Show Half Of Leukemia Is In Adults Leukemia is usually thought to be a disease of childhood but at least half of all cases occur in Each year in the United leukemia develops in about persons and takes the lives of approximately LEUKEMIA is a cancer of the blood-forming tissues characterized primarily by uncontrolled multiplication and accumulation abnormal white blood Leukemia may be either chronic running a more prolonged course or acute progressing if Whether chronic or leukemia is also classified by the type of white cell that Thus a diagnosis specifying leukemia indicates excessive numbers of the white blood ceils formed in the lymph In leukemia known as or there are abnormal of the white cells produced in the bone CHRONIC both and occur most often among those aged 30 to leukemia is the leukemia most common in whereas acute leukemia is more common among Chronic leukemia comes on slowly and without Many arc discovered during routine examinations even after changes in the blood are several years may pass before significant symptoms THE symptoms of the chronic are like those of the acute forms of i the ten- dency to bruise and to bleed and increased susceptibility to The physician can feel enlarged lymph nodes or spleen if they are Diagnosis is established by microscopic examination of the circulating blood and of the bone which shows increased numbers of abnormal white IN MOST cases of chronic these cells are mature and thus distinguishable from the immature white cells that characterize acute Chronic leukemia is usually treated by anticancer such as and and are also administered in certain X-ray therapy to the spleen may bring about remission in early stages of the IN MANY cases of chronic a relatively benign no treatment is appropriate until active progression of the disease is In active stages of the disease the drugs and may be of value in controlling the With this and other patients often remain in relatively good health for a considerable X-ray therapy may be administered to the node-bearing areas and to the |