Leukemia vs. Lymphoma can be confusing and hard to understand by common people. Both are types of blood cancer that share some similarities. On the other hand, Leukemia and Lymphoma affect the human body in different ways.
That’s why it is more important to understand the major difference between these two blood cancers. Once you understand the difference in causes and symptoms, it is easy to find the right cancer treatment. To know the difference and more detail, keep reading this post until the end.
Understanding Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma
What exactly are Leukemia and Lymphoma blood cancer? You must know these two cancers to understand the major difference between Leukemia vs. Lymphoma blood cancer.
What Is Leukemia?
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that occurs when the white blood cells of your body don’t work properly. These are the blood cells that help in fighting against various infections and diseases. Leukemia cancer arises in the white blood cells type myelocytes. Leukemia doesn’t result in the visible lump, which you can see with other types of cancer.
What Is Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a blood cancer type that affects the lymphatic system of your body. The lymphatic system is the network of the tissues and organs that boosts the immune system. Its function is to protect the body cells from infections and eliminate waste and toxins.
Lymphoma blood cancer affects the lymphocyte cells. These are the types of white blood cells that circulate in the blood of the lymphatic system. These cells constitute a major part of the human body’s immune system.
Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma Types
Leukemia vs. Lymphoma blood cancer types eases the process of identifying the difference between these two cancers. Leukemia and Lymphoma have their types which are characterized based on symptoms and signs. There are four types of leukemia:
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) occurs in the bone marrow. It shows the little symptoms in the beginning while affecting the body’s white blood cells.
- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is the subcategory of “Myeloid,” which affects the body’s bone marrow. It refers to the group of cells that grows up from common ancestors called myeloid progenitor cells.
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) is a blood cancer that starts in lymphocyte lineage. It affects the lymphocytes, which are part of the lymphoid tissues.
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is a chronic version that affects the lymphoid tissues. It infects and constitutes the higher stage of Leukemia.
There are two major types of Lymphoma blood cancer found in the human body:
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Both types of Lymphoma originate from the lymphocytes or their precursors. These white blood cells usually do not appear in the peripheral blood of the human body. That’s why these types of blood cancer can’t be named Leukemia. Every type of Leukemia vs. Lymphoma blood cancer shows a difference in symptoms.
Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma Symptoms
To understand the difference between the symptoms of these two blood cancers, you must be familiar with their functioning.
- Leukemia is a slow-growing cancer disease that doesn’t show symptoms initially. However, it shows the signs when cancer affects the white blood cells at a faster rate. It can be acute and chronic, identified based on their growth rate. The common symptoms are increased body infections, fever, headaches, nosebleeds, and night sweats.
- Lymphoma blood cancer specifically affects the lymph nodes. Most of its cases start in the lymphatic system of the body. The symptoms of Lymphoma are based on which type of lymph node it affects. Two major types of Lymphoma show different symptoms. The Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin symptoms of Lymphoma cause different symptoms. Here are the various symptoms of Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma blood cancer.
Hodgkin Lymphoma Symptoms
- High fever and sweats
- Itchiness in skin
- Weight loss
- Swelling in lymph nodes
Non-Hodgkin Symptoms
- Pain in chest
- Difficulty in breathing
- Fever and sweats
- Swelling and pain in the abdomen
- Weight loss
Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma Causes
The cause of Leukemia vs. Lymphoma starts with the problem in the white blood cells.
- In Leukemia, the bone marrow produces excessive white blood cells. This excessive blood doesn’t destroy nature and takes over the red blood cells. As a result, it becomes a big problem as the human body depends on the red blood cells to transport oxygen and nutrients. Leukemia can develop in the lymph nodes of the body as well. The common causes of Leukemia are genetic disorders, family history, contact with radiation, and chemical smoke.
- The major cause of Lymphoma is the spread of abnormal white blood cells in the body. It often begins in the lymph nodes of the body. The lymph nodes are the small tissues that boost the body’s immune system. The common causes of lymphoma blood cancer are a weak immune system, contact with chemicals like benzene, and a close relation to Lymphoma patients.
Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma Diagnosis
Leukemia vs. lymphoma diagnosis has a difference in the techniques used by the experts. Both blood cancers don’t show any major signs in the beginning.
- The first step of the diagnosis process of Leukemia is a blood test and blood cell examination. During the test, if your different blood cells show abnormal symptoms, you have leukemia. Moreover, the cancer specialist also does a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis process of Leukemia. The bone marrow is the detailed diagnosis procedure of Leukemia blood cancer. It is uncomfortable and can last around 25 minutes.
- To diagnose Lymphoma, doctors take a sample of the affected tissue of your body. The tissue sample is tested in the lab to diagnose the type and stage of Lymphoma. Besides, doctors may take a biopsy to diagnose cancer in detail.
Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma Which Is Worse?
Most people do ask if Leukemia vs. Lymphoma which is worse.
Simply put, both blood cancers are dangerous if not treated on time. To understand the threat of leukemia and lymphoma, you must know their survival rate. The survival rate of Lymphoma is higher than Leukemia. According to a recent study, the survival rate of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is 88%, while the survival rate of Leukemia is 65%. It means people have more chances of surviving Lymphoma as compared to Leukemia.
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That doesn’t mean you cause a life threat. Both blood cancers can create serious health issues in the future. Once you find the early symptoms of Lymphoma vs. Leukemia, reach out to a cancer specialist as soon as possible.
Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma Treatment
Leukemia vs. Lymphoma treatment is based on the type and condition of diagnosis. If the cancer is growing slowly and is in an early stage, your doctor might adopt the watchful waiting technique. This strategy is common in Leukemia which shows no symptoms. Once your doctors diagnose the Leukemia blood cancer, they might focus on treatments like:
- Stem cell transplants
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted drug therapy
In the case of Lymphoma blood cancer, the treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer. Similar to Leukemia, your doctors might give you therapy like Chemotherapy and Radiation therapy.
Conclusion
Leukemia vs. Lymphoma makes a major difference in how they affect the human body. Both of these cancers grow slowly at the beginning and are easy to diagnose and treat. The major difference between the two is that Leukemia affects the blood and bone marrow while Lymphoma affects the lymph nodes. The survival rate of Lymphoma is higher than that of Leukemia blood cancer. It is important to consult a cancer specialist once you notice the early symptoms.
At University Cancer Centers, we provide the diagnosis and proven treatment for various types of cancer. We deeply study the stage of Leukemia and Lymphoma through our diagnosis processes. Our certified team of cancer specialists analyzes the functioning of cancer in detail. After proper analysis, we start the suitable treatment to cure the root cause of your cancer. Our 24/7 medical support ensures you a fast recovery from cancer as possible.
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