Patient's question:
A former elementary school classmate was diagnosed with leukemia, and their family was almost overwhelmed. My relatives visited her but couldn't see any abnormalities; she had been in good health. They want to know how leukemia was caused. How can a thorough examination detect leukemia?Doctor's answer:
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer, a malignant disease of self-healing tissues, also known as "blood cancer." Its characteristic is the uncontrolled fibrosis of a large number of anucleated cells in the bone marrow and other self-healing tissues, which invades the peripheral blood, significantly adhering to the nuclei of normal blood cells. The degree of cell immaturity and the natural course of leukemia determine the severity of the disease. Leukemia is more commonly seen in children and adolescents, with a rapid onset. Common initial symptoms include fever, significant bleeding tendency, or bone and joint pain. In cases with a slow onset, the elderly and some young patients are more prevalent, with the condition gradually progressing. These patients often present with progressive fatigue and weakness, shortness of breath after exertion, weight loss, or unexplained fever as initial symptoms. Additionally, a very small number of patients may experience symptoms such as tics, deafness, or complete paralysis of both lower limbs as the initial onset.