Leukemia is classified on the basis of two factors:
- How quickly it develops
- Type of cells involved and
Types of Leukemia Based on Pace of Development
Depending on how quickly the cancer grows, leukemia is divided into two types:
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Acute leukemia
It occurs when most of the abnormal cells produced by the body fail to mature and function normally. This form of cancer can take bad shape very quickly.
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Chronic leukemia
It occurs when most of the abnormal cells produced by the body mature and function properly while some don’t. The adverse effects of this type of cancer emerge slower than those of acute leukemia.
Types of Leukemia Based on Cells Involved
Depending on the type of cells affected by the cancer, leukemia is divided into two types –
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Lymphocytic leukemia
It occurs when lymphocytes (cells producing lymphatic tissue) are affected by cancer. Lymphatic tissues are part of your immune system.
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Myelogenous leukemia
It occurs when myeloid cells (cells producing RBCs, WBCs, and platelets) are affected by cancer.
Types of Leukemia
There are four most commonly known forms of Leukemia.
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Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
This is a type of leukemia which is more common among children. It occurs in the lymph nodes and central nervous system.
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Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
It is the second most common form of leukemia affecting children and a common form of leukemia among adults.
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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
This is another common type of leukemia among grown-ups. Some kinds of CLL remain stable for many years and do not show any symptoms. In such cases, you can survive without needing treatment for several years as most of the abnormal blood cells mature and function normally.
However, in other kinds of CLL, your body may create a large number of abnormal blood cells which do not mature. In such cases, problems will start emerging and you will require treatment. -
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
This form of leukemia is difficult to detect because of the underlying symptoms aren’t very noticeable. So, it is advisable to have a habit of periodically getting your blood tests done so that you can discover it on time even without any symptom.
About 9,000 new cases of CML are diagnosed annually, according to the NCI. The five-year survival rate for CML is 66.9 per cent.