Approximately 142,000 people are currently afflicted with leukemia, and another 30,200 cases will be diagnosed in the United States this year and 22,100 will die from the disease. About half of all leukemia patients suffer from the acute types, while half are afflicted with the chronic types. Most cases of leukemia occur in older adults, with more than half of all cases occurring in people over 60. Leukemia strikes 10 times as many adults as children.
Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that affects red and white blood cells and platelets that are not yet fully developed, meaning these cells cannot carry out their normal functions. This type of leukemia is divided into two categories, depending on the cell type involved. For specific information, see the summary addressing acute leukemias.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of the disease in children, while acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) occurs mostly in older people. Leukemia is the leading cause of death from disease in children under age 15, with approximately 2,300 new cases of ALL being diagnosed among youngsters ages 0 to 14 this year.
Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly and permits greater numbers of fully developed blood cells to be made, allowing these cells to carry out some of their normal functions. This type of leukemia is also divided into two major types. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) mostly affect older adults, with only 2 percent of all CML cases occurring in young people under 20. For detailed information, see the summary on chronic leukemias.
For information on two other types of leukemia, see the summaries on myelodysplastic syndrome and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.
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