Genetics

GENETICS

Leukemia is an expression that describes a variety of cancers, which begin in the blood-forming tissues of the bone marrow, the soft material that fills the long bones in the body and produces blood cells. In leukemia, the bone marrow makes an excess of diseased white cells that cannot perform their purpose of fighting infection. When the leukemic cells begin to fill the marrow, production of healthy red cells, platelets and white cells decreases. As the number of normal cells declines, symptoms appear. Low red cell counts cause tiredness and pale skin. Low platelet counts may result in bleeding and bruising. If mature white cells are crowded out, there will be little defence against infection. The precise reason of childhood leukemia is a mystery, but definite factors are known to raise the risk of developing the disease. Children that have chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome have a higher risk of developing leukemia than the general population. . Exposure t...