symptoms include fatigue, fever, excessive bleeding from small cuts, easy bruising, swollen lymph nodes, and frequent infections.
Treatment usually involves intensive chemotherapy.
Its purpose is to kill all of the leukemic cells in the body. These drugs also kill normal cells. This may cause you to become dangerously ill. Antibiotics and blood transfusions are sometimes used to help combat the side effects of treatment until your body begins making normal cells again. Another treatment option is bone marrow transplantation.