Leukaemia is the name given to the group of cancers that develop in the blood-forming tissue, typically the bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside the bone). Leukaemia is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal white-blood cells, which impacts normal blood cell production. This eventually impacts the body’s ability to fight infection and many other key areas of the body such as the liver, kidney and other organs.
There are several different types of leukaemia. The different types of leukaemia are named according to the type of white blood cell affected (lymphoid or myeloid), and how the disease appears and progresses (acute or chronic).