Leukemia Vs. Lymphoma

Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in the world and can affect many parts of the body including the blood. Leukemia and lymphoma are both blood cancer types and have many similarities due to which they are considered the same by many people. But there are also many differences between these two cancer types. You can go through the following given information if you wish to know more about leukemia and lymphoma.

leukemia Vs. lymphoma

  • Leukemia is the cancer of blood cells which affects the white blood cells and causes them not to work properly. On the other hand, lymphoma is a kind of a cancer which originates in the lymphatic system.
  • Where on one hand, there are 4 types of leukemia whereas there are 2 types of lymphoma. The 4 types of leukemia include acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The 2 types of lymphoma include Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • Where on one hand, leukemia starts in the bone marrow which is a spongy tissue found in the middle of bigger bones. The abnormal cells tend to spread from there to the blood and to other parts of the body.  On the other hand, lymphoma develops when some of the lymphocytes go out of control. These abnormal cells build up in the lymph nodes, in the spleen or in the bone marrow.
  • The risk of leukemia increases with age but is still more common in childhood. It is also more common in people who are above the age of 45. On the other hand, the risk of leukemia increases with increasing age and is more common in people who are over the age of 60.
  • Some of the symptoms of leukemia include tiredness, breathlessness, reduced ability to exercise, increased risk of developing infections and lack of platelets. On the other hand, symptoms of lymphoma include enlarged lymph nodes, unusual tiredness, excessive sweating, fever and abdominal discomfort.
  • In case of acute leukemia, chemotherapy is the main treatment given. This is in combination with different drugs whereas on the other hand, patients suffering from lymphoma are given a combination of drugs and courses of chemotherapy. Depending upon the type of lymphoma, the treatment method and duration may differ and same is true for leukemia.