leukemia

[loo-kee-mee-uh]

noun

Pathology.

1. 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.

leukemia

1. Any of various acute or chronic neoplastic diseases of the bone marrow in which unrestrained proliferation of white blood cells occurs, usually accompanied by anemia, impaired blood clotting, and enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Certain viruses, genetic defects, chemicals, and ionizing radiation, are associated with an increased risk of leukemia, which is classified according to the cellular maturity of the involved white blood cells.

leukemia

1. A kind of cancer in which the number of white blood cells in the blood greatly increases. Leukemia usually spreads to the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, and other areas of the body, causing destruction of tissues and often resulting in death.

Other Word Forms

• leukemic adjective
• antileukemic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of leukemia¹

First recorded in 1850–55; earlier leuchaemia, from German Leukämie; equivalent to leuko- + -emia

Example Sentences

Keaton was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Bessie Lee, a woman who has been caring for years for her bedridden father when she is diagnosed with leukemia.

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The same general process is used for CAR-T cell therapies, some of which have already been approved to treat blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia.

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He was soon diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia and underwent chemotherapy and radiation.

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Oscar Mateo dreamed of being an artist, but after he contracted leukemia when he was 20, his life plans abruptly changed.

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“I would take antibiotics, I would take ibuprofen, thinking it’s this, thinking it’s that, not even entertaining the fact that it could be cancer or even leukemia.”

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