What is the term for cancer of white blood cells?

• A. Leukemia
• B. Lymphoma
• C. Myeloma
• D. Anemia

Answer: (A)

Leukemia is the cancer of white blood cells. It begins in the bone marrow where white blood cells are made and leads to the production of abnormal white cells that crowd out normal blood cells. This can weaken the immune system and disrupt normal blood function. Leukemia is categorized by how quickly it progresses (acute vs chronic) and which type of white blood cell lineage is involved (myeloid vs lymphoid).

Lymphoma is cancer that primarily affects lymphocytes in the lymph nodes and other lymphatic sites, not the blood-forming cells in marrow. Myeloma (multiple myeloma) involves malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. Anemia is not cancer itself; it’s a condition characterized by low red blood cells or hemoglobin, which can occur with various diseases but is not a cancer of white blood cells.