CancerQuest >> Cancer by Type >> Leukemia

Leukemia: Introduction

Blood consists of three types of cells and cell fragments floating in a liquid called plasma. These cellular components are:

• Red Blood Cells ("erythrocytes," "RBCs") - oxygen-carrying cells


• White Blood Cells ("leukocytes," "WBCs") - cells that help make up the body's immune system


• Platelets ("thrombocytes") - fragments of cells that play an important role in formation of blood clots

The total number of white blood cells normally ranges from 4 million to 11 million cells per milliliter of blood. Leukemias are a group of diseases characterized by increased numbers of white cells in the blood and bone marrow.

In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimates that 44,790 new leukemia cases will be diagnosed and 21,870 people will die from the disease in the United States.

Please visit the following sections to learn more about leukemia:

• Development of White Blood Cells
• Types of Leukemia
• Leukemia Risk Factors
• Symptoms and Detection
• Leukemia Tumor Biology
• Treatments for Leukemia
• Additional Resources
• Leukemia Summary Sheet