<p>[image url="/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/cancertypes.jpg" title="Cancer Types" raw="true" alignment="center" margin_left="0" margin_right="0" margin_top="0" margin_bottom="20" shadow="7" width="640" height="229"]
</p><h2>Is Blood Cancer Leukemia?</h2>
Leukemia<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> is</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> cancer </span><span>that starts in<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span><span><span>t<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">is</span>sue that forms</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood</span>. To understand</span></span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> this cancer</span><span>, it helps to know how normal<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span></span><em>cells are</em> formed.
<h2><span class="header-a"> Normal<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> Blood </span>Cells</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span><span>Most<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells develop from cells in</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span></span><em>bone marrow</em><span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> called </span></span><em>stem cells</em><span><span><span>. Bone marrow<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> is</span></span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span>s</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">of</span><span>t material in<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span>center</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span>most bones.</span></p>
<span>Stem cells mature into different kinds<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span><span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">blood </span>cells. Each kind has a special job:</span></span>
<table id="Table1" border="0" cellspacing="8" cellpadding="0">
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<td valign="top"><img alt="" src="http://www.americancancerfund.org/images/stories/white_blood_cells.jpg"></td>
<td valign="middle"><em><span>White<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells</span></em> help fight <em>infection</em><span><span>.<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> The</span>re are several types</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span><span>white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells.</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><img alt="red_blood_cells" src="http://www.americancancerfund.org/images/stories/red_blood_cells.jpg" width="100" height="100"></td>
<td valign="middle"><em><span>Red<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells</span></em><span><span> carry oxygen to t<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">is</span>sues throughout</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span>body.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><img alt="platelet" src="http://www.americancancerfund.org/images/stories/platelet.jpg" width="100" height="100"></td>
<td valign="middle"><em>Platelets</em><span> help form<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>clots that control bleeding.</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span><span>White<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells, red<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells, and platelets are made from stem cells as</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span>body needs<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the</span>m. When cells grow old or get damaged,<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the</span>y die, and new cells take<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the</span>ir place.</span>

<span><span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">The </span>picture below shows how stem cells can mature into different types</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span><span><span>white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells. First, a stem cell matures into ei</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">the</span>r a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem cell:</span></span>
<ul>
	<li>A <em>myeloid</em> stem cell matures into a myeloid <em>blast</em><span><span>.<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> The </span><span>blast can form a red<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cell, platelets, or one</span></span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span>several types<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span><span>white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells.</span></span></li>
	<li>A <em>lymphoid</em><span><span> stem cell matures into a lymphoid blast.<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> The </span>blast can form one</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span>several types<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span><span>white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells, such as</span></span><em> B cells</em> or <em>T cells</em>.</li>
</ul>
<span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">The </span><span>white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells that form from myeloid blasts are different from</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span><span>white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells that form from lymphoid blasts.</span></span>

<a name="b-picture"></a>
<table id="Table1" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="0">
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<td><img alt="leukemia" src="http://www.americancancerfund.org/images/stories/leukemia.jpg" width="300" height="311"></td>
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<td valign="top"><span>Picture<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> of </span><span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">blood </span>cells maturing from stem cells.</span></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span><span>Most<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells mature in</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span>bone marrow and<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the</span>n move into<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span></span><em><span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">blood </span>vessels</span></em><span><span>.<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> Blood </span>flowing through</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span><span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">blood </span><span>vessels and heart<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> is </span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">called</span></span></span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span></span><em><span>peripheral<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood</span></span></em>.
<h2><span class="header-a">Leukemia Cells</span></h2>
<span>In a person with leukemia,<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the </span><span>bone marrow makes abnormal white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells.</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> The </span>abnormal cells are leukemia cells.</span>

<span><span>Unlike normal<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells, leukemia cells don&#146;t die when</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the</span>y should.<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> The</span><span>y may crowd out normal white<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells, red<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span><span>cells, and platelets. Th<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">is </span>makes it hard for normal</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> blood </span>cells to do</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> the</span>ir work.</span>

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