acute leukemia
1
5.3
- noun
- /əˈkjut luˈkimēə/
- Specialized
:
leucemia aguda
- My daughter was diagnosed with acute leukemia at the age of five, and I spent every moment trying to support her during treatment.
Examples
-
Her husband, in the throes of chemotherapy for acute leukemia, had acquired an opportunistic fungal infection and quickly, unexpectedly, died.
Fiction book (2001) -
In a study of 764 French children with acute leukemia, children were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with cancer if their mothers were treated with fertility drugs, but there was no such association for IVF.
Academic text (2012) -
Max is home from Honduras on emergency leave because his father is dying from acute leukemia.
Fiction book (1994) -
My daughter was diagnosed with acute leukemia at the age of five, and I spent my days at work instead of being at home, looking after her, because I was afraid of watching her die!
-
In 1983, we started a prospective study on platelet transfusions in patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia.
Academic text (1992) -
This secretary was passed the circulating photo of Maryann Gingus's daughter Stacey, who is in Boston Children's Hospital with acute leukemia.
Fiction book (1998) -
In 1983, we started a study on treatments for patients diagnosed with acute leukemia to improve their chances of recovery.
-
When she learned she had acute leukemia, she focused on making the most of her time with family and friends.
Synonyms
109
4.6
A serious cancer that makes too many abnormal white blood cells
1
5.7
A fast cancer of the blood in which the body makes many immature white blood cells often in children
1
7.7
A cancer of the blood where many young white blood cells grow and do not work properly
1
4.4
A fast-developing blood cancer where immature white blood cells build up, often in children
1
3.8
A disease in which the body makes too many white blood cells
A fast-growing blood and bone marrow cancer that makes many immature white blood cells
A fast cancer of the blood that makes many abnormal white blood cells and often affects teenagers and young adults
A serious blood cancer where immature white blood cells build up in bone marrow and blood
A cancer of the blood that makes too many white blood cells
How Sudden
- Specialized
1
9.9
- Specialized
1
5.3
- Specialized
1
7.6
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'acute' (sudden/severe) modifies 'leukemia' (a blood cancer), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a rapidly progressing form of leukemia. This medical modifier + disease pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows regular English noun phrase composition, making the meaning transparent to learners familiar with the constituents.
Etymology
Acute leukemia uses acute to mean 'sudden' or 'severe' and leukemia to mean a disease of the blood, so the phrase paints the picture of a blood cancer that comes on quickly and needs fast treatment.