A type of cancer that starts in the blood-forming tissues, such as the bone marrow, and causes the body to make abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out healthy blood cells and can make a person very sick.
From Greek *leukos* meaning “white” and *haima* (influencing *-emia*) meaning “blood,” literally “white blood.” Doctors noticed unusually high numbers of white blood cells in this disease.
The name ‘leukemia’ describes what doctors first saw under a microscope: too many pale, white cells in the blood. It’s a reminder that early medical names often came from simple, direct observation, not deep understanding.
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