Leukaemia is cancer of the parts of the body that make blood,
including the bone marrow and lymphatic system. The 3 main types
of blood cells include: In leukaemia, the bone marrow makes too
many white blood cells that are abnormal and don’t function
properly. This can result in infections, because the abnormal
white cells can't do their usual job properly. Also, the
leukaemia cells may crowd out normal cells in the bone marrow,
leading to a reduction in red cells (causing anaemia) and
platelets (which can result in bleeding). Leukaemia can be
either acute or chronic. Acute leukaemia happens suddenly and
progresses rapidly. There are 2 major types of acute leukaemia.
Chronic leukaemia involves more mature blood cells than acute
leukaemia. Chronic leukaemia most often affects middle-aged to
older adults and may produce little in the way of symptoms for
many years. There are 2 major types of chronic leukaemia. The
cause of leukaemia is unknown. A combination of genetic and
environmental factors seems to be invo