What are the types of leukemia?

There are many different types of conditions that are grouped together under the broad term "leukemia," but the most common types of this insidious blood cancer are:

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) - Occurs in both adults and children
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) – Afflicts young children and adults over 65 years old
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) - Develops mainly in adults
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) - Most common in adults over 55 years old

Acute leukemias differ from chronic leukemias in that acute diseases have immediate repercussions while chronic conditions have extended latency periods. Children are especially susceptible to acute leukemia’s because these conditions are characterized by a rapid buildup of malignant blood cells and require immediate treatment to prevent spread into other bodily systems. Chronic leukemias primarily affect older adults, but are as dangerous, for prolonged malignancy over the course of a lifetime can result in a medical emergency called a "blast crisis," characterized by a sudden increase in cancerous blood cells.

L.I.F.E. focuses its resources on indigent children afflicted with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.