"Late life onset leukemia" is a general term for types of leukemia that commonly develop in older adults, typically those aged 60 and above. The specific types most often seen in this age group are Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has five main stages:
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) mainly affects older people: the median age at diagnosis is > 70 years. Elderly patients with CLL are heterogeneous with regard both to the biology of their disease and aging.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is most commonly diagnosed among people in their 60s and 70s. It only affects about 21,000 people a year, but it's among the most aggressive of all cancers.
History of radiation therapy or chemotherapy
If someone has undergone treatments like radiation therapy or chemotherapy for other cancers, they might have a higher risk of developing leukemia later.
As AML progresses towards the final stages, patients may experience constant coldness, paleness, fatigue, and drowsiness. They may also begin to lose control of their bladder and bowel function. In some rare cases, the blood can become too thick due to the presence of too many cancerous cells.
For those aged between 70 and 79:
around 5 out of 100 (around 5%) will survive their leukaemia for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most fatal type of leukemia. The five-year survival rate (how many people will be alive five years after diagnosis) for AML is 29.5%. Leukemia is a cancer that usually affects white blood cells, though it can start in other types of blood cells.
Leukemia symptoms commonly include:
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is a rare type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It usually develops very slowly and does not always need to be treated straight away.
So, is leukemia a hereditary disease? In most cases, the answer is no. Leukemia is largely caused by genetic mutations acquired during a person's lifetime. However, specific gene mutations can increase the likelihood of developing leukemia within families.
Acute leukemias — which are incredibly rare — are the most rapidly progressing cancer we know of. The white cells in the blood grow very quickly, over a matter of days to weeks. Sometimes a patient with acute leukemia has no symptoms or has normal blood work even a few weeks or months before the diagnosis.
Some people with leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes have bone or joint pain. This bone pain is most often felt in the long bones of the arms and legs, in the ribs, and in the breastbone.
Major causes of death in acute leukemia were infection in 70% of patients and hemorrhage in 52%.
Some people whose CLL has changed (transformed) into a high grade disease have bone pain and night sweats. Bone pain happens because there are too many leukaemia cells in the bone marrow, causing pressure on nerves and causing pain. The exact cause of the night sweats is unknown.
The top 3 "worst" cancers, often defined by the highest number of deaths globally, are consistently lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations, with pancreatic cancer also frequently cited as extremely deadly due to poor survival rates. Lung cancer causes the most fatalities worldwide, followed by colon/rectum and liver cancers, though specific rankings can vary slightly by year and region.
Deaths. Approximately 23,540 deaths (13,500 males and 10,040 females) in the U.S. were expected to be attributed to leukemia in 2025. From 2018 to 2022, leukemia was the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths in males and the seventh most common cause of cancer deaths in females in the U.S.
Acute leukemia may cause signs and symptoms that are similar to the flu. They come on suddenly within days or weeks. Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually.
Palliative (pronounced “pal-lee-uh-tiv”) care is specialized medical care for people facing serious illness. The palliative care team relieves the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness like leukemia or lymphoma. The goal is to improve quality of life for both you and your family.
Leukemia Treatment
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) often develops very slowly. You might need little or no treatment. Although it is not usually curable, the disease can be under control for many years.
Studies indicate that hearing is the last of the senses to be lost. We therefore encourage you to continue to talk to the person even if they appear to be unconscious. You may also wish to hold or gently massage the person's hands or feet as a way of maintaining physical contact.
End stage acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will be different for each person. Common symptoms include pain, weakness, loss of appetite, difficulty focusing, and altered breathing patterns. Pain is the most common symptom in end-stage AML, primarily affecting the bones.
Childhood leukemia was fatal for the vast majority of children who developed it in the past. Before the 1970s, fewer than 10% of children diagnosed with the disease survived five years after diagnosis. But since then, this outlook has improved dramatically. In North America and Europe, around 85% now survive that long.