Leukemia (leucosis; from the Greek «leukos» - white; synonym-leukemia-leukaemia; leucaemia; from the Greek. «Leukos» - white and «haima» - blood).

All leukemia (leukemia) are divided into two types - acute and chronic. This division is subject to various capacity leukemias to growth and development are proliferating cells.

In acute leukemia cell development is virtually absent in the blood accumulates a large number of immature cells at an early stage of development. This leads to the inhibition of normal hematopoiesis of all germs. Such signs are identified in the blood of more than 80% of cases.

Chronic leukemia gives population ravivshihsya granulocytic cells, which gradually replace the normal cells of peripheral blood.

It should be noted that acute leukemia never goes into a chronic and vice versa.

Acute leukemia

The initial stage of acute leukemia. Usually, it can only appreciate in retrospect, that is, even then, when it ended. Biochemical parameters of blood can be as normal, and a few raised or lowered. Also there may be a slight weakness, compounded from previous chronic diseases, activates the herpes virus, other bacterial and viral infections.

Blog period of acute leukemia with pronounced clinical and hematological manifestations, which consists of exacerbations and remissions and ends with a complete remission (cure), or transfer to the terminal phase. The main criterion for establishing remission is the absence of blast cells in peripheral blood. Cure may be considered a complete clinical and hematologic remission within 5 years or more.

End-stage acute leukemia. Characterized by lack of action used in the treatment of cytostatic agents, complete suppression of hematopoiesis. Some clinics even at this stage are taken for the operation of a bone marrow transplant, but still lethality at this stage is extremely high.

Chronic Leukemia

In contrast to acute and chronic leukemia blood cells have time to "ripen", but the vast majority of the resulting blood cells can not fulfill their direct function. Therefore, laboratory analysis can be seen fairly high number of leukocytes, while protecting the body against infection, they can not. In cases where the number of granulocytic cells is so great that it prevents normal blood flow, patients do leykofarez-remove excess white blood cells, including tumor cells. The effect of such a procedure quite fast, although temporary.

Chronic leukemia may not have any of the initial phase, 50% of patients with chronic leukemia had no complaints about their own health, they have leukemia diagnosed according to blood tests performed for another reason. Even after diagnosis, chronic leukemia can flow over the years, relatively benign. This is called its phase monoclonal and characterized by the presence of one clone of tumor cells. The next stage is due to the emergence of secondary tumor clones, characterized by rapid currents with the emergence of multiple blasts and called poliklonovoy stage, or stage of blastic crisis. 80% of patients with chronic leukemia killed in blast crisis stage.

As a result of the defeat of tumor cells in patients with chronic leukemia develops splenitis and hepatomegaly (increase in the size of the spleen and liver), the total chronic anemia, generalized lymph nodes.