Howstuffworks "Leukemia - Encyclopedia Entry"

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Leukemia

Leukemia, loo KEE mee uh, is a cancer of the bone marrow, which is the soft, spongy, blood-forming tissue within bones. Bone marrow produces three types of blood cells: (1) white blood cells that fight infections; (2) red blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body; and (3) platelets, tiny blood cells that help stop bleeding. In leukemia, large numbers of abnormal white blood cells multiply in an uncontrolled manner in the bone marrow and crowd out normal blood cells. In addition, the abnormal white blood cells do not fight infections.

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