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leukemia

leukemia

11 4.6
A serious cancer that makes too many abnormal white blood cells
  • noun
  • /luˈkimēə/
  • Specialized
: leucemia
  • About a year ago, our beloved Sheriff lost his battle to leukemia.
  • childhood leukemia
  • leukemia in children
  • treat leukemia

My, my dad has a form of leukemia.

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Examples

  • After months of treatment, the doctors announced that his leukemia was in remission.

  • He died of leukemia.

  • When I was really young, she had leukemia.

  • How many other people, both adults and children, have died of leukemia since then?

    Academic text (1997)
  • Tell him that your son just got diagnosed with leukemia.

  • Within a year, she would be dead of leukemia, as yet undiagnosed.

    Academic text (2002)
  • His older sister has leukemia and is currently in the hospital recovering from a bone marrow transplant.

    Academic text (2012)
  • My son has leukemia.

  • She has leukemia.

  • I have six brothers, and my oldest brother, Jeb, died when I was nine years old from acute lymphocytic leukemia, one of the most common forms of childhood leukemia.

Synonyms

cancer
vsleukemia
∞ 2.7

A serious disease in which body cells grow out of control and spread

is the specific blood-focused illness rather than one in other organs
leucaemia
vsleukemia
  • UK
79 5.6

A cancer of the blood that makes too many white blood cells

is the same disease but spelled differently in some regions
malignancy
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
6 8.0

Cancer cells that grow without control and can destroy nearby tissue

is narrower, naming the specific blood and marrow cancer type
acute leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
5 5.3

A fast-growing blood cancer that makes many young white blood cells

is the general disease term covering both fast and slow forms
chronic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
2 5.3

A long-lasting cancer of the blood cells that gets worse slowly over years

is the general disease term not limited to slow progression
lymphocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
2 6.0

An illness where the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells called lymphocytes, causing swollen lymph glands

is the general disorder that covers increases of other white cell kinds
acute lymphoblastic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A fast cancer of the blood in which the body makes many immature white blood cells often in children

is the wider term covering many cell types and speeds
lymphoblastic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A cancer of the blood where many young white blood cells grow and do not work properly

is the broader term that includes mature and other immature cell types
myeloid leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A long term blood cancer that makes many abnormal white blood cells and affects older adults

is the general disease term including both chronic and acute variants
acute lymphocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A fast-developing blood cancer where immature white blood cells build up, often in children

is the broader disease category not limited to lymphoid cells
cancer of the blood
vsleukemia
1 3.8

A disease in which the body makes too many white blood cells

is the common medical name used for that specific blood cancer
chronic lymphocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A slow cancer of the white blood cells that starts in the bone marrow and is common in older adults

is the larger disease group that includes different white cell excesses
APL
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A serious blood cancer where immature white blood cells build up in bone marrow and blood

is the broader disease concept that includes many different subtypes
acute myeloid leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A fast-growing blood and bone marrow cancer that makes many immature white blood cells

is the umbrella disease term including non-granular cell types
myelocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A cancer that makes too many young white blood cells

is the broad disease term not limited to this specific cell type
acute myelocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A fast cancer of the blood that makes many abnormal white blood cells and often affects teenagers and young adults

is the overall condition not restricted to acute granular forms
myeloblastic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A cancer that makes the body produce many young white blood cells in the blood

is the general condition that can include other abnormal cell types
granulocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
6.8

A blood cancer that makes too many young white blood cells

is the broader disease label covering various white cell excesses
chronic myelocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
5.3

A long-lasting blood cancer that makes too many white blood cells, often in older people

is the overall disease concept not tied to age or chronicity
monocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
7.7

A blood cancer with too many monocytes, a type of white blood cell

is the wider disease label not limited to monocyte cell increases
monoblastic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
7.5

A blood cancer in which one kind of white blood cell becomes too many

is the overall disease category that can involve other cell types
histiocytic leukemia
vsleukemia
  • Specialized
8.1

A blood cancer in which certain white blood cells called monocytes and their young forms are too many

is the general blood cancer term not restricted to monocyte lineage

Compounds

acute leukemia
  • Specialized
5 5.3

A fast-growing blood cancer that makes many young white blood cells

chronic leukemia
  • Specialized
2 5.3

A long-lasting cancer of the blood cells that gets worse slowly over years

lymphocytic leukemia
  • Specialized
2 6.0

An illness where the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells called lymphocytes, causing swollen lymph glands

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

myeloid leukemia
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A long term blood cancer that makes many abnormal white blood cells and affects older adults

1 4.4

A fast-developing blood cancer where immature white blood cells build up, often in children

1 4.2

A slow cancer of the white blood cells that starts in the bone marrow and is common in older adults

1 5.6

A fast-growing blood and bone marrow cancer that makes many immature white blood cells

myelocytic leukemia
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A cancer that makes too many young white blood cells

1 5.7

A fast cancer of the blood that makes many abnormal white blood cells and often affects teenagers and young adults

myeloblastic leukemia
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A cancer that makes the body produce many young white blood cells in the blood

5.3

A long-lasting blood cancer that makes too many white blood cells, often in older people

monoblastic leukemia
  • Specialized
7.5

A blood cancer in which one kind of white blood cell becomes too many

monocytic leukemia
  • Specialized
7.7

A blood cancer with too many monocytes, a type of white blood cell

granulocytic leukemia
  • Specialized
6.8

A blood cancer that makes too many young white blood cells

histiocytic leukemia
  • Specialized
8.1

A blood cancer in which certain white blood cells called monocytes and their young forms are too many

A virus that infects people and can cause a blood cancer of white blood cells called T cells

How Serious

fatal
241 3.7
leukemia
  • Specialized
11 4.6
disease
∞ 2.3
minor
497 2.4

Surface Forms

leukemia singular
leukemias plural
leukaemias plural
leukaemia singular

Morphology

leukemia = leuk + emia

The parts are Greek combining forms (not standalone English words), so an average B1 learner cannot derive the medical meaning from the components without specialised knowledge.

Etymology

Leukemia comes from Greek parts leuk- meaning 'white' and -emia meaning 'blood'. So leukemia literally means 'white blood', which helps you remember it is a cancer of the white blood cells in the blood.