Leukaemia is the cancer most people picture when they think of blood cancer — and it is one of the cancers whose treatment has transformed most dramatically over the last three decades. Childhood leukaemia, once almost uniformly fatal, is now cured in more than 85% of children. Chronic myeloid leukaemia, once a death sentence within a few years, is now a controlled chronic condition for most patients on a single daily tablet.
Leukaemia is a cancer of the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow — the spongy tissue at the centre of bones where red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are made. When one type of white blood cell undergoes a genetic change and starts to multiply uncontrollably, it crowds out healthy blood cell production. This is why most leukaemia symptoms are not from the cancer itself but from a shortage of normal blood cells — pale skin and fatigue from low red cells, frequent infections from dysfunctional white cells, and easy bruising or bleeding from low platelets.
Leukaemia is divided into four main types based on two characteristics: how quickly the cancer grows (acute or chronic) and which type of white blood cell is affected (lymphoid or myeloid). The combinations give us the four main leukaemias — acute lymphoblastic, acute myeloid, chronic lymphocytic and chronic myeloid — each with its own typical age group, behaviour and treatment. The distinction matters enormously: acute leukaemias need urgent treatment within days, while chronic leukaemias may be safely observed for months or years before any therapy is needed.
The four main types of leukaemia behave very differently and need different treatment. Knowing which type a patient has is the first step in care.
The most common cancer in children, primarily affecting those aged 2 to 5, though it also occurs in adults. ALL grows very rapidly and is treated with intensive multi-phase chemotherapy lasting 2 to 3 years. Cure rates exceed 85% in children with standard-risk ALL and have improved significantly in adults with modern protocols, targeted therapy and stem cell transplant for high-risk cases.
Can occur at any age but is most common in adults over 60. AML grows rapidly and needs immediate treatment with intensive chemotherapy, often followed by allogeneic stem cell transplant for younger patients with high-risk disease. Newer targeted therapies (FLT3 inhibitors, venetoclax-based combinations, IDH inhibitors) are meaningfully improving outcomes, including for older patients who cannot tolerate intensive chemotherapy.
A slow-growing leukaemia of older adults, most often diagnosed after the age of 60. Many CLL patients have no symptoms at diagnosis and need only monitoring rather than immediate treatment — a strategy called watchful waiting. When treatment is needed, modern targeted therapies (BTK inhibitors, BCL-2 inhibitors) have largely replaced traditional chemotherapy and have transformed outcomes.
Caused by a characteristic genetic change called the Philadelphia chromosome, CML is one of the great success stories of modern oncology. The discovery of imatinib (and its newer-generation cousins) has transformed CML from a fatal disease into a controlled chronic condition managed with a single daily tablet. Most patients today live a normal life span with near-normal quality of life.
Includes hairy cell leukaemia (a rare slow-growing leukaemia of older men), prolymphocytic leukaemia, large granular lymphocyte leukaemia, and acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL — a distinctive subtype of AML now highly curable with all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide). Each requires a specialist treatment plan.
For detailed information on diagnosis, multi-phase chemotherapy protocols, targeted therapy, stem cell transplant and modern immunotherapy options, see our dedicated page on leukemia treatment in Hyderabad.
Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) has cure rates above 85% with modern multi-phase chemotherapy — among the highest cure rates anywhere in oncology, transformed from a near-uniformly fatal disease just three decades ago.
Leukaemia symptoms come mostly from a shortage of healthy blood cells. The most important early signs are:
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A short consultation and the right blood test can confirm or rule out leukaemia. Early action is always easier than catching up later.
Leukaemia is one of the most common cancers seen in young children across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and is the single biggest reason children are referred to dedicated paediatric oncology services in Hyderabad. Adult leukaemias — particularly AML and CML — are also seen regularly, with CML diagnoses now often made earlier because of better access to complete blood counts in routine health check-ups.
The good news is that outcomes in modern Indian centres now approach international benchmarks for many leukaemia subtypes, and Aarogyasri coverage makes intensive chemotherapy, targeted therapy and stem cell transplant accessible to eligible families. Treatment for acute leukaemia is long and intensive, often lasting many months — sustained family and financial support are central to successful outcomes, and CION's patient support services are designed around this reality.
The exact cause of most leukaemias is not identifiable. Known risk factors include:
Any of the following should prompt a complete blood count and, if abnormal, an urgent haematology referral:
A short specialist consultation and the right diagnostic test — imaging, endoscopy, biopsy, or blood test as appropriate — is usually enough to confirm or rule out cancer. Early action is always easier than catching up later.
A simple complete blood count (CBC) — available at most labs for under ₹500 — is usually enough to flag the changes that prompt a haematology referral. No fasting, no special preparation.
Our NABH-accredited centres deliver evidence-based leukaemia care — from bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, flow cytometry and molecular genetic testing through to risk-stratified multi-phase chemotherapy, targeted therapy (tyrosine kinase inhibitors, BTK inhibitors, BCL-2 inhibitors, FLT3 inhibitors), allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplant, and modern immunotherapy and CAR-T cell therapy for eligible patients — guided by NCCN and ESMO haematology protocols and reviewed for every patient by a multidisciplinary haematology-oncology tumour board. Aarogyasri coverage, EMI options and structured patient support help families through what is often a long course of treatment.
For a detailed walk-through of leukemia diagnosis, treatment options, costs, and our specialist team, see our dedicated page on leukemia treatment in Hyderabad.
Disclaimer: This page is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified oncologist for guidance specific to your medical condition. Content on this page is periodically reviewed and updated by CION's medical team in accordance with current clinical guidelines.
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Start Your Story. Book Free Consultation.The most common first signs are persistent unexplained tiredness with pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding (including bleeding gums and frequent nosebleeds), tiny pinpoint red spots on the skin (petechiae), and recurrent infections that take longer than usual to clear. Other early signs include persistent low-grade fever, drenching night sweats, unintended weight loss, bone or joint pain (especially in children), and swollen lymph nodes. Most of these symptoms come from a shortage of healthy blood cells caused by leukaemia cells crowding out the bone marrow. The unifying theme is that these symptoms persist and worsen over weeks rather than settling on their own.
Both are cancers of white blood cells, but they begin in different places. Leukaemia starts in the bone marrow's blood-forming cells, with cancerous cells spilling into the bloodstream — so the cancer is mostly invisible from the outside and produces blood-related symptoms (anaemia, bruising, infections). Lymphoma starts in lymphocytes within the lymph nodes, spleen, or other lymphoid tissues, and usually presents with visible or felt swollen lymph nodes. There is some overlap — chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma are essentially the same disease in different locations — but most leukaemias and lymphomas are distinct conditions with different treatment approaches.
Acute leukaemias (ALL and AML) grow very rapidly, produce severe symptoms within weeks, and need urgent treatment — typically within days of diagnosis. Untreated, acute leukaemia can be fatal within weeks. Chronic leukaemias (CLL and CML) grow much more slowly, often produce no symptoms in their early stages, and may be safely observed for months or years before any treatment is needed. The distinction is fundamental: it changes everything from how urgently treatment is started to which therapies are used.
It depends on the type. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) has cure rates above 85% with modern treatment. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cure rates vary by age and genetics, from 40–70% in younger adults to lower rates in older patients (though newer targeted therapies are improving outcomes). Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is not technically cured but is controlled as a chronic condition with a single daily tablet, and most patients live a normal life span. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is also rarely cured but is increasingly managed as a long-term condition with modern targeted therapy. Stem cell transplant offers a curative option for many patients with otherwise difficult-to-treat leukaemia.
Most leukaemias are not hereditary. The great majority of cases occur in people with no family history of the disease and no identifiable inherited risk. However, a small minority of leukaemias are linked to inherited syndromes — Down syndrome, Fanconi anaemia, Bloom syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia, and neurofibromatosis type 1 all raise risk. A family history of leukaemia in a first-degree relative slightly increases risk for some subtypes. Anyone with a strong family history or known inherited syndrome should discuss surveillance with a haematologist.
