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Leukaemia

Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer which develops in white blood cells.

Last modified: December 22, 2021

Quick facts about leukaemiaQuick facts

  • Leukaemia develops when white blood cells, which reside in our bone marrow (the soft tissue inside our bones), grow abnormally.
  • Between 2012 and 2016, there were over 4,263 cases of leukaemia diagnosed.
  • Leukaemia is the 6th most common cancer in Malaysia.
  • Leukaemia is classified based on whether it is acute or chronic. Acute leukaemia develops and progresses rapidly, while chronic leukaemia appears gradually and grows slowly over months to years.

Types of leukaemiaTypes of leukaemia

There are four main types of leukaemia, depending on the type of white blood cell that is affected (either myeloid or lymphoid) and whether the cancer is fast growing (acute) or relatively slow growing (chronic):

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

ALL develops from immature lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell. ALL progresses quickly and most commonly occurs in children under the age of four.

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Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)

AML develops from immature white blood cells called myeloblasts. It is the most common form of acute leukaemia in adults.

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Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)

CLL develops from abnormal white blood cells known as lymphocytes and is often very slow growing.

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Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)

CML develops from a type of myeloid cell called granulocytes. It typically grows slowly in the early phases but can transform into acute leukaemia.

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Treatment for leukaemia

There are many different types of treatment for leukaemia. Your treatment will depend on you and your cancer.

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ReferencesReferences

For a full list of references, click here.
  1. Institute Kanser Negara. (2023). Summary of Malaysian National Cancer Registry Report 2012-2016. Retrieved on 4 October 2023 from https://nci.moh.gov.my/index.php/ms/pengumuman/789-summary-of-malaysian-national-cancer-registry-report-2012-2016
  2. World Health Organisation, The Global Cancer Observatory 2020. Retrieved on 3 November 2023 https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/458-malaysia-fact-sheets.pdf
  3. MyHEALTH Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia. Retrieved on 10 November 2023. http://www.myhealth.gov.my/en/leukemia-2/
  4. Cancer Australia. (2021). Leukaemia. Retrieved on 22 December 2021 from https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/cancer-types/leukaemia/statistics
  5. Cancer Council. (2020). Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Retrieved on 22 December 2021 from https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/acute-lymphoblastic-leukaemia/
  6. Cancer Council. (2020). Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Retrieved on 22 December 2021 from https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/chronic-myeloid-leukaemia/
  7. Cancer Council. (2020). Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Retrieved on 22 December 2021 from https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/acute-myeloid-leukaemia/
  8. Cancer Council. (2020). Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Retrieved on 22 December 2021 from https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/chronic-lymphocytic-leukaemia/
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