Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. Bone marrow produces blood cells. Leukemia can happen when there’s a problem with the production of blood cells. It usually affects the leukocytes, or white blood cells.
It’s most likely to affect people over the age of 55 years; however, it’s also the most common cancer in those aged under 15 years. In the United States, 62,130 people are expected to receive a diagnosis of leukemia in 2017, and around 24,500 deaths will likely be due to this disease.
Acute leukemia develops faster quickly and worsens rapidly; however, chronic leukemia gets worse over time.
