Leukemia Awareness Month in Scottsdale

September is designated as Leukemia Awareness Month. A time to reflect, raise awareness, and support those who have been affected by this form of cancer.

What is Leukemia

Leukemia is a form of blood cancer in which your bone marrow creates abnormal white blood cells. Opposed to normal white blood cells, leukemia cells don’t die on a typical timeline. They may crowd out normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Thus, making it difficult for those normal blood cells to do what they are supposed to.

Fast Facts

• Leukemia accounts for 3.6% of all new cancer diagnoses
• 62.7% of leukemia patients survive five years or more
• The 5-year survival rate has more than quadrupled since 1960
• Estimated 66,890 new cases in 2025
• Estimated 23,540 deaths in 2025

How it Forms

It is thought to develop by blood cells acquiring mutations in their DNA. Typical blood cell DNA contains instructions for what that cell should do. For example, at what rate it should grow, and when it is time for it to die. With leukemia cells, the mutated cells instruct the blood cells to continue growing at an abnormal rate. Thus, blood cell production can become uncontrolled. This leads to the leukemia cells crowding out healthy cells in your bone marrow. Leading to the symptoms of leukemia.

Classifying Leukemia

Leukemia is classified by speed of progression and the type of cells affected. In terms of progression, acute leukemia means the disease worsens quickly. Chronic leukemia is much slower and can sometimes go unnoticed for years. The second type of classification is by the type of white cell affected – either lymphoid cells or myeloid cells.

Types of Leukemia

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) – the most common type found in children.
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) – the most common type found in adults.

Symptoms

Common symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Persistent fatigue
• Frequent infections
• Losing weight without trying
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Easy bruising
• Reoccurring nosebleeds
• Tiny red spots on your skin
• Excessive night sweeating
• Bone pain

When to See Your Doctor

If you notice consistent symptoms that are worrying, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. Symptoms can often be vague and similar to other common illnesses.

Risk Factors

There are several factors that may increase your risk of developing leukemia. However, most people with risk factors do not get leukemia. Also, many of those with leukemia have no risk factors.

• Previous cancer treatment
• Genetic disorders
• Exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene
• Smoking
• Family history of leukemia

Griswold Cares

If you are living with leukemia in the Scottsdale area, Griswold can help! Our team of Caregivers can help assist you with homemaking, personal care, and companionship. Whether it’s for a couple of hours of care a week or 24 hours a day, we are here to help you Live Assured. Give us a call today, and we’d be happy to chat about care options and put together a personalized care plan just for you. We can often have a Caregiver to your home within 24 hours of inquiry.

In case you missed it, we recently had the pleasure of joining Cheryle Scheidell with Barrett Financial Group, LLC on AM 960 The Patriot! We talked about how reverse mortgages can give families more financial flexibility and even help cover the cost of in-home care. It was a great conversation about planning and making sure seniors and their families have the resources they need to live safely and comfortably at home. The full segment aired on August 31st. Click here to view the replay!