Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow—the soft tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. It begins when early blood-forming cells develop DNA changes that cause them to grow and divide out of control. Because every patient’s situation is unique, our team at Illinois CancerCare focuses on accurate diagnosis, modern risk-adapted treatment, and supportive care designed to give you the best possible outcome.
Understanding Leukemia
Doctors classify leukemia by how fast it grows (acute vs. chronic) and which cell line is involved (myeloid vs. lymphoid). The four major types are:
Different leukemia types have different tests, treatments, and outlooks, so getting the specific type right is essential.
Signs & Symptoms
Many symptoms are related to decreased normal blood cell production:
These symptoms can be caused by other conditions; persistent or worsening symptoms should be evaluated.
Risk Factors
Risk factors vary by leukemia type, but can include:
Having one or more risk factors does not mean you will develop leukemia.
Screening
There is no routine screening test for people at average risk. Leukemia is typically found when symptoms develop or when abnormal blood counts are detected during testing for other reasons.
Diagnosis
Your Illinois CancerCare team uses a stepwise approach to confirm the type, estimate risk, and plan therapy:
Unlike most solid tumors, acute leukemias aren’t “staged” by tumor size or spread; instead they’re described as untreated, in remission, or refractory/relapsed and stratified by genetic risk and response to therapy. Chronic leukemias have phase/category systems (e.g., CML chronic/accelerated/blast phases).
Treatment Overview (By Major Type)
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Treatment is urgent and typically includes multi-phase chemotherapy (induction → consolidation/intensification → maintenance), CNS prophylaxis, and targeted agents based on genetics/antigens; some adults benefit from stem cell transplant depending on risk and response.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Standard care uses intensive induction chemotherapy to achieve remission, followed by post-remission therapy (additional chemo and/or allogeneic stem cell transplant for higher-risk disease). Specific subtypes—like acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)—use specialized targeted regimens distinct from other AMLs.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Many people with no symptoms can be safely managed with active surveillance (“watchful waiting”). Treatment, when needed, often uses targeted oral therapies and/or antibody-based regimens (selections are guided by genetics, comorbidities, and preferences), with stem cell transplant reserved for select cases.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
Most patients receive long-term tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy directed at BCR::ABL1, which can control the disease for many years. Care is phase-specific; accelerated/blast phase often requires more intensive approaches.
Your Illinois CancerCare physician will review the benefits, risks, and likely side effects for each approach—and whether a clinical trial is right for you. (See our Leukemia Clinical Trials for studies that may be available to you.)
Prognosis
Outlook depends on which type of leukemia you have, your age and health, cytogenetic/molecular features, and how well the disease responds to initial therapy. Some leukemias are highly responsive to targeted treatments (e.g., CML with TKIs), while outcomes for acute leukemias depend strongly on genetic risk and early response. Your care team will explain what these features mean for you.
Follow-Up & Survivorship
After treatment, follow-up may include:
Why Choose Illinois CancerCare
See our Current Clinical Trials page for studies that may be available to you.
Sources & Patient Friendly References
All information was taken from the NCI (National Cancer Institute) and ACS (American Cancer Society).