Living with Aggressive NK-cell leukemia
A rare, fast-growing leukemia linked to the Epstein-Barr virus, mostly affecting teenagers and young adults.
Understanding Aggressive NK-cell leukemia
It is also called aggressive NK-cell leukemia/lymphoma. It involves growth of NK cells, a kind of white blood cell, in the blood, bone marrow, liver, and spleen. It mainly affects teenagers and young adults. GARD says it may be the leukemic counterpart of nasal-type extranodal NK/T-cell lymphomas.
Signs & symptoms
GARD doesn't list specific symptoms for this condition yet.
Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Diagnosis
- 1Talk with your doctor
Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.
- 2See a specialist
Specialists who may be involved include blood and bone marrow specialists and cancer specialists.
- 3Ask which tests can help
Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.
Care & treatment
- Care team
- Blood and bone marrow specialists (hematologists); Cancer specialists (oncologists)
- Expert care
- Ask about multidisciplinary care centers for rare conditions
- Treatment
- GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
- Research
- Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.
General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.
Everyday life
Living with a rare condition is easier with support.
- Connect with Blood Cancer United
- Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
- Ask about patient registries that help research
- Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Quick facts
GARD says it is associated with the Epstein-Barr virus. It doesn't describe a gene cause.
Also known as: aggressive natural killer-cell leukemia; aggressive nk cell leukemia; aggressive nk-cell leukaemia (morphologic abnormality); aggressive nk-cell leukemia (morphologic abnormality); aggressive nk-cell leukemia/lymphoma; aggressive nk-cell lymphoma
Patient organizations
- Blood Cancer UnitedAggressive NK-cell leukemia · United States
You are more than your diagnosis
Perspectives from people navigating life with Aggressive NK-cell leukemia.
Explore research for Aggressive NK-cell leukemia
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- Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
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- Eligibility is confirmed by the study team
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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.
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