Neoplastic Process
leukemia
leu·ke·mi·a [ loo-kee-mee-uh ]
Subclass of:
Neoplasms by Histologic Type
Etymology:
Greek leukos = white + haima = blood + -ia = condition
Coined by Virchow at the autopsy table.
Coined by Virchow at the autopsy table.
Definitions related to leukemia:
-
(leukemia, malignant) A progressive, proliferative disease of blood cells, originating from myeloid or lymphoid stem cells.CDISC TerminologyClinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
-
A cancer of the blood and bone marrow characterized by an abnormal proliferation of leukocytes.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
-
A cancer of the blood or bone marrow that is characterized by increased production of abnormal blood cells.NICHD Pediatric TerminologyU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
-
A malignant (clonal) hematologic disorder, involving hematopoietic stem cells and characterized by the presence of primitive or atypical myeloid or lymphoid cells in the bone marrow and the blood. Leukemias are classified as acute or chronic based on the degree of cellular differentiation and the predominant cell type present. Leukemia is usually associated with anemia, fever, hemorrhagic episodes, and splenomegaly. Common leukemias include acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphoblastic or precursor lymphoblastic leukemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Treatment is vital to patient survival; untreated, the natural course of acute leukemias is normally measured in weeks or months, while that of chronic leukemias is more often measured in months or years.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
-
A progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. Leukemias were originally termed acute or chronic based on life expectancy but now are classified according to cellular maturity. Acute leukemias consist of predominately immature cells; chronic leukemias are composed of more mature cells. (From The Merck Manual, 2006)NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
-
Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
-
Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection. Your blood cells form in your bone marrow. In leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out the healthy blood cells, making it hard for blood to do its work. There are different types of leukemia, including Acute lymphocytic leukemia; Acute myeloid leukemia; Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia can develop quickly or slowly. Chronic leukemia grows slowly. In acute leukemia, the cells are very abnormal and their number increases rapidly. Adults can get either type; children with leukemia most often have an acute type. Some leukemias can often be cured. Other types are hard to cure, but you can often control them. Treatments may include chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell transplantation. Even if symptoms disappear, you might need therapy to prevent a relapse. NIH: National Cancer InstituteMedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
-
Progressive, malignant disease of the blood-forming organs, characterized by distorted proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow; classified according to degree of cell differentiation as acute or chronic, and according to predominant type of cell involved as myelogenous or lymphocytic.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
-
Leukemia is a malignant condition involving the excess production of immature or abnormal leukocytes, which eventually suppresses the production of normal blood cells and results in symptoms related to cytopenias.Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
-
Leukemias are a group of heterogeneous neoplastic disorders of white blood cells. Based on their origin, myeloid or lymphoid, they can be divided into two types.WebMD, 2019
-
Leukemia is cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
-
Leukemia, a cancer of the blood-forming tissues characterized by a large increase in the numbers of white blood cells (leukocytes) in the circulation or bone marrow. A number of different leukemias are classified according to the course of the disease and the predominant type of white blood cell...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
Return to OpenMD Medical Dictionary
> L
This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.