What is the relationship of red blood cells production to bone marrow cancer?
Leukemia is cancer of your body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and lymphatic system. The word “leukemia” means “white blood” in Greek. The disease usually starts in the white blood cells. Under normal circumstances, your white blood cells are potent infection fighters. These cells normally grow and divide in an orderly, controlled way, as your body needs them. But leukemia disrupts this process. In leukemia, your bone marrow produces a large number of abnormal white blood cells. They look different from normal blood cells and don’t function properly. Eventually, they block production of normal white blood cells, impairing your ability to fight off infection. Leukemia cells also crowd out other types of blood cells produced by the bone marrow, including red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues throughout your body, and platelets, which help form blood clots.
