Monday 14 September 2015

BLOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH | LEUKAEMIA

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know that I was diagnosed with Leukaemia. So I thought I would kick off writing about Leukaemia and raising awareness of blood cancer  

What is Leukaemia?
Leukaemia is a blood cell cancer which usually starts in the bone marrow. It leads to over production of immature blood cells, the part of the immune system which defends the body against infection. 

Who gets Leukaemia and what causes it?
Around 8,000 people are diagnosed with leukaemia every year. However, in many cases, there is an unknown cause of leukaemia. 

Signs and symptoms of Leukaemia?
Symptoms usually develop over a few weeks and become worse as more immature white blood cells increase. 
Symptoms include: - Pale skin
                               - Tiredness
                               - Easily bruised skin
                              -  Weight loss
                               - Frequent Infections

Treatment 
Treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia usually starts a few days after a diagnosis as it is a very aggressive form of cancer. The aim is to kill as many leukaemic cells as possible  by having chemotherapy and restore your blood cells and treat any symptoms you may have. After the cells have been destroyed the treatment plan is usually to continue having chemotherapy to prevent the cancer returning. Radiotherapy is also used to treat AML, most commonly to prepare the body for a bone marrow transplant. 

If you would like to read more I will post some links below of some of my previous blog posts. 












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