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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer by Type > Leukemia: Introduction

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.⁽¹⁾Leukemias are a group of diseases characterized by increased numbers of white cells in the blood and bone marrow.⁽²⁾

In 2010, the American Cancer Society estimates that 43,050 new leukemia cases will be diagnosed and 21,840 people will die from the disease in the United States.⁽³⁾

Please visit the following sections to learn more about leukemia:

• White Blood Cells
• Types of Leukemia
• Risk Factors
• Symptoms
  
• Detection and Diagnosis
  
• Leukemia Tumor Biology
• Treatment
• Section Summary
  

References for this page:

1. Hoffbrand AV, Moss PAH, Pettit JE (ed). "Essential Haematology" 5th Edition. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford: 2006. Pg. 365.
2. Hoffbrand AV, Moss PAH, Pettit JE (ed). "Essential Haematology" 5th Edition. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford: 2006. Pg. 157.
3. Cancer Facts and Figures 2010. American Cancer Society. [http://www.cancerquest.org/multimedia/pdf/facts&figures2010.pdf]