Word
leukemia
/ɫuˈkimiə/
UK spelling · leukaemia
Definition
n. a type of cancer that affects your blood and bone marrow. It causes your body to make too many white blood cells that do not work correctly.
n. a group of malignant diseases characterised by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow. These cells eventually suppress the production of healthy blood cells, leading to anaemia and immune deficiency.
Examples
“The doctors are treating her leukemia with chemotherapy.”
“Early symptoms of leukemia often include persistent fatigue, frequent infections, and easy bruising or bleeding.”
“Advances in genetic sequencing have allowed oncologists to identify specific subtypes of leukemia, leading to more targeted therapies that significantly improve long-term survival rates.”
Examples
simple
“The doctors are treating her leukemia with chemotherapy.”
contextual
“Early symptoms of leukemia often include persistent fatigue, frequent infections, and easy bruising or bleeding.”
complex
“Advances in genetic sequencing have allowed oncologists to identify specific subtypes of leukemia, leading to more targeted therapies that significantly improve long-term survival rates.”
Usage
Often used with 'acute' or 'chronic' to specify the speed of the disease's progression.
Real-World Examples
“She made a number of donations to Vanderbilt University’s medical center in Nashville, Tennessee, where her niece was treated for leukemia.” “The Arctic Monkeys, Pet Shop Boys and Pulp collaborator was at the height of his powers as Britain’s most in-demand music producer when leukaemia struck.” Etymology
From German Leukämie, from Ancient Greek λευκός (leukós, “white”) + αἷμα (haîma, “blood”). By surface analysis, leuk- + -emia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/leukemia