Leukemic Reticuloendotheliosis and Receiving Social Security Disability
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The word leukemia comes from two Greek words that mean white and blood. Leukemia is a form of cancer that affects your bone marrow or blood. It is characterized by an abnormal abundance of blood cells, which are usually white blood cells (lymphocytes).
Leukemia is a term that covers a wide spectrum of diseases. In turn, it is part of an even broader group of diseases that are referred to as hematological neoplasms. These are forms of cancer that affect your lymph nodes, blood and bone marrow. These kinds of cancer are closely related through your immune system. A disease that affects one of these three, many times will affect the others as well.
More than 40,000 new cases of some type of leukemia are diagnosed each year in the United States. Over 200,000 people are thought to be living with some kind of leukemia in the United States.
Leukemic reticuloendotheliosis is one of the many forms of leukemia. This disease affects B cells. These are a type of white blood cells. Leukemic reticuloendotheliosis is marked by your bone marrow making too many of these B cells. These excess B cells are not normal, and their appearance is hairy under a microscope. Less and less healthy platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells are produced as these abnormal B cells increase.
Fortunately, leukemic reticuloendotheliosis is a rare kind of leukemia. About 2% of all leukemias are this type.
The average age at the onset of leukemic reticuloendotheliosis is 55. This disease affects men more than it does women.
Leukemic reticuloendotheliosis is caused by defects (mutations) that take place in your B cells. However, no one knows why these changes occur.
Leukemic reticuloendotheliosis may not be evidenced by any signs or symptoms. When signs and symptoms do occur, they are not unique to this disease. They are signs and symptoms that are common to several diseases and conditions. Possible signs and symptoms are:
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- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph glands
- Weakness
- Unintended weight loss
- Sweating excessively, especially at night
- Recurring infections
- Not being able to eat more than a little bit at a time because of a feeling of fullness in your abdomen
- Bruising easily.
