The exact cause(s) of leukemia is not known, risk factors have been identified, including abnormal functioning of bone marrow, high voltage electric line(s) near residency or workers working with/in electric field, radiation exposure, certain chemotherapy  or working/contact with chemotherapy, with X-rays, contact/work with lead, contact/working with acids, with paints (colors), with benzene/naphtha, with cement, solders having contact with radioactive materials (even modern ammunition/bullets), smoking and/or working in smoky environment, family history of leukemia etc.

It is thought to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Leukemia cells have acquired mutations in their DNA that cause them to grow abnormally and lose the functions of typical white blood cells. It is not clear what causes these mutations to occur. One type of change in the cell’s DNA that is common in leukemias is known as a chromosome translocation. In this process, a portion of one chromosome breaks off and attaches to a different chromosome. One translocation seen in almost all cases of CML and in sometimes in other types of leukemia is an exchange of DNA between chromosomes 9 and 22, which leads to what is known as the Philadelphia chromosome. This creates an oncogene (cancer-promoting gene) known as BCR-ABL. This change in DNA is not inherited but occurs sometime in the life of the affected individual.

Most cases of leukemia are not believed to be hereditary, but certain genetic mutations and conditions can be passed along to offspring that increase the chances of developing leukemia. A condition known as Li-Fraumeni syndrome is characterized by an inherited mutation in a tumor suppressor gene known as TP53, and individuals with this condition have an increased risk of leukemia and other cancers. Other hereditary conditions that can increase the risk of developing leukemia include Down syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, ataxia-telangiectasia, and Noonan syndrome.

Leukemia cells, unlike other types of cancers, generally do not clump to form a mass (tumor) and that’s why leukemia is not diagnosed through imaging tests such as X-rays.

Classification of Leukemia

Leukemias are further classified as myeloid or lymphoid, depending upon the type of white blood cell that makes up the leukemia cells. A basic understanding of the normal development of blood cells is needed to understand the different types of leukemia. Normal blood cells develop from stem cells that have the potential to become many cell types.

Myeloid stem cells mature in the bone marrow and become immature white cells called myeloid blasts. These myeloid blasts are further mature to become either red blood cells, platelets, or certain kinds of white blood cells.

Lymphoid stem cells mature in the bone marrow to become lymphoid blasts. The lymphoid blasts develop further into T or B lymphocytes (T-cells or B-cells), special types of white blood cells. Myeloid or myelogenous leukemias are made up of cells that arise from myeloid cells, while lymphoid leukemias arise from lymphoid cells.

Knowing the type of cell involved in leukemia is important in choosing the appropriate treatment.

Common symptoms of chronic or acute (develops rapidly) leukemia:

Acute Leukemia: There are different types of leukemia, based on how quickly the disease develops and the type of abnormal cells produced. Leukemia is called acute leukemia if it develops rapidly. Large numbers of leukemia cells accumulate very quickly in the blood and bone marrow, leading to symptoms such as tiredness, easy bruising, and susceptibility to infections. Acute leukemia requires fast and aggressive treatment.

Chronic leukemias may not notice any symptoms before the condition is accidently diagnosed with a blood test. Chronic leukemias develop slowly over time. These leukemias may not cause specific symptoms at the beginning of their course. If left untreated, the cells may eventually grow to high numbers, as in acute leukemias causing similar symptoms.

Symptoms of all forms of leukemia are related to the proliferation of abnormal blood cells and replacement of the bone marrow by the cancerous cells for example:

• • Pain in the bones or joints,
  • Swollen lymph nodes that are typically not painful or tender,
  • Unexplained fevers,
  • Night sweats,
  • Feeling weak or tired,
  • Bleeding and bruising easily (gums, haemorrhoids, purplish patches on the skin, small red spots under the skin, nose bleeding etc),
  • Frequent infections,
  • Discomfort or swelling in the abdomen,
  • Weight loss or loss of appetite.

If leukemia cells have infiltrated the brain, symptoms such as headaches, seizures, confusion, loss of muscle control, and vomiting can occur.

Leukemias are grouped by how quickly the disease develops (acute or chronic) as well as by the type of blood cell that is affected (lymphocytes or myelocytes).

Read more about leukemia symptoms »

Common types of leukemia (are nine)

The four main types of leukemia include:

• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL, also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia) is the most common type of leukemia in children, but it can also affect adults. In this type of leukemia, immature lymphoid cells grow rapidly in the blood. It affects almost 6,000 people per year in the U.S.
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML, also called acute myelogenous leukemia) involves the rapid growth of myeloid cells. It occurs in both adults and children and affects about 19,500 people each year in the U.S.
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a slow-growing cancer of lymphoid cells that usually affects people over 55 years of age. It is estimated to affect about 21,000 people in the U.S. every year. It rarely occurs in children or adolescents.
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML, also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia) is a type of chronic myeloproliferative disorder that primarily affects adults and occurs in about 8,400 people every year in the U.S.

Less common types of leukemia (they are five):

• Hairy cell leukemia is an uncommon type of chronic leukemia.
• Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is another type of chronic leukemia that develops from myeloid cells.
• Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a type of myeloid leukemia that usually occurs in children under 6 years of age.
• Large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGL leukemia) is a type of chronic leukemia that develops from lymphoid cells. It can be slow- or fast-growing.
• Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of AML.

Hematologists who diagnose and treat blood diseases, including leukemia (hematologist-oncologists treat blood diseases like leukemia, as well as other types of cancers).

In addition to medical history (asking about symptoms and risk factors) and a physical exam to look for signs of leukemia (lymph node enlargement, enlargement of spleen), the diagnosis of leukemia typically involves laboratory studies of a blood sample.

Abnormal numbers of blood cells may suggest a diagnosis of leukemia, the blood sample may also be examined under the microscope to see if the cells appear abnormal.

A sample of the bone marrow may also be obtained to establish the diagnosis. For a bone marrow aspirate, a long, thin needle is used to withdraw a sample of bone marrow from the hip bone, under local anesthesia.

Cells from the blood and bone marrow are further tested if leukemia cells are present. These additional tests look for genetic alterations and the expression of certain cell surface markers by the cancer cells (immunophenotyping). The results of these tests are used to help determine the precise classification of leukemia and to decide on optimal treatment.

Other tests that may be useful include a chest X-ray to determine if there are enlarged lymph nodes or other signs of disease and a lumbar puncture to remove a sample of cerebrospinal fluid to determine if the leukemia cells have infiltrated the membranes and space surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Imaging tests such as MRI and CT scanning can also be useful for some patients to determine the extent of the disease.

There are several different allopathic and Homeopathic approaches to the treatment of leukemia.

Allopathic treatment will typically depend upon the type of leukemia, the patient’s age, and health status, as well as whether or not the leukemia cells have spread to the cerebrospinal fluid. The genetic changes or specific characteristics of the leukemia cells as determined in the laboratory can also determine the type of treatment that may be most appropriate.

Watchful waiting may be an option for some people with chronic leukemia who do not have symptoms. This involves close monitoring of the disease so that treatment can begin when symptoms develop Watchful waiting allows the patient to avoid or postpone the side effects of treatment. The risk of waiting is that it may eliminate the possibility of controlling leukemia before it worsens.

Treatments for leukemia include chemotherapy (major treatment modality for leukemia), radiation therapy, biological therapy (Homeopathic therapy), targeted therapy, and stem cell transplant.

Combinations of these treatments may be used. Surgical removal of the spleen can be a part of treatment if the spleen is enlarged. (I will not recommend any surgeries – Dr. Qaisar Ahmed).

Acute leukemia needs to be treated when it is diagnosed, to induce remission (absence of leukemia cells in the body). After remission is achieved, therapy may be given to prevent a relapse of leukemia. This is called consolidation or maintenance therapy. Acute leukemias can often be cured with allopathic treatment.

Chronic leukemias are unlikely to be cured with allopathic treatment, but only to control cancer and manage symptoms. Some patients with chronic leukemia may be candidates for stem cell transplantation, which does offer a chance of cure.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the administration of drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells such as leukemia or other cancer cells (which is absolutely not working).

Chemotherapy may be taken orally in pill or tablet form, or it may be delivered via a catheter or intravenous line directly into the bloodstream. Combination chemotherapy is usually given, which involves a combination of more than one drug. The drugs are given in cycles with rest periods in between.

Sometimes, chemotherapy drugs for leukemia are delivered directly to the cerebrospinal fluid (known as intrathecal chemotherapy). Intrathecal chemotherapy is given in addition to other types of chemotherapy and can be used to treat leukemia in the brain or spinal cord or, in some cases, to prevent the spread of leukemia to the brain and spinal cord.

An Ommaya reservoir is a special catheter placed under the scalp for the delivery of chemotherapy medications. This is used for children and some adult patients as a way to avoid injections into the cerebrospinal fluid.

Side effects from chemotherapy drugs include damage to the ovaries or testes, resulting in infertility,  hair loss, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of appetite, tiredness, easy bruising or bleeding, and an increased chance of infection due to the destruction of white blood cells (then why advise chemotherapy, it will develop the disease all again?!).

Biological therapy or Homeopathic Therapy

Biological therapy is any treatment that uses living organisms, substances that come from living organisms, or synthetic versions of these substances to treat cancer. These treatments help the immune system recognize abnormal cells and then attack them. Biological therapies for various types of cancer can include antibodies, tumor vaccines, or cytokines (substances that are produced within the body to control the immune system).

Biological or Homeopathic treatment

Arsenicum Album

Arsenic is a haemorrhagic: it acts on both blood and blood-vessels. Varices burn like fire. Anaemia, chlorosis. Brown-ague. Face pale, hollow, and cadaverous.-Yellowish, bluish, or greenish colour of the face.-Leaden and earth-coloured tint, with greenish and bluish spots and streaks. Caecum, affections of. Cancer. Cancrum oris. Carbuncle. Cholera Asiatica. Cholera. Cold. Coldness. Diarrhoea. Diphtheria. Dropsy. Duodenum. Dyspepsia. Endometritis. Enteric fever. Epithelioma.  Fever. Gangrene. Gastric ulcer. Gastritis. Gastrodynia. Glandular swellings. Herpes zoster. Hodgkin’s disease. Hydrothorax. Hypochondriasis. Ichthyosis. Indigestion. Intermittent fever. Irritation. Jaundice, epithelioma, metrorrhagia, haemoptysis. Hard and elastic swelling of the face.

Cancer of the face and lips with burning pain.-Hard knots and cancerous ulcers, having thick scurf with lard-like bottoms on the lips. Swelling of the submaxillary glands, with convulsive pain, and soreness on being touched.

Offensive smell from the mouth.-Secretion of abundant tough, fetid, bloody saliva sometimes bitter or bloody. The mouth is reddish-blue, inflamed, burning. Tongue bluish or white. Ulceration of the tongue, with blue colour. Torpor and insensibility of the tongue, as if it were burnt. Tongue brownish or blackish, dry, cracked, and trembling. Tongue a bright red. Tongue white as chalk, as if painted white. Tongue red with a silvery white coat. Tongue stiff like a piece of wood. Ulceration of the tongue on the anterior edge. Swelling, inflammation, or gangrene of the tongue. Angina gangrenosa (with aphthae). Aphthae in the mouth. Speech rapid, precipitate.

Everything that is swallowed causes a pressure in the oesophagus. After a meal, nausea, vomiting, eructations, pains in the stomach, colic, and many other sufferings. Bitter.-Regurgitation of acrid matter or of bitter greenish mucus of a yellowish, greenish, brownish, or blackish colour; vomiting of sanguineous matter. Sensation of constriction, cramp-like pains, pulling, piercing, and gnawing in the stomach.

Compression in the region of the liver. Swelling of the spleen. Excessive pains in the abdomen, principally on the left side, and often with great anguish in the abdomen. Inflation of the abdomen. Ascites. Swelling of the abdomen as in ascites. Hard bloated abdomen. Violent cutting pains, cramp-like pains, digging, pulling, tearing, and gnawing in the abdomen. Swelling and induration of the mesenteric glands. Much flatulencies, with rumbling in the abdomen. Flatulenc of a putrid smell. Painful swelling of the inguinal glands.

Constipation, with frequent, but ineffectual inclination to evacuate. Nocturnal diarrhoea,  faeces with mucus, or bilious, sanguineous, serous, painless, involuntary, & of greenish, yellowish, whitish colour, or brownish and blackish; fetid and putrid evacuations; evacuations of undigested substances. Emission of mucus by the anus with tenesmus.

Itching, shooting, and burning in the glans and in the prepuce. Inflammation, painful and gangrened swelling of the genital parts. Glans swollen, cracked, and bluish. Swelling of the testes. Erysipelatous inflammation of the scrotum, prostatic fluid during loose stools.

Dry cough, sometimes deep, fatiguing, and shaking, Oppressed, laboured breathing. Violent and insupportable throbbings of the heart. Heart-beats irritable. Palpitation with anguish, cannot lie on back.

Antipyrinum

Antipyrine is one of the drugs that induce leukocytosis. Swelling of lips. Burning of mouth and gums. Ulceration of lips and tongue; vesicles and bullae. Small lump in cheek. Tongue swollen. Bloody saliva. Toothache along lower jaw. Pain on swallowing. Expectoration of fetid pus. Abscess, white false membrane. Sensation of burning. Nausea and vomiting; burning and pain.

Nasal mucous membrane swollen. Dull pains in frontal sinus. Aphonia. Oppression and dyspnoea. Faintness, with sensation of stoppage of heart. Throbbing throughout the body. Rapid, weak, irregular pulse.

Auriya, Penis black. Erythema, eczema, pemphigus. Intense pruritus. Urticaria, appearing and disappearing suddenly, with internal coldness. Angioneurotic-oedema. Dark blotches on skin of penis, sometimes with oedema.

Arsenicum Iodide

The discharge irritates the membrane from which it flows and over which it flows. The discharge may be fetid, watery, and the mucous membrane is always red, angry, swollen; itches and burns. Angina pectoris. Senile heart, myocarditis and fatty degeneration, rapid, irritable pulse, Slight hacking cough (cardiac cough?).

Recurring fever and sweats, emaciation; tendency to diarrhoea, chronic, watery diarrhoea. Vomiting an hour after food. Nausea distressing. Increased apatite. Abdomen hard and distended with flatus, which is constantly discharged. Pain in epigastrium Pulse shotty. Chronic aortitis. Cancer of breast. Breast tumour. Early stages of tuberculosis.

Skin: Dry, scaly, itching. Marked exfoliation of skin in large scales, leaving a raw exuding surface beneath. Ichthyosis. Enlarged scrofulous glands. Venereal bubo. Debilitating night-sweats. Persistent itching of various parts of body, most of back.-Chronic skin affections. Psoriasis.

Baryta Muriatica

Baryt. mur. acts on parotid glands and pancreas. Enlargement and induration of cervical glands. Indigestion. Below stomach to left a hardness from which paroxysms of dyspnoea come. Induration of pancreas. Swelling of the salivary glands and of the palate. Tongue loaded. Tongue and mouth dry. Fetor of the mouth, as if from mercury. Putrid taste in the mouth, also of food. Varicose veins of throat. Distressing throbbing in abdomen (abdominal aneurysm). Loss of appetite. Thirst. Inclination to vomit. Pressure on the stomach, with spasm. Sensation of heat, ascending from the stomach to the chest and head. Burning abdominal pain.

The membranes of the stomach are of a blue red, with red spots on the muscular part. The pit of the stomach is inflamed, with isolated ecchymoses. Tumefaction of the liver. Throbbing of tumour in abdomen. Faeces slimy. Easy evacuation. Chronic, painless diarrhoea, or diarrhoea with violent colic. Stools jelly-like, with blood, no pain; discharges every fifteen or twenty minutes. Stools white, hard as stones. Swelling of hands and feet.

Pricking in the skin. Burning and pricking in excoriated places. Small itchy eruptions on the head, nape of the neck, abdomen, and thighs. Glands inflamed and ulcerated. Haemorrhage.

Urine frequent, involuntary, and painful. Urine yellowish, very offensive. Flow of urine. Whitish sediment in the urine.

Benzinum

Appetite lost. Craving for lemons and cider. Extreme thirst; for ice-water, satisfied with a sip, but wanting it again directly. Continual soreness to pressure in abdominal walls. Heat and grinding wearing pains in lower part. Stool several times an hour, of lead-coloured mucus, mixed with bright blood, accompanied with some tenesmus, and followed by throbbing in anus and rectum and lancinating pains from below upward.

Pressing pain in bladder, after passing urine, throbbing and smarting in neck of bladder and urethra for several minutes. Urine: dark, offensive; sediment like red sand.

Continual soreness and aching in muscles, pallid, exhausted; general prostration. At one time he sank very low, approaching a typhoid condition.

Phosphorus

Anaemia, acute pernicious. Anus, fissure. Cancer. Chilblains. Chlorosis. Chorea. Ciliary neuralgia. Coccygodynia. Cold. Constipation. Consumption. Corpulency. Jaundice. Odour of body, changed. Pancreas disorders. Spleen enlargement. Progressive muscular atrophy. Engorgement of axillary glands and of those of nape of neck and of neck. Heat or burning in back, between scapulae.-Tearings and stitches in and beneath both scapulae

Excoriation of mouth. Bitter taste in mouth; sour after milk; bloody erosions on inner surface of cheeks. Accumulation of saliva, which is watery, saltish, sweetish; or excessive dryness of mouth. Soreness of mouth. Spitting of blood. Viscid mucus in throat. Haemoptysis. Purulent vesicles in palate. Skin of palate shrivelled, as if about to be detached. Tongue swollen, dry, loaded with a blackish brown coating. Pain in stomach. Greenish or blackish vomiting. Vomiting of acid matter. Vomiting of food. Vomiting of bile or of mucus at night.

Sensation of contraction in cardiae. Abdomen hard and distended. Distended abdomen with bilious tendency. Enlargement and induration of liver, with pain. Pain in hepatic region on pressure. Enlargement of spleen. Sensitiveness in hepatic region. Inflammation of intestines. Large yellow spots in abdomen.

Constipation. Faeces hard, small, slow, interrupted, difficult to evacuate, Serous diarrhoea, Mucous diarrhoea, Bloody diarrhoea. Undigested faeces. Greenish, grey (or whitish-grey), or black faeces (with flakes of mucus).

Increased secretion of watery urine. Frequent emission of a scanty stream of urine (only a small quantity each time). Urine with white, serous, sandy and red, or else yellow sediment. Turbid urine, with sediment like brick-dust. Pale, aqueous, or whitish urine. Variegated pellicle on surface of urine. Haematuria (with acute pain in region of kidneys and liver, and jaundice). Smarting and burning sensation when urinating. Tension and jerking, or burning pain in urethra when not urinating (with frequent desire to urinate).

Lachesis

Albuminuria. Alcoholism. Amblyopia. Aneurysm. Apoplexy. Appendicitis. Asthenopia. Asthma. Atheroma. Bedsores. Boils. Bubo. Caecum, inflammation of. Carbuncle. Catalepsy. Chancre. Change of life. Chilblains. Ciliary neuralgia. Cough. Cyanosis. Delirium tremens. Diphtheria. Gallstones. Intermittent fever. Jaundice. Liver, affections. Insatiable thirst. Gangrene. Glanders. Gums, bleeding of. Haemorrhages. Haemorrhoids. Hay fever. Headache. Heart, affections of. Heartburn. Tumours. Ulcers. Veins, varicose. Vertigo. Nasal Bleeding.

Pain in the small of back, with constipation, intermittent fever, palpitation of the heart or dyspnoea. Flat ulcers on lower extremities, with blue or purple surroundings. Gangrenous ulcers on legs. Red pimples on the thighs and on the legs, after scratching. Excoriated places, and superficial ulcers with foul bases, on the legs. Red or bluish, and painful swelling of feet and legs. Heaviness, numbness, icy coldness, sweating of the feet. Itching, psoric eruptions, papulae and spots as from a burn, in feet and legs. Cracks and rhagades between the toes. Abscess in the heels. Wounds and ulcers bleed readily and copiously. Varicose swellings. Dropsical swelling over whole body. Hard and pale tumefaction. Skin yellow, green, lead-coloured, or bluish-red or blackish, chiefly round the wounds and ulcers. Yellow, red, copper-coloured spots. Pale, livid spots, with fainting fits. Dry, miliary itch, with eruption of large vesicles of a yellow or of a bluish-black colour, with swelling of parts affected, and pains which drive to despair. Miliary eruption, which subsequently resembles nettle-rash, scarlatina, or morbilli. Erysipelas and vesicular eruptions with a red crown. Gangrenous ulcers. Gangrenous blisters. Superficial ulcers, foul at bottom, with a red crown. Cancerous ulceration.

Icy coldness of the skin or of the limbs, or only of the feet, with great desire to be near a fire, and sometimes with loss of sensation, clammy sweat, weakness and rapid pulse. Intermittent fever, the paroxysms come on every spring, or after suppression of the fever in the previous fall by quinine. Typhus fever, esp. when the tongue is red or black, dry or in fissures, esp. at the tip.

Violent and convulsive vomiting of everything taken, or of bilious, bitter, greenish matter. Vomiting of pure blood, or of bloody mucus. Vomiting, with diarrhoea, obscuration of sight, pains in stomach, and diuresis. Excessive sensibility of precordial region to slightest touch; tight garments are insupportable, and the least pressure is very painful. Inflammation and softening of liver. Hepatic abscess. Gallstones. Pains and stitches in region of spleen, sometimes on riding in a carriage or walking. Extravasation of blood in peritoneum. Swelling in caecal region.

Obstinate constipation with hard and difficult evacuation. Constipation alternately with diarrhoea. Diarrhoea, with violent colic, nausea, vomiting, anguish, pains in rectum during passage of faeces, tenesmus and excoriation of anus. Stools excessively offensive. Stool with undigested substances.

Pressure on bladder, with urgency to urinate, nocturnal polyuria, Urine turbid and brown, or red, or deep yellow, and sometimes with frequent but scanty emission, or with brown and sandy or red or brick-coloured sediment. Frothy urine. Urine frequent, foaming, black. Involuntary and unnoticed emission of urine.

Thuja Occidentalis

Distended; indurations in abdomen. Complete loss of appetite. Chronic diarrhoea, worse after breakfast. Discharges forcibly expelled; gurgling sound. Brown spots. Flatulence and distension; protruding here and there. Rumbling and colic. Constipation, with violent rectal pain, causing stool to recede. Piles swollen; pain worse sitting, with stitching, burning pains at the anus. Anus fissured; painful to touch with warts. Movements as of something living, without pain. Cutting pain in epigastrium. Cannot eat onions. Flatulence; pain after food; sinking sensation in epigastrium before food; thirst.

Urinary: Urethra swollen inflamed. Urinary stream split and small. Sensation of trickling after urinating. Severe cutting after. Frequent micturition accompanying pains. Desire sudden and urgent, but cannot be controlled. Paralysis sphincter vesicae.

Skin: Polypi, tubercles, warts epithelioma, naevi, carbuncles; ulcers, especially in ano genital region. Freckles and blotches. Perspiration sweetish, and strong. Dry skin, with brown spots. Zona; herpetic eruptions. Tearing pains in glands. Glandular enlargement. Nails crippled; brittle and soft.

Calcaria Phosphorica

Anaemic patients who are peevish, flabby, have cold extremities and feeble digestion, glandular enlargement.

Bleeding after hard stool. Diarrhoea from juicy fruits or cider; during dentition. Green, slimy, hot, sputtering, undigested, with fetid flatus. Fistula in ano, alternating with chest symptoms.

Urine: Increased, with sensation of weakness. Pain in region of kidneys when lifting or blowing the nose.

Ceanothus Americanus

Diarrhoea. Heart, disordered. Intermittent fever. Jaundice. Palpitation and dyspnoea, with enlarged spleen. Aphthous affections of mouth and fauces. Mouth dry. Tongue, white coat down centre. Food tasteless, unless highly seasoned. Loss of appetite. Craving for something sour. Thirst for water, but it made him sick. Intermittent temperature with splenic enlargements.

Deep-seated pain in l. hypochondrium.-Pain and fullness in left side, with inability to lie on it. Severe pain in region of spleen, Dull pain in region of spleen. Immediately after dinner, dull pain in region of liver. Full feeling in region of liver. Pain in liver. Sensitiveness in umbilical region with desire to relax abdominal muscles. Whole abdomen moves with beat of heart. Bearing-down in abdomen.

Stool and Rectum. Diarrhoea. Dysentery. Stool light brown, with loud flatus. Continual bearing-down in rectum with constricting sensation.

Urinary Organs. Sharp pain above pubes, in region of bladder, before urination. Urine alkaline; increased phosphates; high specific gravity; trace of sugar. After urinating feeling as if all had not passed. Urine quite green; contains bile; strong odour, frothy. Pain in back and irritation of urethra. Constant urging to urinate.

Merc Solubus and Mer Vivid

Abscess, Anaemia, Breath, offensive, Difficult respiration, Palpitation of heart. Cancrum oris, Chancre. Chicken-pox , Dysentery. Dyspepsia, Diarrhoea , Eczema,  Fevers. Fissures. Glandular swellings, Engorgement and inflammatory swelling of glands of neck, with shooting and pressive pains, Gum-boil (s). Gums, unhealthy,  Teeth, affections. Jaundice, Yellow colour of the skin, with perspiration which imparts a yellow colour to linen.-Skin dirty yellow, rough and dry. Odour, of body, offensive, Peritonitis,  Prostate, disease.

Tongue moist, coated with white and thick, or dry, brown, or blackish mucus, ulceration of tongue, with shooting pains, Tongue swollen, soft flabby with grey patches on edges. Mouth – Putrid, salt, sweetish, or metallic taste.-Bitter taste. Weakness of digestion. G.E.R.D, Acidity. Burning, violent pain, and excessive sensibility (esp. to touch) in the stomach, and in the precordial region.-Tension, fulness, and pressure principally in umbilical region,  flatulency, principally at night. Affections of inner region of liver.

Å’dematous, transparent swelling, of thighs and legs.-Dropsical swelling of legs with sharp or shooting pains. Å’dema of face, hands, and feet with anaemia, Red and shining inflammatory swellings. Great agitation in limbs, with pains in joints, principally in evening.-Great fatigue, weakness, and rapid loss of strength, with great uneasiness of body and mind.-Ebullition of blood, and frequent trembling, even after least exertion.

Stool: acrid; bloody; knotty; containing pus; viscid. diarrhoea with slime, Chilliness between the diarrhoeic stools. Faeces of small shape; ribbon-like. bloody mucus accompanied by colic and tenesmus; dysentery.-Discharge of blood, or of mucus, from rectum.

Urine acrid; turbid; too frequent, stream of urine is excessively small.-Irresistible, sudden desire to urinate.-Frequent and copious emission of urine, Urine of a deep colour, or red, or brown, or white, as if mixed with flour or chalk, or of the colour of blood.-Offensive, turbid urine, which forms a sediment.-Sanguineous, pungent, or sour-smelling urine.-Corrosive and burning urine.

Natrum Sulphuricum

Biliousness. Brain, injuries of. Condylomata. Debility; of drunkards. Diabetes. Dyspepsia; of drunkards.  Liver enlarged (hepatomegaly). Fever with severe – shivering fits. Spleen affections. Malaria. Migraine. Nephritic scarlatina. Drawing pains in teeth, with looseness. Burning in gums. Shifting and painless swelling in gums. Purulent vesicles on gums.

Sour regurgitation. Frequent hiccough; in evening; after eating bread-and-butter. Nausea, with lancination in eyes. Qualmishness before eating. Abdomen. Painful sensitiveness of the hepatic region to the touch. Painful accumulation of flatus. Hard and knotty faeces (with pressure), often mixed with blood and mucus. Frequent soft and loose evacuations. Half-liquid stools, with tenesmus. Diarrhoea, preceded by pain in the groins and hypogastrium. Yellow liquid stools after rising from bed in the morning. During stool profuse emission of flatulence. Constant uneasiness in the bowels and urging to stool (chronic diarrhoea; tuberculosis abdominalis). After stool, burning at the anus. Itching of the anus.

Short breath when walking, coughs while standing (called “cardiac cough”), Pressure in left side of chest, near lumbar region. Jerking tearings and tension in muscles, spasmodic movements of muscles. Contusive pains in sacrum, Tearing and gnawing pains along spine. Incisive shootings between the shoulder-blades. Sharp pains in the hips. Violent itching of toes, and between toes, Itching, and itching pimples, which burn after being scratched. Eczema, moist and oozing profusely. Itching while undressing. Wart-like, raised, red lumps all over body.

Frequent emission of urine, with sediment of a yellow colour, or like brick-dust. Piercing in both groins. Burning in urethra, after and during emission of urine, or with pain in the small of back on retaining urine. Urine scanty; dark.

Psoronium

Acne. Adenoids. Anus, itching in. Asthma. Backache. Boils. Cancer. Cholera infantum. Cough, suffocating, crawling sensation in larynx. Constipation, Obstinate constipation with severe pains. Cornea, ulcers of. Crusta lactea. Crusta serpiginosa. Debility. Diarrhoea, Diarrhoea preceded by colic; green, bilious, mixed with mucus; four times a day, without pain.-Involuntary stools during sleep, stool – fluid, dark brown, foul-smelling; thin, watery, dirty greenish, like carrion; horribly offensive, nearly painless, almost involuntary, dark and watery; only in night. Diphtheria, after-effects of. Dyspepsia. Eczema; rubrum. Enuresis. Eruptions; moist; itching. Gleet. Gonorrhoea. Gout. Haemorrhages. Haemorrhoids. Hair, dry; tangling. Fever – Coldness with heat, Hay fever. Headache. Head, congestion of. Face pale; sickly looking; yellow. Roughness of skin of face, Vesicles: on face; quickly filling with yellow lymph, sore to touch on forehead, face, and behind r. ear; filled with lymph, painful to touch on various parts, some forming itching papules.

Stitches in cardiac region, low gurgling extending to heart, for a moment breathing is impossible, Pericarditis. Palpitation; with anxious oppression. Pulse: weak

Looseness of teeth, Blood suddenly escapes from a hollow molar, Ulceration of tongue and gums. Submaxillary glands swollen and painful to touch, also a painful pustule below left lower jaw, stitching pain. Hunger great, Hunger without appetite. Eructations: tasting like rotten eggs; offensive flatus, sour vomiting – of sweet mucus (only in late morning). Deep stitching, pressing pains in region of liver and region of spleen with Swollen sensation horizontally. Gurgling in small intestines. Twitching in r. groin after driving. Sticking in inguinal glands. Pain in right inguinal ring. Bearing down towards pubes, with tenesmus and painful burning micturition.

Discharge of prostatic fluid before micturition. Tenesmus urines and discharge of a few drops when he thinks he has done. Frequent micturition at night. Sticking inwardly from orifice of urethra. Burning during micturition with cutting. Urine has a red sediment and a pellicle of fat.

Radium Bromatum

skin affections generally, Small pimples. Erythema and dermatitis, with itching, burning, swelling and redness. Necrosis and ulceration. Itching all over body, burning of skin, as if afire. Epithelioma., acne rosacea, naevi, moles, ulcers and cancers. Lowered blood pressure Persistent cough with tickling in suprasternal fossa. Dry spasmodic cough. Throat dry, sore, chest constricted. Severe aching pains all over, with restlessness better moving. Dryness of mouth. Metallic taste. Prickling sensation on end of tongue. Nausea and sinking sensation, belching of gas. Abdominal Pain, violent cramps, rumbling, full of gas; pain over McBurney’s point, and at location of sigmoid flexure. Much flatulence. Alternating constipation and loose movements. Pruritus ani and piles.

Aching in back of neck. Pain and lameness in cervical vertebrae, worse dropping head forward, better standing, or sitting erect. Lumbar and sacral backache, pain appears to be in bone, continued motion relieves. Backache between shoulders and lumbar-sacral region, better after walking.

Cold sensation internally, with chattering of teeth until noon. Internal chilliness followed by heat of the skin, associated with bowel movements and flatulence.

Increased elimination of solids, particularly of chlorides. Renal irritation, albuminuria, granular and hyaline casts. Nephritis with rheumatic symptoms. Enuresis.

Medorrhinum

Å’dema of limbs; dropsy of serous sacs. oppression of breathing. Disseminated sclerosis. Pallor, acne, blotches of reddish color. Small boils break out during menses. Tongue coated brown and thick, blistered; canker sores. Blisters on inner surface of lips and cheeks. Coppery taste and eructations of sulphuretted hydrogen. Ravenous hunger soon after eating. Very thirsty. Cravings for liquor, salt, sweets, etc, warm drinks. Pernicious vomiting of pregnancy. Violent pain in liver and spleen. Rests more comfortably lying on abdomen.

Pain in back, with burning heat. Legs heavy; ache all night; cannot keep them still.  Burning of hands feet. Finger-joints enlarged, puffy. Gouty concretions. Heels and balls of feet tender (Thuja). Soreness of soles. Restless; better, clutching hands.

Stool: Can pass stool only by leaning very far back. Painful lump sensation on posterior surface of sphincter. Oozing of fetid moisture. Intense itching of anus.

Urine: Painful tenesmus when urinating. Nocturnal enuresis. Renal colic (Berb; Ocim; Pareir). Urine flows very slowly.

Skin: Yellow. Intense and incessant itching; worse night and when thinking of it. Fiery red rash about anus in babies. Copper-colored spots. Favus. Tumors and abnormal growth.

Fever: Wants to be fanned all the time. Chills up and down back; coldness of legs, hands, and forearms. Flashes of heat in face and neck. Night-sweat and hectic.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapies are allopathic drugs that interfere with one specific property or function of a cancer cell, rather than acting to kill all rapidly growing cells indiscriminately. There is less damage to normal cells with targeted therapy than with chemotherapy but still having lot if side effects for example targeted therapies may cause the target cell to cease growing rather than to die, and they interfere with specific molecules that promote the growth or spread of cancers. Targeted cancer therapies are also referred to as molecularly targeted drugs, molecularly targeted therapies, or precision medicines.

Targeted therapies are given in pill form or by injection. Side effects can include swelling (liver failure), bloating, and sudden weight gain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle cramps, or rash.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to target cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be used in the treatment of leukemia that has spread to the brain, or it may be used to target the spleen or other areas where leukemia cells have accumulated.

Radiation therapy also causes side effects depend on the location of the body that is irradiated. For example, radiation to the abdomen can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. With any radiation therapy, the skin in the area being treated may become red, dry, and tender. Generalized tiredness is also common while undergoing radiation therapy.

Stem cell transplant

Stem cells may come from the patient or a donor. In stem cell transplantation, high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation are given to destroy leukemia cells along with normal bone marrow. Then, transplant stem cells are delivered by an intravenous infusion. The stem cells travel to the bone marrow and begin producing new blood cells.

Autologous stem cell transplantation refers to the situation in which the patient’s stem cells are removed and treated to destroy leukemia cells. They are then returned to the body after the bone marrow and leukemia cells have been destroyed.

An allogeneic stem cell transplant refers to stem cells transplanted from a donor. These may be from a relative or an unrelated donor. A syngeneic stem cell transplant uses stem cells taken from a healthy identical twin of the patient.

Stem cells may be removed (harvested) in different ways. Typically, they are taken from the blood. They can also be harvested from the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment is a new form of treatment in which a patient’s own normal T lymphocytes are re-engineered in a laboratory to attack the leukemia cells and are then reintroduced into the patient’s bloodstream. This treatment has been used for people with B-cell lymphomas that have relapsed or are refractory to treatment. It is also an approved treatment option for certain cases of leukemia but with very little achievement and too many side effects and is still in clinical trails (experimenting on it).

Supportive treatments

Because many of the treatments for leukemia deplete normal blood cells, increasing the risk for bleeding and infection, supportive treatments may be needed to help prevent these complications of treatment. Supportive treatments may also be needed to help minimize and manage unpleasant side effects of medical or radiation therapy.

Many of the challenges of leukemia relate to the depletion of normal blood cells as well as the side effects of allopathic treatments as described, such as frequent infections, bleeding, and GVHD in recipients of stem cell transplants. Weight loss and anemia are further complications of leukemia and its treatment. Complications of any leukemia also include a relapse or a progression of the disease after a remission has been achieved with treatment.

Other complications of leukemia relate to the specific type of leukemia. For example, in 3% to 5% of cases of CLL, the cells change characteristics and transform into an aggressive lymphoma. This is known as a Richter transformation.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia, in the body attacks and destroys red blood cells, which is another potential complication of CLL. People with CLL are also more likely to develop second cancers and other blood disorders and blood cancers.

Tumor lysis syndrome is a condition caused by the rapid death of cancer cells during acute treatment. It can occur in almost any type of cancer, and it is seen in some cases of leukemia, particularly when large numbers of leukemia cells are present such as with AML or ALL.

The rapid destruction of the leukemia cells leads to the release of large amounts of phosphate, which further causes metabolic abnormalities and can lead to kidney failure.

Children who receive therapy for ALL may experience late adverse effects including central nervous system (CNS) impairment, slowing of growth, infertility, cataracts, and an increased risk for other cancers.

However in Biological or Homeopathic treatment there are no any side effects, and could be given to any one/any age and any time.