The leukemias are cancers of the blood forming cells. Acute leukemia involves the most primitive of these types of cells. This class of cancer leads to an overproduction of a blood cells that have similar characteristics (clones). Clonal cells share two common features that lead to the symptoms of leukemia. 1) The cells divide without control and fail to respond to the signals that tell them to stop. 2) These cells have a longer life than normal …
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showed last 75 words of 290 total
…As these cells proliferate they increase the concentration of white blood cells in the blood stream. The term leukemia actually has a latin derivation. Leuko means white and heme is blood. Therefore the word leukemia literally means white blood. Now you understand why INFECTIONS, ANEMIA AND EASY BRUSING ARE THE HALLMARKS OF LEUKEMIA. Other features include enlarged spleen, liver and lymph nodes. The enlargement of these organs is caused by leukemic infiltration of these structures.