Monocytic Leukemia Symptoms

Leukemia treatments can lead to hair loss.

Someone who experiences the signs and symptoms of acute monocytic leukemia should see a doctor for a professional diagnosis. Causes for the condition are unknown, though certain chemicals, drugs and radiation are thought to play a part, along with genetic problems. Treatment can be painful and exhausting, but patients with this type of leukemia frequently go into remission. Unfortunately, the cancer tends to return within two years of diagnosis.

Features

Acute monocytic leukemia is a subcategory of the broader condition of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a cancer of white blood cells in the bone marrow. AML is the most common type of leukemia in adults, making up 80 percent of cases. Monocytic leukemia is specifically characterized by an overproduction of white blood cells called monocytes and monoblasts, cells that fight infection in the body. Between 5 to 10 percent of AML cases are monocytic.

Symptoms

Symptoms of monocytic leukemia can include bleeding from the nose or gums, bruising, fatigue, fever, unexplained weight loss, abnormal menstrual periods, bone pain or skin rashes. These symptoms can be attributed to a lack of platelets, leading to bleeding and bruising, and a low number of red blood cells, causing the patient to feel tired and look pale. A person with low white blood cells is more at risk of infection and may also experience shortness of breath, pain while urinating, cough or diarrhea.

Time Frame

According to the University of California Medical Center, AML usually hits suddenly, within a few days or weeks. It is not common for a patient to be ill for months before developing AML. People become sick because the leukemia disrupts normal function of bone marrow, replacing and forcing out the healthy bone marrow cells. The symptoms of AML can be similar to other illnesses like cold or flu, and cases may not be caught right away.

Identification

Patients must undergo a physical exam administered by a doctor to diagnose monocytic leukemia. The doctor will look for swelling in areas like the liver, groin and lymph nodes. A CBC test will be conducted to measure how many red and white blood cells are present in the blood. The specific type of leukemia can only be identified by a hematologist or oncologist, who will carry out a bone marrow biopsy, then examine the samples under a microscope.

Solution

If a patient's symptoms do lead to a diagnosis of AML, treatment must begin as soon as possible. There are two stages of treatment, induction chemotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy. Induction chemotherapy lasts approximately five weeks, during which the patient will remain the hospital and given special medications to get rid of leukemia cells from the body. Once complete remission occurs (when all leukemia cells are eliminated), phase two begins one month later. Consolidation chemotherapy is similar to induction, and is intended to destroy any residual leukemia.

References

• Leukemia signs
• Acute myeloid leukemia

Resources

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