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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Leukaemia
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INFOTEXT
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1992-09-03
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Any one of a group of cancerlike diseases of
the blood cells, with widespread involvement
of the bone marrow and other blood-forming
tissue. The central feature is runaway
production of white blood cells that are
immature or in some way abnormal. These rogue
cells, which lack the defensive capacity of
healthy white cells, overwhelm the normal
ones, leaving the victim vulnerable to
infection. Abnormal functioning of the bone
marrow also suppresses production of red
blood cells and blood platelets, resulting in
anaemia and a failure of the blood to clot.
Leukaemias are classified into acute or
chronic, depending on their known rates of
progression. They are also grouped according
to the type of white cell involved. Treatment
is with radiotherapy and cytotoxic drugs to
suppress replication of abnormal cells, or by
bone-marrow transplantation.