what is lukemia?

Question

what is it i always wanted to know

Answer 1

it's "Leukemia", and it's a cancer that occurs in the blood or bone marrow... read about it here:

http://www.leukemia.org

Answer 2

Leukemia is cancer of your body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and lymphatic system. The word "leukemia" means "white blood" in Greek. The disease usually starts in the white blood cells.

Under normal circumstances, your white blood cells are potent infection fighters. These cells normally grow and divide in an orderly, controlled way, as your body needs them. But leukemia disrupts this process.

In leukemia, your bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal white blood cells. They look different from normal blood cells and don't function properly. Eventually, they block production of normal white blood cells, impairing your ability to fight off infection. Leukemia cells also crowd out other types of blood cells produced by the bone marrow, including red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues throughout your body, and platelets, which help form blood clots.

Leukemia isn't just a children's disease, as some people think. Leukemia has four main types and many subtypes — and only some of them are common among children. Treatment of leukemia is complex — and it depends on your age and health, the type of leukemia and how far it has spread.-

Answer 3

Etymologically it means an abnormal conditions involving white blood cells (leuk/emia). Leuk/o/ = white; em- blood; ia- abnormal condition.

Leukemia, in the context of cancer literally means cancer of white blood cells. This may include anyone of the 5 main white blood cells: Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils, Lymphocytes and Monocytes. These cancers would be classified under the Hematopoietic and Lymphiod Neoplasms (neoplasm is the medically accepted term for cancer). These types of cancers or neoplasms would include the following: With Lymphiod tissue the malignancies include lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease, and Non-Hodgkin's Disease. With granulocytes (which are neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils) the malignancy is called myeloid leukemia. In regards to marrow lymphocytes the malignancy is called lymphocytic leukemia. And finally with plasma cells (which are terminally differentiated B-lymphocyte cells that produce antibodies) the malignancy that occurs here is called multiple myeloma.

Dorland's medical dictionary says that leukemia is a progessive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. It is classified according to degree of cell differentiation as acute or chronic, and according to predonminant type of cell involved as myelgenous or lymphocytic. There are over 100 subtypes of the aforementioned groups in the above paragraph. This is in regards to Hematopoietic and Lymphiod Neoplasms.

To put it simply, it is cancer of the white blood cells. But there is a wide spectrum of disease with this term.

Answer 4

Cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood cells, usually white blood cells...

Any of several cancers of the bone marrow that prevent the normal manufacture of red and white blood cells and platelets, resulting in anemia, increased susceptibility to infection, and impaired blood clotting.

Hope this helped!

Answer 5

Leukemia is a malignant disease of the bone marrow and blood. Its divided into four categories: myelogenous or lymphocytic, each can be acute or chronic. It is also a progressive illness that should be attended to immediately.
Spartawo...

Answer 6

Cancer of the blood or in bone marrow there are different types and treatments.
Hope I helped

Answer 7

Leukaemia ;- several forms are there. It is treated by radiotherapy.. It is abnormal number of leucocytes form in the blood.

Answer 8

Cancer in the blood.

Answer 9

cancer