What is Leukemia?

     Leukemia is the general term used to describe four different disease-types called:

• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

     The term Lymphocytic or Lymphoblastic indicates that the cancerous change takes place in a type of marrow cell that forms Lymphocytes. The term Myelogenous or Myelooid indicate that the cell change takes place in a type of marrow cell that normally goes on to form red cells, some types of white cells, and platelets.

     Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia are each composed of Blast Cells, known as Lymphoblasts, or Myeloblasts. Acute Leukemia progresses rapidly without treatment.
     Chronic Leukemias have few or no Blast Cells. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia usally progress slowly compared to Acute Leukemias.