It is a well- known scientific fact that what causes leukemia is still unknown.

There are several theories, but these theories have not been proven yet. Some of the contenders relate to the possibility of family hereditary. It is a theory that leukemia could possibly be caused by the radiations from where a person is employed. The research is still in progress to find more answers about the cause of leukemia.

The symptoms of leukemia are varied and many of these symptoms could relate to many other different ailments as well. This is one reason why leukemia is so difficult to diagnose. A person can start having fever and sweat during the night. The fever and sweat might be caused by a simple virus. A person might start developing infections on a regular basis. All of these particular symptoms could also be signs of diabetes.

If the symptoms persist it is important to follow up with your doctor. A patient might develop headaches and tests would need to be run as to why the headaches started, and the cause of those headaches. The headaches might be caused by a brain tumor, or stress at work or home.

Someone might start bleeding from the gums or anal area and it could be caused by gingivitis or hemorrhoids. There is also joint pain that could be caused by arthritis. Sometimes swelling will occur around the stomach area, and until further tests are conducted and the results are known, it could take some time to come to an accurate diagnosis.

Types of Leukemia

There are four different types of leukemia, and one type of leukemia will attack people over the age of 50 and does not affect children at all. Another type of leukemia will grow slowly within the cells and is very difficult to diagnose until it has advanced too far to do anything about it.

The third and fourth variations of leukemia affects both children and adults and both grow rapidly, and they are both known to be the most common type of the disease known to medical professionals.

Many patients can find out early through a yearly physical exam with their doctor if they have leukemia. Many know they have certain symptoms, but usually ignore them thinking they are caused by other sources. When a doctor checks your neck and finds a swollen area, tests can be conducted right away to determine what is causing the swelling. Many times such a swelling comes on slowly and is not noticed by the person.

This is why it is a good idea to see your doctor every year even if you do not notice any changes in your health. This gives the doctor time to run blood work to find out if the white blood cells count has become abnormal. The earlier the symptoms are determined the longer life a person will be able to enjoy.

Once it is determined what type of leukemia the patient has, the next step is to decide what type of treatment is best to implement. Some patients would be entered into a chemotherapy program for a certain amount of time, and then re-tested to see what the next best step would be to take.

Others would be put on a radiation therapy program for a certain amount of time, and once again be re-tested to see what would be the best alternative for them as a next step.

It can take a long time to diagnose leukemia depending on how cooperative the patient is, and when the patient finally goes to the doctor to report the symptoms, and the physical condition and age of the patient also has a big effect on how quickly the leukemia spreads and can be cured.

As far as surviving leukemia that depends on several factors.

If the leukemia is found early enough and it is the type of leukemia that grows slowly, there is a chance that the use of chemotherapy, radiation or a bone marrow transplant will give the patient a chance at life. When a patient goes into remission and stays in remission for five years, there is a good possibility that the disease is completely gone. It is still important to see their doctor every year though, even after the five year remission.