The advances in treatment continue
The outlook for those affected by leukaemia used to be bad, but the past 20 years have seen enormous advances in treatment. Just about all cases now have a much longer life expectancy and significant numbers, especially among affected children, will be cured of the disease.

What is leukaemia?
Leukaemia is a disease of the parts of the body that make blood. It affects more adults than children and men more often than women.

There are 3 main types of blood cells.

•  Red cells that carry oxygen.

•  White cells which help fight infection.

•  Platelets that help the blood to clot.

In leukaemia the body makes too many white cells, many of them abnormal. This results in:

• infections, because the abnormal white cells can't do their usual job properly;
• anaemia (the white cells ‘flood' the system, reducing the number of red cells); and
• bleeding (as with red cells, the production of platelet drops).

Types of leukaemia
Leukaemia comes in 2 main forms, acute and chronic. Acute leukaemia happens suddenly and progresses rapidly. Before treatment was possible, 90 per cent of cases (many of them children) would die within a year. Nowadays 2 out of 3 affected children will be cured. The main symptoms are tiredness, looking pale, a tendency to bruise and susceptibility to infections.

Chronic leukaemia most often affects adults and may produce little in the way of symptoms for many years. Treatment may not be needed. When it is, life expectancy of many people will still be another 20 or more years.

What are the causes of leukaemia?
Nobody knows what causes leukaemia. Several factors seem to make it more likely. These include:

• exposure to X-rays and other forms of radiation (for example atomic bombs);
• certain chemicals, such as benzol (benzene) vapours; and
• virus infections, which are suspected because of their effect in animals.

What treatments are available?
The treatment of leukaemia is usually with chemotherapy — the use of powerful drugs that kill, or slow the growth of, abnormal cells. These drugs are often used in combination with each other for short bursts of treatment. Because of their effect on normal cells they produce side effects such as nausea (feeling sick) and hair loss. Once the course of treatment is over the side effects usually disappear rapidly.

Other treatments may include blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants.

The advances in treatment continue
The outlook for those affected by leukaemia used to be bad, but the past 20 years have seen enormous advances in treatment. Just about all cases now have a much longer life expectancy and significant numbers, especially among affected children, will be cured of the disease.

What is leukaemia?
Leukaemia is a disease of the parts of the body that make blood. It affects more adults than children and men more often than women.

There are 3 main types of blood cells.

•  Red cells that carry oxygen.

•  White cells which help fight infection.

•  Platelets that help the blood to clot.

In leukaemia the body makes too many white cells, many of them abnormal. This results in:

Types of leukaemia
Leukaemia comes in 2 main forms, acute and chronic. Acute leukaemia happens suddenly and progresses rapidly. Before treatment was possible, 90 per cent of cases (many of them children) would die within a year. Nowadays 2 out of 3 affected children will be cured. The main symptoms are tiredness, looking pale, a tendency to bruise and susceptibility to infections.

Chronic leukaemia most often affects adults and may produce little in the way of symptoms for many years. Treatment may not be needed. When it is, life expectancy of many people will still be another 20 or more years.

What are the causes of leukaemia?
Nobody knows what causes leukaemia. Several factors seem to make it more likely. These include:

What treatments are available?
The treatment of leukaemia is usually with chemotherapy — the use of powerful drugs that kill, or slow the growth of, abnormal cells. These drugs are often used in combination with each other for short bursts of treatment. Because of their effect on normal cells they produce side effects such as nausea (feeling sick) and hair loss. Once the course of treatment is over the side effects usually disappear rapidly.

Other treatments may include blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants.