An Introduction to the Types of Leukemia
The common types of
leukemia differ based on how quickly the disease progresses (chronic versus acute) and by which blood cells are affected (lymphoid versus myeloid).
Chronic Leukemia Versus Acute Leukemia
Leukemia can be chronic (gets worse slowly) or acute (gets worse quickly).
Chronic Leukemia
In the early stages of
chronic leukemia, the abnormal blood cells can still do their work, which means that people with chronic leukemia may not have any symptoms. However, as chronic leukemia progresses and the number of
leukemia cells in the blood rises, symptoms will appear.
Acute Leukemia
In
acute leukemia, the blood cells are very abnormal, the blood cells cannot carry out their normal work, and the number of abnormal cells increases rapidly. Acute leukemia progresses quickly.
The types of leukemia will also depend on the type of white blood cell that is affected. Leukemia can arise in lymphoid cells or myeloid cells. Leukemia that affects lymphoid cells is called lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia that affects myeloid cells is called myeloid leukemia or myelogenous leukemia.
Based on the aggressiveness of the disease and the blood cells that are affected, there are four common
leukemia types, which include:
