a lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell. white blood cells are part of your immune system and help your body fight off diseases including infections and cancer. there are two main types of lymphocytes – b cells and t cells. b cells make antibodies that attack bacteria and toxins in the body. t cells attack your own body’s cells that have become infected with viruses or have become cancerous. if too many cancer cells form in your body and overwhelm your t cells then you may develop cancer. you can also get diseases of the lymphocytes themselves. lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes. leukemia – a type of blood cancer – can cause very high levels of abnormal lymphocytes which can be dangerous. some immune system conditions such as aids can cause your lymphocyte levels to fall too low which increases the chance of developing infections or cancer.
what are lymphocytes?