|
|
Acute Leukemia
- Article from:
-
Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
- Author:
- Kretschmann, Kate
|
Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Acute leukemia
Definition
A rapidly progressing cancer that starts in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow. Leukemia results from an abnormal development of leukocytes (white blood cells) and their precursors. Leukemia cells look different than normal cells and do not function properly.
Description
There are four main types of leukemia, which can be further divided into subtypes. When classifying the type of leukemia, the first steps are to determine whether the cancer is lymphocytic or ...