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Leukemia |
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Leukemia (leukaemia in Commonwealth English) is a group of blood diseases characterized by malignancies (cancer) of the blood-forming tissues. Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer in the industrialised world; in the UK, around one in 2000 children are affected.
The word leukemia tends to be used as an umbrella term. In the 19th century, it was seen as one single, homogenous deadly disease, characterized by a white (leuko-) appearance of blood samples. However, with growing understanding of pathologic and cytologic processes, doctors are now able to differentiate numerous diseases which require different treatment.
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